Executive Director Program

SLDO/DRI Town Hall

Join us for an open and engaging town hall conversation with DRI Chief Executive Officer Dean Martinez. Together, we’ll discuss shared priorities, emerging challenges, and opportunities for collaboration across the defense bar. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions, share perspectives, and engage in a candid dialogue about what lies ahead. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of where things are headed and how your SLDO/NDO fits into the broader defense community.

Speaker
Dean Martinez (CEO), DRI, Chicago, IL

Behind the Ballroom Doors: Navigating Hotel Sales, Events, Catering & Meeting Management

Ever feel like you’re negotiating with three different hotels inside one building? Sometimes you are.

Join a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation with Sara Buzzannco, Director, Global Accounts at ConferenceDirect, alongside Jon Davenhall, General Manager, Frances Goss, Director of Events, and Barbara Puckett, Associate Director of Sales at Grand Hyatt Washington, D.C., as they pull back the curtain on how hotel sales, events, and catering departments actually operate and how organizations can work more effectively with each of them.

Adding an additional layer of insight, ConferenceDirect will share the perspective of a full-service meeting and event management company that works with associations and organizations nationwide to source venues, negotiate contracts, manage logistics, and advocate for clients throughout the planning process. The discussion will explore where hotel departments align, where competing priorities can create friction, and how planners and executive directors can navigate those dynamics more strategically.

Designed specifically for executive directors and association leaders, this session will cover:

• How hotel sales, events, and catering collaborate behind the scenes
• What each department is measured on and why that matters in negotiations
• The role a full-service meeting and event management company can play in sourcing, strategy, and advocacy
• Smart approaches to negotiating rates, F&B minimums, upgrades, and concessions
• Common pressure points and how to avoid unnecessary conflict
• Ways to build long-term partnerships that benefit both your organization and the hotel

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of hotel economics, stronger negotiation strategies, and practical insight into how to position your organization for successful meetings while maintaining productive, long-term relationships with both hotel teams and event management partners.

Speakers
Sara Buzzannco (Director, Global Accounts), Conference Direct
Jon Davenhall (General Manager), Grand Hyatt, Washington, DC
Frances Goss (Director of Events), Grand Hyatt, Washington, DC
Barbara Puckett (Associate Director of Sales), Grand Hyatt, Washington, DC

Strategy That Sticks: From Retreat to Results

Join Mike Weston of Lederer Weston Craig P.L.C., for a candid and practical conversation on what makes strategic planning actually work. Drawing on his experience leading multiple SLDO strategic planning processes, Mike will share what separates productive retreats from conversations that never lead to action. From designing the right planning process to building meaningful volunteer engagement and maintaining momentum long after the retreat ends, this session will focus on the real-world challenges organizations face when turning ideas into execution.

Whether your organization is preparing for a new strategic planning cycle or trying to reinvigorate an existing plan, you will leave with practical insight on how to create a process that is focused, collaborative, and built to produce results that last.

Speaker
Mike Weston, Lederer Weston Craig P.L.C.

Reassessing Membership Value: What’s Keeping Association Leaders Up at Night?

Membership challenges continue to evolve, and association leaders across the country are asking many of the same questions: How do we demonstrate value in a changing professional environment? What are members actually looking for today? Why are engagement patterns shifting? And what barriers are standing in the way of recruitment, retention, and long-term growth?

In this practical and discussion-driven session, Toni Lewis, CAE, Vice President, Membership & Volunteer Engagement at the American Society of Association Executives, will explore the membership concerns that continue to keep association professionals awake at night. From generational expectations and engagement fatigue to value perception and member communication, Toni will share national perspective and emerging trends shaping the future of membership strategy.

The session will also feature a candid work-in-progress case study from Lynette Pitt of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA), who will walk attendees through the association's ongoing membership growth and value assessment project. Rather than presenting polished conclusions or a finished strategic plan, Lynette will share the real-time process behind the effort, including why the project began, how consultant support and member research are informing the work, what has been learned so far, and what questions remain unanswered. Attendees will leave with practical ideas, relatable challenges, and fresh perspective they can apply within their own organizations.

Speakers
Toni Lewis, CAE, American Society of Association Executives
Lynette Pitt, North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys