Summer 2026 Chapter Meeting
Agenda
Thursday, August 27, 2026
12:30 PM - 5:00 PM Registration
Location: Mews Galleria
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM Welcome & Chapter Announcements
Location: Mews Conference Room
1:45 PM - 2:35 PM Luxury is a Vibe: The Power of Restoration in Hospitality & Service
Location: Mews Conference Room
Speaker: Jes Averhart | Entrepreneur & Best-Selling Author | Reinvention Road Trip Podcast
Description: In hospitality, luxury isn’t just about amenities…it’s about how people feel. But creating exceptional guest and client experiences requires something many teams are running low on: emotional energy, presence and restoration. Drawing from more than 20 years in the sports, entertainment and corporate event planning industries, Jesica Averhart understands firsthand the pressure of delivering high-touch experiences in fast-paced, high expectation environments. From managing complex events and executive expectations to navigating the nonstop demands of service-driven cultures, she brings both lived experience and leadership insight to the conversation around burnout, performance, and human connection. In this engaging and high-impact keynote, Jes will blend the science of burnout recovery with the hidden dynamics behind exceptional hospitality and service. Using insights from her Living Beyond Burnout framework and real-world stories she explores how stress, performance culture and constant emotional output impact the people responsible for creating memorable guest experiences every day. Attendees will discover how restoration and intentional energy directly shape team engagement and customer experience. This session empowers hospitality professionals to elevate service standards without sacrificing
2:35 PM - 3:00 PM Afternoon Networking Break
Location: Cafe
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM The Experience Gap- Why Great Meetings Still Create Frustrated Attendees
Location: Mews Conference Room
Speaker: Andrew Roby | Corporate Event Planner & Keynote Speaker | Andrew Roby Events
Description: Event planners and hospitality professionals spend countless hours perfecting timelines, room blocks, banquet event orders, staffing plans, and operational logistics. Yet despite all that planning, attendees often leave events feeling disconnected, frustrated, or underwhelmed. Why? Because guests and attendees do not experience departments, contracts, banquet orders, or internal systems. They experience moments.
Drawing from more than two decades of event leadership, real-world hotel audit observations, and lessons learned from military leadership under pressure, Andrew Roby reveals why friction between planners and venues is rarely just a communication problem. It is a success-metric problem.
Planners are often judged by attendee satisfaction, stakeholder confidence, sponsor value, and overall event outcomes. Hotels and venues are often measured by labor, revenue, occupancy, catering profitability, and operational efficiency. Neither side is wrong. But when both sides are not aligned around the attendee experience, friction becomes inevitable.
This keynote invites MPI Carolinas attendees to look beyond logistics and examine the invisible points where guest trust is either built or broken. From broken hotel touch-points to confusing arrival experiences, poor way-finding, disconnected service moments, and over reliance on the BEO, this session challenges the industry to move from managing meetings to designing experiences.
Attendees will leave with a practical Experience Audit framework they can apply immediately to identify friction, improve planner-venue collaboration, and create more intentional, human-centered meetings from arrival to departure.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Butler Tours & Explore Grounds
Location: The Graylyn Estate
Description: Join the staff from The Graylyn Estate for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the beautiful Graylyn properties. Learn all about the history of the estate and hear the stories of the unique guests that have visited the estate in the past. This is a can’t miss experience!
5:30 PM - 6:00 PM First-Timer & New Member Reception
Location: Seminar Room
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Around the World Reception
Location: Living Room Wing
Description: Pack your passport and join us for an unforgettable Around the World Evening Reception at the MPI Carolinas Summer Chapter Meeting! Explore a variety of internationally inspired food and beverage stations, connect with fellow industry professionals, and celebrate the diverse cultures that make our meetings and events industry so vibrant. As an added bonus, attendees will have the opportunity to refresh their professional image with complimentary headshots by Straight To The Heart photography. Come hungry, make new connections, and enjoy an evening of global flavors, fun, and networking!
Friday, August 28 2026
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM Registration
Location: Mews Galleria
8:00 AM - 8:45 AM Breakfast Buffet
Location: Atlantis
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM Day 2 Welcome & Chapter Announcements
Location: Mews Conference Room
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM Hidden Hospitality: Timeless Lessons in Belonging, Experience, and Legacy
Location: Mews Conference Room
Speaker: Calvin Stovall | Chief Experience Officer | ICONIC Presentations, LLC
Description: Long before today's meetings and events industry existed, Black hotel, resort, and hospitality entrepreneurs were creating spaces that brought people together, fostered community, and offered travelers a sense of dignity and belonging. Drawing from his NAACP Image Award-nominated book Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel & Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era, author Calvin Stovall uncovers these remarkable stories and explores how their entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to service, and ability to create memorable experiences continue to offer valuable lessons for today's meeting and event professionals. Attendees will discover how history can inspire more intentional, inclusive, and meaningful experiences that leave a lasting impact on guests and communities alike.
Key Takeaways
Hospitality Has Always Been About Human Connection
- The most memorable events are not defined by logistics alone, but by how people feel. Historical Black hoteliers understood that creating belonging and community was the ultimate measure of success.
- The pioneers featured in Hidden Hospitality built more than businesses—they created spaces that people remembered. Meeting professionals can apply those same principles to design experiences that resonate long after attendees return home.
- The stories of resilience and innovation found in history offer practical insights for creating meetings and events where every attendee feels welcomed, valued, and seen.
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM Morning Networking Break
Location: Cafe
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM The Wellness Effect: Elevating Meetings Through Mind-Body Integration
Location: Mews Conference Room
Speaker: Ashley Brooke James | Keynote Speaker & Co-Founder | TRILUNA
Description: As attendee expectations evolve, wellness is no longer a nice-to-have—it's a strategic tool for driving engagement, connection, retention, and overall event success. This interactive session explores how planners can intentionally integrate wellness into conferences, meetings, and retreats regardless of budget or event size. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas, real-world examples, and practical solutions they can implement immediately to create more impactful and memorable experiences.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM DEI Connects: Sips & Conversation
Location: Seminar Room
Description: DEI Connects is an inclusive networking event aimed at fostering dialogue and supporting our chapter's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. We believe engaging with peers, sharing insights and building meaningful connections can drive positive change in our community.
Set at the historic Graylyn Estate, this gathering offers a welcoming space to engage in intentional conversation.. Attendees can expect a relaxed Sip & Chat format designed to encourage authentic dialogue, shared insights, and meaningful relationships across our industry.
Whether new to MPI or a long-time member, DEI Connects is an opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to a more inclusive future together. Guests are welcome to join for lunch, beverages, or both (food and beverage is order and pay on own).
To make reservations at The Glorious Graylyn Estate: all reservations are through direct contact. Please reach out to our exceptional reservations team today, and let us personally assist you with your stay.
Room Rate: $189++
Call In:
Scott Jobe: 336.758.2428
Mention: MPI Carolinas Summer Chapter Meeting
Email:
Scott Jobe: jobes@wfu.edu
Subject Line: MPI Carolinas Summer Chapter Meeting
You are highly encouraged to relax your stay at the Graylyn Estate throughout the weekend (August 29-30). The Graylyn Estate has graciously offered to extended discount hotel rates to MPI-CC August Chapter Meeting attendees. Be sure to request this amazing offer at the time of your reservation.
