Welcome to the SPIN February 2026 Newsletter with contributions by:
Bonni Scepkowski, long-time SPIN Member, SPIN Supporter!
Carolynn Santos, SPIN Executive Director
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February Articles
💡 Not Everything That Matters Shows Up on a Spreadsheet or Why It Can Cost $20K to Not Buy Coffee 💡 Bonni Scepkowski, President & CSO, Stellar Meetings 🫂Grateful for the People Who ‘Get It’ 🫂 Carolynn Santos, Executive Director, SPIN |
February Contents
SPIN Events and Programs Ask Me Anything Session, February 19th Senior Planner Education Workshop on AI - AI 202, March 2 Strategic Alliance Partners and Sponsors Talkadot, Innovia, Wildly Different & Soulbare Newsletter Guest Writers Wanted! Share your Experience and Insight on anything (doesn’t have to be planning- related!) Photo Fun Convening Leaders, Philadelphia, PA |
💡Not Everything That Matters Shows Up on a Spreadsheet or...
Why It Can Cost $20K to Not Buy Coffee 💡
Bonni Scepkowski
President & CSO
Stellar: Strategic Meetings in Life Sciences
Article originally posted on Author's LinkedIn profile, it is re-posted here with permission from the Author.
President & CSO
Stellar: Strategic Meetings in Life Sciences
Article originally posted on Author's LinkedIn profile, it is re-posted here with permission from the Author.
Let’s start with the obvious.
Budgets matter. Numbers matter. Spreadsheets matter.
(I deeply respect a good spreadsheet. I also know exactly when it’s time to stop staring at one—and start reading what’s hiding behind the numbers.)
Because after 30 years in this industry, I’ve learned something important:
Some of the most expensive decisions in meeting planning don’t live in the headline numbers. They live in the fine print.
The Value You Can Measure
There is very real, tangible value in the numbers.
Negotiated savings. Stronger contract terms. Budgets that stay aligned—even as scopes evolve, priorities shift, and new ideas (or last-minute “quick adds”) appear along the way.
Because here’s the truth clients don’t hear often enough: Budgets are living documents.
Meetings grow. Leadership adds requests. Opportunities show up mid-stream.
My job isn’t to pretend that won’t happen. My job is to protect the budget anyway—through final vendor invoice reconciliation.
That protection often comes from understanding trade-offs clients may not even realize exist.
Sometimes paying more in one place prevents spending far more somewhere else.
Budgets matter. Numbers matter. Spreadsheets matter.
(I deeply respect a good spreadsheet. I also know exactly when it’s time to stop staring at one—and start reading what’s hiding behind the numbers.)
Because after 30 years in this industry, I’ve learned something important:
Some of the most expensive decisions in meeting planning don’t live in the headline numbers. They live in the fine print.
The Value You Can Measure
There is very real, tangible value in the numbers.
Negotiated savings. Stronger contract terms. Budgets that stay aligned—even as scopes evolve, priorities shift, and new ideas (or last-minute “quick adds”) appear along the way.
Because here’s the truth clients don’t hear often enough: Budgets are living documents.
Meetings grow. Leadership adds requests. Opportunities show up mid-stream.
My job isn’t to pretend that won’t happen. My job is to protect the budget anyway—through final vendor invoice reconciliation.
That protection often comes from understanding trade-offs clients may not even realize exist.
Sometimes paying more in one place prevents spending far more somewhere else.
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A Real Example (This Is Where It Gets Interesting)
Here’s a real example from very recently. A contract initially showed a $52,000 meeting room rental for two days. Clear. Obvious. Easy to focus on. Buried deep in the standard terms and conditions—easy to breeze past—was a clause charging $50 per person, per meal, per day to bring in an outside vendor. Something as simple as a coffee cart. For 150 people over two days, that’s $15,000 before service charges and tax. Add a 26% service fee and 8.5% tax, and that number becomes $20,175. To be very clear: That’s $20,175 to not buy coffee from the hotel. And here’s where experience matters. The contract language didn’t clearly define what counted as a “meal.” Did a full day of coffee apply to breakfast? Breaks? Lunch? All of the above? That ambiguity isn’t accidental. It’s corporate language—not property-level decision-making—and it’s exactly where costs quietly multiply if no one stops to question it. It took a full week of back-and-forth, negotiation, and compromise—but I ultimately had that fee fully waived. The trade-off? I agreed to a $5,000 increase in food and beverage spend. |
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The math already told me we’d exceed that number anyway. This simply committed us to doing so—clearly, transparently, and without surprise fees later.
