Welcome to the SPIN December 2025 Newsletter with contributions by:
Angela Cava - Business Development, InnoVia and Our Newest SPIN Supporter!!
Carolynn Santos, SPIN Executive Director
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November Articles
🍁 The Magic of Momentum: What If the Feeling You Create Matters More Than the Content You Deliver? 🍁 Angela Cava, InnoVia 💡 The Planner’s Guide to Holiday Rest 💡 By Carolynn Santos, Executive Director, SPIN: Senior Planners Industry Network |
November Contents
SPIN Events and Programs SPINCon Update & Ask Me Anything Launch & More Strategic Alliance Partners and Sponsors Meet Talkadot, Innovia, Wildly Different & Soulbare Newsletter Guest Writers Needed Share your Experience and Insight w SPIN Members Photo Fun SPIN Thanksgiving Fun |
💡The Planner’s Guide to Holiday Rest
(for Real This Time) 💡
Carolynn Santos, SPIN
SPIN Events
Facebook Live - ASK ME ANYTHING Launch - Date Change!
Friday, December 12, 2025, 1:00 pm, Central. Live Ask Me Anything with Arel Moodie & Shawna Suckow
SPINners, you’re going to love this! There's a new tool out there that will significantly decrease the risk involved in selecting speakers. It's called Talkadot, and they're now an official SPIN partner!
Talkadot reduces risk because you get real, unbiased, unfiltered data from speakers' actual audience members and clients, ***not just the ones the speakers want you to see.
Grab a cup of coffee and join us for a quick chat with Talkadot Founder, Arel Moody, to see how this tool helps you discover speakers who don’t just sound good on paper—they crush it on stage. Click here to let us know you're coming.
Talkadot reduces risk because you get real, unbiased, unfiltered data from speakers' actual audience members and clients, ***not just the ones the speakers want you to see.
Grab a cup of coffee and join us for a quick chat with Talkadot Founder, Arel Moody, to see how this tool helps you discover speakers who don’t just sound good on paper—they crush it on stage. Click here to let us know you're coming.
January ASK ME ANYTHING
Thursday, January 8, 2026, 11:00 am, Central. Live Ask Me Anything with Patrick James Lynch & Akena Better
Listen to podcasts?
Have a question about podcasts?
Want to start your own podcast?
The SPIN Room podcast is coming in 2026.
Event will happen in SPIN (Members Only) Facebook Group. View Invite Here.
Thursday, January 8, 2026, 11:00 am, Central. Live Ask Me Anything with Patrick James Lynch & Akena Better
Listen to podcasts?
Have a question about podcasts?
Want to start your own podcast?
The SPIN Room podcast is coming in 2026.
Event will happen in SPIN (Members Only) Facebook Group. View Invite Here.
Patrick James Lynch is the Co-founder/CEO of the agency and production company Believe Limited (2024 FiercePharma Agency of the Year Finalist) through which he’s produced several films Bombardier Blood (EP: Alex Borstein), My Beautiful Stutter (EP: Paul Rudd), sometimes, i think about dying (Academy Award short-list; Sundance Film Festival), On The Shoulders of Giants (Cinehealth Nominee), Poster Child (Ryan White documentary; 2026), and Deliver Us (black maternal health doc; 2026).
Patrick is a National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Rare Impact honoree whose work in entertainment and healthcare has been featured by outlets such as BBC, BuzzFeed, CBS, HuffPo, NBC, PBS, Reuters, and Variety. Currently the Host of The BloodStream Podcast. |
Akena joined the hospitality industry as an intern in hotels immediately after college. After 12 years with hotels, in sales and convention management, including being a part of the pre-opening team of Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD, Akena moved over to the planning side.
Akena's current role is Director of Events and External Relations for the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a nonprofit in the healthcare sector. She is a graduate of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Exercise Physiology and is currently a Master of Legal Studies Candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University finishing in December 2026. Akena is an avid sports fan, a former girls basketball coach and a lover of travel. She currently resides with her husband Bryan and their 8-year-old mini-Schnauzer mix, Chance The Puppy, in the Washington, DC area. |
SPINCon 2026: Outreach Has Begun!
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The SPINCon Planning Committee has re-grouped and started our outreach to 14 cities (recommended by SPINners), 1 territory and 1 country. 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, December 10, 2025 Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Wednesday, January 7, 2026 Email Carolynn if you'd like to join our planning committee. |
💡 The Magic of Momentum...
