Skift Meetings has announced the inaugural members of its new Advisory Council, who will act as strategic partners to inform and strengthen its coverage of the global business events landscape.
The group comes from a variety of backgrounds, including associations, corporations, nonprofits, trade shows, and consumer events. Many are current or former leaders of industry associations including Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP), Meeting Professionals International (MPI), Association for Women in Events (AWE), Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) and the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association (LGBT MPA).
“We’re excited to welcome this powerful group of strategic leaders to guide our editorial coverage as part of our inaugural Advisory Council,” said Miguel Neves, Skift Meetings editor-in-chief. “Along with Executive Editor Andrea Doyle and Editor Barbara Scofidio, I look forward to hearing their insights on industry trends and working closely together in 2026.”
2026 Skift Meetings Advisory Council Members
- Angie Ahrens, CMP-Fellow, CMM, Head of Global Growth Experiences, Intuit
- Ada Allende, Director, Meetings & Events, Inspire Brands
- Meredith Buggelli, Senior Director of Event Operations, Stand Together
- Agnès Canonica, CMP, CMM, Event Marketing Manager, Amplity
- Carrie Davenport, CMP-Fellow, CEM, CSEP, Lead Event Manager, Altria
- Elyse Dawson, CMP, CPCE, DES, Senior Event Manager, Homrich Berg
- Kathryn Frankson, VP of Marketing, Money 20/20
- Lisa Gillette, CMM, DES, Director of Meetings & Events, Investment Adviser Association
- Betsy Gonzalez, CMP, CMM, HMCC, AVP, Manager, Events & Sponsorships, FM Global
- Karen Heslin, Senior Manager-Global Travel & Events, Dynatrace
- Tavar James, VP, Marketing & Global Head of Events, Forrester
- Kyle Jordan, CAE, CEM-AP, CMP-Fellow, DES, CMM, Director of Meetings, INFORMS
- Jordan Lacey, MBA, CMP, Project Manager, Tech Events and Conferences, Capital One
- Ally Masi, Director, Experience Strategy, Salesforce
- Clare Melton, Founder, Claremont Corporate Events Consulting (former Lead Event Manager, Advent International)
- Lesly Simmons, Founder, The Dollhouse Project (former Head of Community Innovation, Amazon)