The hotel wins. The client avoids a $20,000 penalty. The experience improves.
Win. Win. Win.
None of that showed up in the headline pricing. All of it lived in the fine print.
The hotel wins. The client avoids a $20,000 penalty. The experience improves.
Win. Win. Win.
None of that showed up in the headline pricing. All of it lived in the fine print.
The Value You Can’t Easily Measure
This is where experience earns its keep.
I’m not the planner who nods politely when something looks “standard enough.”
If I see language that quietly shifts risk to the client, I push. If something looks fine today but dangerous later, I say so. If a decision saves money now but limits flexibility when it matters, I flag it early.
Not because I enjoy pushing back (I don’t). But because I’ve seen how these clauses play out once leverage disappears.
Experience creates pattern recognition. Pattern recognition prevents expensive lessons. (Also, I’ve planned meetings long enough to know that if something can go sideways, it usually does—five minutes before doors open, often near a loading dock. I’ve seen some things.)
Experience Is Preventative (and Still Human)
You don’t hire experience because you expect things to go wrong. You hire it so they don’t.
You also hire it because:
And—because this matters too—someone should make the process enjoyable.
So yes:
And I’m also:
Good judgment and good energy are not mutually exclusive.
Final Thought
Yes—numbers matter. Yes—budgets matter. Yes—metrics matter.
But so does understanding where risk hides. So does reading past the headline pricing. So does having someone in the room who knows that the most expensive words in a contract are often the quietest ones.
That’s the work you don’t always see. And it’s usually what protects everything else.
Bonni Scepkowski is the brains, looks, and humor behind Stellar Meetings: Strategic Meetings in the Life Sciences. Since 2000, Bonni has led Stellar Meetings & Events as President and Chief Strategy Officer, focused exclusively on the life sciences. She’s managed hundreds of programs—from small, high-stakes meetings to large pharmaceutical product launches—always with strategic meeting management at the core. Branding, culture, experience, and budget discipline aren’t add-ons in her world; they’re built in from the start.
This is where experience earns its keep.
I’m not the planner who nods politely when something looks “standard enough.”
If I see language that quietly shifts risk to the client, I push. If something looks fine today but dangerous later, I say so. If a decision saves money now but limits flexibility when it matters, I flag it early.
Not because I enjoy pushing back (I don’t). But because I’ve seen how these clauses play out once leverage disappears.
Experience creates pattern recognition. Pattern recognition prevents expensive lessons. (Also, I’ve planned meetings long enough to know that if something can go sideways, it usually does—five minutes before doors open, often near a loading dock. I’ve seen some things.)
Experience Is Preventative (and Still Human)
You don’t hire experience because you expect things to go wrong. You hire it so they don’t.
You also hire it because:
- Someone needs to read what others skim
- Someone needs to ask, “What happens after we sign this?”
- Someone needs to protect not just the meeting—but the people funding it
And—because this matters too—someone should make the process enjoyable.
So yes:
- I’m strategic
- I’m direct
- I’m deeply experienced
And I’m also:
- Creative enough to solve problems inside constraints
- Clear enough to make hard conversations productive
- Fun enough that working together doesn’t feel like a grind
Good judgment and good energy are not mutually exclusive.
Final Thought
Yes—numbers matter. Yes—budgets matter. Yes—metrics matter.
But so does understanding where risk hides. So does reading past the headline pricing. So does having someone in the room who knows that the most expensive words in a contract are often the quietest ones.
That’s the work you don’t always see. And it’s usually what protects everything else.
Bonni Scepkowski is the brains, looks, and humor behind Stellar Meetings: Strategic Meetings in the Life Sciences. Since 2000, Bonni has led Stellar Meetings & Events as President and Chief Strategy Officer, focused exclusively on the life sciences. She’s managed hundreds of programs—from small, high-stakes meetings to large pharmaceutical product launches—always with strategic meeting management at the core. Branding, culture, experience, and budget discipline aren’t add-ons in her world; they’re built in from the start.
