SPIN:Senior Planners Industry Network

What SPIN:Senior Planners Industry Network does

SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network) is a private, invitation-based membership community serving senior-level corporate meeting, event, and incentive travel planners with 10+ years of experience. Founded circa 2008 and headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, the organization curates a network of approximately 1,200 planner members who collectively manage roughly $6 billion in annual event budgets. The community operates without proprietary technology infrastructure, relying on Facebook groups for ongoing member engagement and third-party platforms for event registration and ticketing.

The core products include curated in-person networking events (the SPINCon conference series and local mixers) and a tiered supplier partnership program (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Core, Event) connecting vetted planners with destination marketing organizations, hotels, and venues. Membership is free for planners, and the organization deliberately maintains a capped planner-to-supplier ratio to preserve planner demand leverage and supplier willingness to sponsor. Revenue is generated primarily through supplier sponsorship fees, paid event registrations priced at $49 (full) / $29 (partial) / complimentary scholarships, and referral commissions from partner bookings.

SPIN runs lean with 1-10 employees. The organization is led by CEO Cathi Lundgren following founder Shawna Suckow's April 2024 retirement from active management. A recent technology-adjacent partnership with Talkadot integrates AI-powered RFP automation into the planner workflow, though SPIN itself does not develop proprietary AI capabilities. Newsletter and event operations have continued through at least mid-2026, indicating operational continuity rather than scale acceleration.

Name

SPIN:Senior Planners Industry Network

Legal name

SPIN: Senior Planners Industry Network

Website

https://spinplanners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SPIN is a private membership network serving senior-level corporate meeting and event planners with 10+ years of experience. The organization curates a capped planner-supplier community of approximately 1,200 members managing roughly $6 billion in annual event budgets, funded by supplier sponsorships and paid events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking Community

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAL

Onsite Operations & Event Staffing Management

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYHSACADAA

Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Corporate Event & Meeting Services

SECONDARYTHAHACAM

Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

Keywords

• Senior planner network
• Event industry community
• Peer professional networking
• Meeting planner association
• Supplier sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Supplier Sponsorship: Year-round sponsorships from suppliers (hotels, destinations, event services) provide the primary revenue stream. These sponsorships enable suppliers to access the exclusive planner network. Supplier membership is capped to maintain planner-to-supplier ratio (planners outnumber suppliers at events).
2. Event Registration Fees: Minimal registration fees for live and virtual events including SPINCon and AdventureCon. Fees are described as 'ridiculously cheap' to maintain accessibility.
3. Referral Commission: SPIN receives a commission when members book speakers through Talkadot referral links.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SPIN operates a free, members-only professional network for senior-level meeting and event planners with 10+ years of full-time experience, providing peer support, education, and business strategy through a private Members-Only Facebook Group, annual in-person conferences (SPINCon and AdventureCon), and virtual miniCon events. The network is funded primarily by year-round corporate sponsorships from suppliers (hotels, destinations, DMCs, event service providers) who gain access to a difficult-to-reach audience of senior planners managing $6 Billion in annual event budgets.

Product overview

SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network) operates as a free membership network for senior-level meeting and event planners with 10 or more years of full-time planning experience. The organization is structured around four pillars—BRAIN, BODY, BEING, and BUSINESS—focusing on the whole person rather than just professional development. The primary products include the Members-Only Facebook Group (daily communications hub), annual in-person conferences (SPINCon and AdventureCon), virtual events (miniCon), and member-organized local gatherings. The network manages approximately $6 Billion annually in meeting and event budgets across its members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPIN Members-Only Facebook Group
• SPINCon (Annual Conference)
• AdventureCon
• miniCon
• Local SPIN Gatherings
• SPIN:News Monthly Newsletter

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic alliance partner, platinum partner, gold partner, silver partner, core sponsor and event partner.