What If the Feeling You Create Matters
More Than the Content You Deliver? 💡
Angela Cava, InnoVia Productions
What if the true measure of your 2026 program isn’t the agenda, the speakers, or even the content itself — but the feeling your attendees carry with them long after they leave the room?
It’s a question worth sitting with, because research continues to confirm what the best meeting architects already sense intuitively: emotion drives memory, and memory drives action. In fact, Harvard neuroscientists report that emotionally charged events are stored “more vividly and accurately,” while Stanford studies show that audiences retain up to six times more information when it’s paired with meaningful visual and sensory cues.
So, the real challenge becomes:
How are you engineering the momentum that makes your message unforgettable? At innoVia, we’ve seen this truth play out across decades of programs. The most successful meetings are not simply well-produced, they are intentionally architected to guide human emotion. Lighting shifts don’t just illuminate a stage; they signal importance. Carefully timed audio cues don’t just support transitions; they elevate anticipation. Visual storytelling doesn’t simply decorate a room; it anchors memory.
Yet many teams begin planning with content first, production last assuming information alone will move people. But imagine, for a moment, removing the production layer entirely.
It’s a question worth sitting with, because research continues to confirm what the best meeting architects already sense intuitively: emotion drives memory, and memory drives action. In fact, Harvard neuroscientists report that emotionally charged events are stored “more vividly and accurately,” while Stanford studies show that audiences retain up to six times more information when it’s paired with meaningful visual and sensory cues.
So, the real challenge becomes:
How are you engineering the momentum that makes your message unforgettable? At innoVia, we’ve seen this truth play out across decades of programs. The most successful meetings are not simply well-produced, they are intentionally architected to guide human emotion. Lighting shifts don’t just illuminate a stage; they signal importance. Carefully timed audio cues don’t just support transitions; they elevate anticipation. Visual storytelling doesn’t simply decorate a room; it anchors memory.
Yet many teams begin planning with content first, production last assuming information alone will move people. But imagine, for a moment, removing the production layer entirely.
- Would your keynote still carry weight without the sound design that shapes its rhythm?
- Would your brand narrative still resonate without the visuals that give it dimension?
- Would your attendees still feel connected without the environmental cues that foster belonging?
- Most importantly, would the message still travel with them into the behaviors, decisions, and actions that happen after the meeting?
This is the heart of momentum, the unseen force that carries a message forward. And it doesn't happen by accident. It's engineered. That's where Innovia Productions operates as a true solutions partner, connecting deeply with meeting architects. Not as an AV suppler, but as a co-strategist in experience design. We help teams clarify the emotional arc of their program, identify where momentum builds and where it risks breaking, and ensure every technical choice supports the behavioral outcomes leaders care about. Because production isn't a line item. It's an accelerant. It's the difference between a message that lands… and a message that lives on.
As you build your 2026 programs, consider the questions that truly determine impact:
Ready to architect your 2026 experience? Let's talk about building momentum that matters.
Let’s connect!
About the Author: Angela Cava, HMCC, MMP, CMP, brings more than 30 years of experience across the hospitality industry, including destination management companies, ski resorts, hotels and currently in the meeting production space where all the magic happens. She believes deeply in the power of authentic relationships and the creativity that emerges through collaboration where we ideate, evolve, and solve our industry’s most meaningful initiatives. She would love to connect with you on your next program at [email protected]
As you build your 2026 programs, consider the questions that truly determine impact:
- What do you want people to feel in the first 30 seconds?
- What emotion should carry them into your most critical message?
- What will they remember six months later — and what sensory anchors will help them recall it?
- Where must your brand be felt, not just seen?
Ready to architect your 2026 experience? Let's talk about building momentum that matters.
Let’s connect!
About the Author: Angela Cava, HMCC, MMP, CMP, brings more than 30 years of experience across the hospitality industry, including destination management companies, ski resorts, hotels and currently in the meeting production space where all the magic happens. She believes deeply in the power of authentic relationships and the creativity that emerges through collaboration where we ideate, evolve, and solve our industry’s most meaningful initiatives. She would love to connect with you on your next program at [email protected]
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 while showcasing your thought leadership 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 while showcasing your thought leadership 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. |
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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].
SPINner Thanksgiving & Some of Us Got Snow!
SPIN SUPPORTERS
Strategic Alliance Partner
In-Kind Sponsors
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