SPIN Events
A.I. for SPINners: Fix The Parts of
Your Job You Secretly Hate!
INSTRUCTOR: Shawna Suckow, SPIN Founder
DATE: March 2, 2026
TIME: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
COST: A contribution of any amount to SPIN (after the course)
First 30 Minutes is Beginner Intro to ChatGPT
Actual Session Starts at 12:30 CST
DATE: March 2, 2026
TIME: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
COST: A contribution of any amount to SPIN (after the course)
First 30 Minutes is Beginner Intro to ChatGPT
Actual Session Starts at 12:30 CST
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You already know how to plan exceptional events — the problem is how much time you spend on the not-so-fun things like boring administrative tasks.
In this session, I’m going to show you some practical uses of A.I. as a behind-the-scenes assistant to handle the tasks that take time away from the things you’d rather be doing. You’ll learn easy, quick ways to: > Draft and respond to RFPs > Create those pesky attendee communications like Know-Before-You-Go emails > Researching anything from speakers to cities to specific venues from scratch We’ll walk through simple, repeatable workflows you can actually use the same day. You’ll be able to turn projects around faster, protect your evenings, and still deliver the thoughtful, high-touch service you’re known for. Who knows - you may even get to take a real vacation this year! Register here! |
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ASK ME ANYTHING Series
Thursday, February 19, 2026, 9:00 AM Central
Barbara Scofidio, Skift Meetings
Live on Facebook, SPIN (Members Only)
Register here, Join us on Zoom - The SPIN (Members Only) Facebook Group
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The Editor at Skift Meetings, Barbara takes her place as the only industry journalist who has also worked as a professional meeting planner. In her previous roles at Prevue and MeetingsNet, she spearheaded (and ran) dozens of F2F and virtual events for meeting planners. She was also the first journalist ever to be named to a GBTA committee, the former Groups & Meetings Committee.
Barbara is known for her coverage of the causes she believes in: women's empowerment, sustainability, CSR, and human trafficking awareness. She is a founding member of SITE's Women in Leadership Committee, and recently became a member of the Advisory Board of The Above and Beyond Foundation. |
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Use A.I. to Plan the Event of the Century
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INSTRUCTOR: Shawna Suckow, SPIN Founder
DATE: April 6, 2026 TIME: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM COST: A contribution of any amount to SPIN (after the course) First 30 Minutes is Beginner Intro to ChatGPT Actual Session Starts at 12:30 CST In this session, I'm giving you the most over-the-top case study I could imagine: you're going to learn how to use A.I. to produce an ultra-high-profile celebrity event: Taylor Swift's wedding! Yes, I know you're not wedding planners, but this extreme example is a fun way to teach you how to use A.I. to move from concept to full plan faster than you can say "Travis Kelce!" You’ll get hands-on experience learning practical tools that you can bring straight back to your real work: easy venue layout and diagramming, A/V and staging recommendations, décor theming, timelines, staffing plans, and contingency thinking. It'll pressure-test your decision-making and creativity in a no-risk environment while learning how A.I. can help you build clearer proposals, smarter plans, and quicker concept-to-implementation strategies on every meeting and event you produce. Register Here! |
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SPINCon 2026: Conversations are Happening
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The SPINCon Planning Committee has re-grouped and started our outreach to 14 destinations recommended by SPINners - we are in conversation with four potential locations and hope to share more news soon as we narrow down the options.
We are excited about the prospects and hope to have dates and details soon. Stand by! Want to join the Planning Committee? Calls are held on Wednesday, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Central. Next calls: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 Wednesday, February 18, 2026 Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Email Carolynn if you'd like to join our planning committee. |
🫂 Grateful for the People Who ‘Get It’ 🫂
Carolynn Santos, Executive Director
SPIN
SPIN
Grateful for the People Who ‘Get It’
There is an immense sense of relief that comes from being around people who don’t need the backstory. No explanations. No judgements. They just get it.
