The move comes after a healthcare association filed for bankruptcy.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

November 05, 2026   |   Read online A Conference Just Canceled 8 Days Out The move comes after a healthcare association filed for bankruptcy.   David McMillin, Skift Meetings Head of Content November 5th, 2026 Eight days. That’s how much notice attendees, sponsors and exhibitors got before the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) called off its annual conference at the Gaylord Texan after filing for bankruptcy. It’s the second major event to fall apart in the final stretch in less than a month, after Grace Hopper canceled two weeks out. In today’s edition of The Stand-Up, Andrea Doyle looks at the fallout. There’s a hopeful thread, too: another healthcare event organizer is setting competition aside and offering free registration for attendees. As Melissa Paige puts it, “We have the space, resources, and willingness to step up.” Head below for the full story, along with tips from a speakers bureau leader on better speaker selection, a new $1.5 billion luxury theme park in Mexico and more. — David McMillin       ADD THIS WEBINAR TO YOUR CALENDAR What’s ahead for incentive programs next year? Join some of the experts from Skift Meetings’ M&I 15 to hear how they are balancing budget pressures with rising attendee expectations. REGISTER HERE             FEATURED STORIES Marriott Wants AI Partners to Deliver New Meetings Business, Not Just Collect Fees By Andrea Doyle AI is changing how planners find and book meetings. Marriott sees an opportunity to generate new business but wants to ensure emerging technology platforms aren’t simply collecting commissions on bookings that would have happened anyway. GET THE STORY Speakers Bureau Head Shares 5 Things Planners Could Do Better By Barbara Scofidio Planners who treat the speaker as an afterthought, or the bureau as a search engine, are leaving value on the table, according to a bureau founder who’s seen the process from every side. GET THE STORY Healthcare Association Files for Bankruptcy, Cancels Conference 8 Days Before Opening By Andrea Doyle A healthcare association’s bankruptcy filing days before its annual conference leaves attendees, sponsors, and a host hotel with plenty of questions. Now, other event organizers are stepping in to preserve educational programming and offer alternatives. GET THE STORY Mexico’s New $1.5 Billion Luxury Theme Park Wants Your Incentive Group By Barbara Scofidio A theme park built for exclusivity gives planners a new kind of reward trip to pitch. Whether it survives the  security review is another question. GET THE STORY The Continuing Merger Between Travel and Meetings By David McMillin New GBTA data shows travel managers are absorbing meetings work faster than they’re adding people to do it. Planners will need to speak up and make the ROI case to colleagues who may be less attuned to the nuances of program design. GET THE STORY             Can a Destination Be Both Low-Risk and High-Engagement? Business Events Sydney + Skift Meetings Global conflicts have disrupted a planner’s ability to organize international meetings. Sydney is emerging as a place removed from many of those tensions, yet well connected for attendees flying in from around the world. LEARN MORE             NEW REPORT ON THE GLOBAL MEETING LANDSCAPE How are your peers thinking about risk in the destination selection process? What’s next for entry policies and fees? Which regions are making the biggest infrastructure bets for the future? Find out in a new report from Skift Meetings designed to help you get a sense of the future of the global meetings landscape. This report was sponsored by Destination Toronto and Ottawa Tourism. GET THE REPORT             SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS Sustainability Actually Does Sell The travel industry tends to picture the sustainable traveler as a small, earnest group that books the eco-lodge and happily pays the green surcharge. Skift Advisory research says that picture is wrong. In a survey of 74,000 travelers across the top 40 outbound markets, 77% said travel should benefit communities and the environment, 70% said they prioritize destinations and businesses committed to sustainability, and 24% actively seek out sustainable options even when it means trade-offs. Those travelers are your attendees, just on a different trip. A single “green” breakout or a recycling-bin photo in the recap deck isn’t enough, especially if you’re trying to win over younger attendees. In an Expedia Group survey earlier this year, 91% of Gen Z travelers said environmental or social concerns shaped their travel plans at least once in the past year, compared with 62% of Millennials. Choose a host city where the venue, hotels, and dinners are walkable or close to transit. Put a transit pass in the registration bundle. And make the local, lower-impact option the one that’s already booked, not an add-on someone has to opt into.             The Skift Meetings Toolkit All the tools you need for successful meetings and events, all gathered in one place. LEARN MORE             Thanks for being a regular reader. We are switching to a new email platform. Why? This change will allow for better delivery, and more engaging newsletters. Please take a moment to add this new email address to your contacts to ensure you continue receiving your newsletters without interruption. During this transition, these emails might land in your promotions or spam folder. To ensure you don’t miss out, please move this newsletter to your primary inbox.         DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Skift 35 W 31st St. New York, New York 10001, United States