The SISO CEO Summit is an invite-only gathering that takes place once a year, and for most attendees, it serves as a strategic checkpoint. It’s where event company leaders step back from quarterly execution, compare notes with peers facing identical challenges, and recalibrate their approach to sponsor retention, attendee engagement, and long-term growth. The format is intentionally small, the attendee list exclusively C-level, and the conversations focused on what is delivering results in real operations.
If you’re attending the SISO CEO Summit or considering it, this guide breaks down what to expect, where the real value sits, and how to show up ready to make the most of the Summit.
Date: March 9-11
Venue: The Sanctuary Resort at Kiawah Island, SC
Theme: Innovation in Action: Reimagining Connection, Engagement, and Growth
The attendee makeup defines the Summit as much as the setting. There are approximately 200-250 attendees, and every one of them is C-level. These are founders, CEOs, and senior executives who run event companies. The scale is intentional. When everyone in the room owns a long-term direction, conversations move quickly past surface-level commentary and into real decision-making. That is why the dialogue here does not surface at larger shows, during quarterly earnings calls, or inside investor decks. This is one of the few environments where industry leaders can speak candidly about what is working, what is not, and what they are prepared to change.
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The theme “Innovation in Action” reflects a shift the industry has already made. Across the industry, innovation is no longer a question of adoption. AI is now part of the industry’s day-to-day operations. In fact, 91% of event professionals are using AI today. However, what has not kept pace is clarity. Many organisations remain in experimentation mode, unsure how to translate new tools into outcomes that meaningfully affect strategy or growth. AI shows up across workflows, but few leaders can clearly point to results that change how the business performs.
On its own, that challenge is solvable. What makes it more complicated is what is happening on the other side of the experience. Attendee expectations have moved faster than most event companies have adjusted. As a result, 78% of organisers believe they are delivering peak moments, but only 40% of attendees agree. That gap does not need explanation. Anyone responsible for retention, sponsorship, or long-term growth already feels the consequences.
What often gets missed is where the problem actually sits. This is not a content issue. It is not about adding more sessions or booking better speakers. It is a strategic gap between what organisers believe they are delivering and how those experiences are actually being received.
The following are some of the high-impact sessions worth prioritising during the Summit.
Date: March 11
Presented By: Anirban Basu, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer - Sage Policy Group, Inc.
Macro conditions are already influencing sponsor budgets, exhibitor spend, and hiring decisions heading into 2026. In fact, 61.9% of event professionals cite budget constraints as their top challenge this year. Against that backdrop, Basu’s session connects economic signals to the real decisions event CEOs are weighing right now, and those approaching quickly.
Date: March 9
This half-day, C-level-only session takes place ahead of the main Summit and is designed for senior women leaders to engage in direct, practical conversations about leadership and advancement within event businesses. Produced by SISO’s Women’s Interest Group, the Forum focuses on operating realities and executive development, including a leadership masterclass on executive presence and navigating influence at the senior level.
Date: March 10
Presented By: Ken Holsinger and Kimberly Hardcastle
This session presents research curated specifically for SISO that highlights the signals shaping the events industry. It focuses on shifting audience behaviour, organiser priorities, and the practical implications for connection, engagement, and growth. The emphasis is on what is changing, why it matters now, and how leaders can turn insight into action as the Summit gets underway.
These are just a few of the high-impact sessions at the Summit. To see the full conference program and complete session lineup, visit the SISO CEO Summit conference program page.
A room filled with CEOs changes the dynamic. What you take away from the Summit depends largely on how you choose to engage and what you arrive hoping to resolve.
Beyond the conversations themselves, think about how insight will carry forward once you leave Kiawah. Since Rozie Synopsis is powering the session content, those insights remain accessible beyond the Summit through a searchable post-event hub. You can explore the last SISO CEO Summit 2025 knowledge hub to see how Rozie Synopsis turned sessions into lasting insights that c-level attendees can revisit, share, and act on long after the Summit ends. If you want to see how Rozie Synopsis supports events in capturing, organising, and activating key discussions, you can book a short call to see how it works.
SISO partnered with Rozie Synopsis to transform the CEO Summit into a year-round knowledge hub. Here's how Rozie Synopsis ensures every session and insight continues to drive value long after the summit ends:
For SISO (Summit Organizers):
For Attendees:
For Speakers:
For Sponsors:
By using Rozie Synopsis, the SISO CEO Summit ensures that the value of every conversation, session, and insight doesn't end when attendees leave Kiawah - it continues to drive decision-making, strategy, and growth throughout the year.
What distinguishes the SISO CEO Summit is not the setting or the agenda, but the level of responsibility in the room. Every conversation is shaped by leaders who are accountable for growth, experience, and long-term relevance. As the industry moves beyond adoption and into execution, the Summit serves as a checkpoint for leaders to assess performance, confront gaps, and decide what comes next.
For those attending, the value of the SISO CEO Summit is defined less by what is said in the room and more by what changes afterwards. The conversations in Kiawah are only the starting point. What matters is how clearly they sharpen thinking, inform priorities, and influence the decisions leaders carry back into their businesses once the Summit ends, helping to keep the event community engaged and driving meaningful change throughout the year.
SISO CEO Summit 2026 takes place from March 9-12, 2026, at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina.
The Summit is exclusively for C-level executives who run event companies. The attendee list is intentionally small, typically 200-250 leaders, which creates space for candid peer-to-peer dialogue. Conversations focus on operational challenges and real decisions rather than surface-level trends, and the environment is built for strategic recalibration instead of keynote presentations.
Getting the most from the Summit starts before you arrive.
(1) Identify two or three real decisions you're working through so conversations stay focused and actionable.
(2) Review the full conference program in advance to pinpoint which sessions align with your priorities.
(3) Create a short list of peers or topics you want to engage with during networking opportunities.
(4) Plan to leave with concrete next steps tied to specific decisions you need to make, rather than general takeaways.
(5) Keep the link to insights by Rozie Synopsis handy during the event so you can quickly reference key points without worrying about missing details. The more focused your preparation, the more actionable your outcomes.