You don’t have to explain why a last-minute change makes your eye twitch. You don’t have to justify the stress of a “small” request that isn’t actually that small. You don’t have to translate what it means to carry the responsibility for budgets, people, vendors, leadership expectations, and the attendee experience — all at the same time.
That’s the heart of community. And for senior planners, it’s not a nice-to-have — it’s essential to have, what I like to call, my circle of trust.
Why Trusted Circles Matter
As planners grow their experience and careers, the work – load & responsibility level – gets heavier, not lighter. The stakes rise. The decisions matter more. That’s why trusted circles are so powerful.
A trusted peer isn’t impressed by your title. They’re impressed that you survived that event, navigated that stakeholder, or calmly solved that problem without lighting anything on fire. They offer perspective without judgment and can give honest feedback to improve not to demean.
In a world where senior planners are expected to have all the answers, trusted peers give us permission to be human. Permission to continually learn and grow.
Peer Mentorship Is Emotional Support (Whether We Call It That or Not)
Mentorship at the senior level doesn’t look like joining a formal programs or neatly packaged advice in a “one-hour” session. It looks like texts sent after a brutal call. Voice notes that start with, “Okay, here’s what I would do…” Conversations that mix strategy with empathy.
Sometimes it’s guidance.
Sometimes it’s validation.
Sometimes it’s someone reminding you that you’re not wrong — you’re just tired. Fresh eyes tomorrow.
These relationships don’t say “mentor” or “mentee” out loud, but they quietly hold us up when the work gets heavy. They share insights that can sharpen our thinking, steady confidence in ourselves, and be a reminder that we don’t have to carry everything alone.
That kind of support doesn’t show up on a balance sheet — but it does absolutely impact how we lead ourselves, our teams and our work.
There is an immense sense of relief that comes from being around people who don’t need the backstory. No explanations. No judgements. They just get it.
You don’t have to explain why a last-minute change makes your eye twitch. You don’t have to justify the stress of a “small” request that isn’t actually that small. You don’t have to translate what it means to carry the responsibility for budgets, people, vendors, leadership expectations, and the attendee experience — all at the same time.
That’s the heart of community. And for senior planners, it’s not a nice-to-have — it’s essential to have, what I like to call, my circle of trust.
Why Trusted Circles Matter
As planners grow their experience and careers, the work – load & responsibility level – gets heavier, not lighter. The stakes rise. The decisions matter more. That’s why trusted circles are so powerful.
A trusted peer isn’t impressed by your title. They’re impressed that you survived that event, navigated that stakeholder, or calmly solved that problem without lighting anything on fire. They offer perspective without judgment and can give honest feedback to improve not to demean.
In a world where senior planners are expected to have all the answers, trusted peers give us permission to be human. Permission to continually learn and grow.
Peer Mentorship Is Emotional Support (Whether We Call It That or Not)
Mentorship at the senior level doesn’t look like joining a formal programs or neatly packaged advice in a “one-hour” session. It looks like texts sent after a brutal call. Voice notes that start with, “Okay, here’s what I would do…” Conversations that mix strategy with empathy.
Sometimes it’s guidance.
Sometimes it’s validation.
Sometimes it’s someone reminding you that you’re not wrong — you’re just tired. Fresh eyes tomorrow.
These relationships don’t say “mentor” or “mentee” out loud, but they quietly hold us up when the work gets heavy. They share insights that can sharpen our thinking, steady confidence in ourselves, and be a reminder that we don’t have to carry everything alone.
That kind of support doesn’t show up on a balance sheet — but it does absolutely impact how we lead ourselves, our teams and our work.
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Relationships & Friendships Are a Business Survival Tool
Let’s say this plainly: relationships and friendships keep people connected in this industry. Not the performative networking. Not the forced happy hours. Real, authentic friendships — the ones that are built on trust, varied and shared experience, and mutual respect. These friendships – work or personal – are the people who will:
They make the long days lighter. The hard moments more manageable. The wins a bit sweeter. In this instance, friendships are not separate from business — they are woven into how senior planners survive, grow, and stay focused on the work – now and ahead. |
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The SPIN Difference
This is what makes SPIN so very unique and magical.