• Talkadotstrategic alliance partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker matching service using feedback from 11,000+ speakers and over a million data points with AI-powered matching. SPIN receives commission for each speaker booked through their referral link; members receive $100 referral fee.
• innoViaplatinum partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic management of global event production services. Provides consistency, cost effectiveness, and efficient planning/budgeting/execution with local experts.
• Wildly Differentgold partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduces exceptional team building, networking and CSR events. Sister company Masters of the Hunt specializes in custom scavenger hunts and escape experiences.
• Soulbare Wellnessgold partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransforms conferences and leadership gatherings with wellness programming. Founder Monica Graves Garcia provides meditation, Ayurveda, and neuroscience-based frameworks for stress mastery and team connection.
• Boston Marriott Burlingtonsilver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel partner with 418 guest rooms and 14,570 sq ft of event space. Located 14 miles from Logan International Airport in Boston suburbs.
• Visit Anchorage Alaskacore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination marketing organization for Anchorage, Alaska. Featured sponsor providing destination information and meeting planner resources for SPIN members.
• Tempe Tourismcore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination marketing organization for Tempe, Arizona. Provides meeting planning resources and venue information for SPIN events.
• Visit Greater St. Cloudcore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination marketing organization for Greater St. Cloud, Minnesota region.
• DMC Networkcore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of destination management companies. Focused on ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) and water conservation causes.
• Don CeSarcore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric beachfront resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Formerly served as a hospital and reportedly has haunted history.
• Fargo-Moorhead CVBcore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention and visitors bureau for Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN region. Promotes craft beer trail and local attractions.
• Kalahari Resortscore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResort and convention center with indoor waterparks in Wisconsin Dells, featuring Master Blaster water rides and event venues.
• Lake Erie Shores & Islandscore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination marketing organization for Lake Erie Ohio region. Promotes outdoor dining and summer activities.
• Minneapolis Northwestcore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism organization for Minneapolis Northwest area. Promotes diverse activities and visitor experiences.
• Visit Fredericksburg Texascore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination marketing organization for Fredericksburg, Texas wine country. Known for peaches and German heritage.
• Visit Planocore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination marketing organization for Plano, Texas. Features pet-friendly and family activities.
• Wisconsin Dellscore sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination known for water parks and family entertainment. Announcing big new developments in 2022.
• BravoStarzevent partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides world-class performers for private virtual and hybrid events. Brought Drag Queen Bingo entertainment to SPINConX.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): PCMA serves business event strategists and meeting professionals through education, events (Convening Leaders), and a member community — the closest large-scale analog to SPIN's senior-planner focus.
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): MPI is the largest global association serving meeting and event planners, offering education, certification, and networking — directly comparable to SPIN's membership network model but with a broader experience threshold and formal dues structure.
• Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA): CEMA is a membership community for senior corporate event marketers and planners, with peer networking and educational programming that closely mirrors SPIN's value proposition for a more corporate-marketing-skewed audience.

Broad incumbents

• Cvent: Cvent is a dominant event management technology platform (registration, venue sourcing, attendee engagement) used by SPIN members; an incumbent tech provider whose supplier sponsorships and planner relationships overlap with SPIN's ecosystem.
• Event Industry Council (EIC): EIC is an umbrella trade organization for the broader events industry, including the APEX standards program — a wider-scope incumbent that overlaps with SPIN's market influence on meeting professional standards and education.

Emerging players

• BizBash: BizBash is a media and events company covering the event industry with editorial content and conferences aimed at event professionals; comparable to SPIN's community-and-content play but skewed toward creative/production-side planners.
• Smart Meetings: Smart Meetings is a media brand and events platform serving meeting and event planners with content, awards, and an in-person expo; it competes for the same planner mindshare that SPIN's newsletter and SPINCon capture.
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): ASAE serves association professionals, a significant subset of SPIN's membership (association planners managing professional organization events), and competes for similar education and community engagement mindshare.

Others

• Hubilo: Hubilo is a virtual and hybrid event platform used by meeting planners; relevant adjacent player given SPIN's hybrid SPINCon and miniCon virtual event formats.
• Skift Meetings: Skift Meetings is the meetings vertical of Skift, a media and research firm covering the business of travel and events; adjacent to SPIN as an information provider and event community for planners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/SPINprofs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spin-the-senior-planners-industry-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SPIN:Senior Planners Industry Network