Senior Director, Events
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
Colleen M Connor, CMP, CMM, is Senior Director of Events at Meeting Professionals International. She has more than 20 years’ experience leading high-profile events and strategic initiatives across financial services, sports and event production.
Known for creating engaging and memorable experiences, Colleen is passionate about the positive impact of live events and the connections they create. She lives in San Diego, California.
Date

Exceptional experiences are no longer a luxury add-on; they are a strategic advantage. In a world where audiences can personalise almost every part of their lives in minutes, the bar for incentive travel and live events has never been higher. The question is no longer simply how to impress people, but how to design moments that make them feel seen, valued and motivated to act.
This conversation brings together three senior voices with deep authority across luxury experience, incentive travel and the business of human connection: Neen James, Stephanie Harris and Marybeth Reeves. Together, they will unpack what separates a well-run programme from an unforgettable, purpose-led experience—and why getting this right matters for engagement, loyalty, brand differentiation and commercial impact. Through a person-centric lens, attendees will explore how to decode the luxury mindset, balance exclusivity with authenticity, and design experiences that resonate long after the event ends
Use this assessment to learn more about your Luxury Mindset with Neen James: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7716610/Neen-James-Assessment-2024
Learning outcomes:
Reframe luxury in incentive travel as intentional design rather than extravagance
Explore how the five luxury levers can be translated into practical design decisions
Evaluate the role exceptional experiences play in strengthening organizations and incentive programs
This session is approved for the following certifications.
* ICCA Skills Domain CICS/CICE: 0.5
* CMP/CEU Approved: Event Design, 0.50 credits
* CSEP Approved