SPIN has not ever been about posturing or perfection. It has always been about the community itself, rooted in experience, generosity, and shared understanding. It’s a place where relationships deepen over time — where people show up as they are and are valued for what they bring.
In a profession that often asks planners to hold everything together, SPIN reminds us that we don’t have to do it alone.
And in February — a month that celebrates connection — it feels right to pause and say thank you to the people who get it. The ones who listen, support, challenge, and cheer us on regularly.
Our circles of trust, our friendships, the people we connect with, they are at the heart of this community. And they are the reason so many of us are still here.
This is what makes SPIN so very unique and magical.
SPIN has not ever been about posturing or perfection. It has always been about the community itself, rooted in experience, generosity, and shared understanding. It’s a place where relationships deepen over time — where people show up as they are and are valued for what they bring.
In a profession that often asks planners to hold everything together, SPIN reminds us that we don’t have to do it alone.
And in February — a month that celebrates connection — it feels right to pause and say thank you to the people who get it. The ones who listen, support, challenge, and cheer us on regularly.
Our circles of trust, our friendships, the people we connect with, they are at the heart of this community. And they are the reason so many of us are still here.
SPINners - Newsletter Guest Writers Needed!
Did you enjoy this month's articles? What if the byline was yours?
Join us! The Editorial Team is looking for SPINners who would like to share their voice and expertise with the industry and over 2,000 of their peers.
Please consider being a SPIN Newsletter guest writer for an upcoming edition (or two or three or twelve!). Each month we'll have a theme and can provide topic ideas if needed. As a writer your voice will be heard in the Community and beyond, providing you with professional development hours for that CMP renewal, while showcasing your thoughts on a subject.
Please let us know you're interested here or by emailing Carolynn.
Join us! The Editorial Team is looking for SPINners who would like to share their voice and expertise with the industry and over 2,000 of their peers.
Please consider being a SPIN Newsletter guest writer for an upcoming edition (or two or three or twelve!). Each month we'll have a theme and can provide topic ideas if needed. As a writer your voice will be heard in the Community and beyond, providing you with professional development hours for that CMP renewal, while showcasing your thoughts on a subject.
Please let us know you're interested here or by emailing Carolynn.
Strategic Alliances Program
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We are excited to announce our first alliance is with Talkadot!
Find the Right Speaker Every Time Talkadot makes it easy to discover your perfect speaker match by using feedback from over 11,000 speakers and over a million data points. Our tool leverages our unique database and AI to match you to the perfect speaker for any topic, budget, or audience size, Talkadot helps you book with confidence. Best of all, there’s no cost or obligation, just smarter, data-driven matches. EARN A COMMISSION! SPIN receives a small commission for each speaker a SPIN member books through our link with Talkadot. YOU receive $100 commission that can be sent directly to you, your organization, or you can donate your referral fee back to SPIN. NOTE: TO GET YOUR REBATE, YOU MUST BOOK THROUGH SPIN's referral link!! Please reach out to Carolynn with any questions. Note: Please let us know when you book a speaker with Talkadot. We are recruiting senior-planners who have used the service for an upcoming white paper. Please let us know if you are interested. |
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Recommend Sponsors & Receive a Referral Fee!!!
Dear SPINners – we are actively doing outreach for our Annual SPIN Sponsors for 2026.
We have several sponsorships including in-kind, event, and annual options to choose from.
If you know a supplier company that would be a great partner for SPIN, please send contact information to Carolynn [email below].
If the Sponsor signs on the dotted line, the SPINner will receive a $100 referral bonus that goes right into your pocket
(or your company's, or you can gift it back to SPIN).
Winner-winner chicken dinner! Send contact details to [email protected].
We have several sponsorships including in-kind, event, and annual options to choose from.
If you know a supplier company that would be a great partner for SPIN, please send contact information to Carolynn [email below].
If the Sponsor signs on the dotted line, the SPINner will receive a $100 referral bonus that goes right into your pocket
(or your company's, or you can gift it back to SPIN).
Winner-winner chicken dinner! Send contact details to [email protected].
Convening Leaders Fun
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia, PA
SPIN SUPPORTERS
Strategic Alliance Partner
In-Kind Sponsors
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