Dwight Loken
CMP, President
The Meeting Connection
Dwight Loken, CMP, is President of The Meeting Connection (TMC), a full-service meeting and consulting firm he founded in 1986. TMC delivers comprehensive planning services for associations, corporations, and religious organizations. Loken and his team manage events of all sizes, handling venue selection, logistics, attendee marketing, and on-site coordination.
A recognized leader in the hospitality and meetings industry, Loken began his career in 1971 as the first full-time employee of the Office Education Association, now BPA, in Columbus, Ohio. There, he gained experience organizing large-scale annual conventions. In the mid-1970s, he earned certification in convention management and joined Meeting Professionals International (MPI) in 1978, later serving as President of the Ohio Valley Chapter. From 1979 to 1987, he was a member of MPI's International Board of Directors and served a term as International President, overseeing the relocation of MPI's headquarters. He was also among the first to earn the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation.
Recognizing the potential of meeting-planning outsourcing, Loken founded The Meeting Connection on August 1, 1986, making it one of the first companies to offer these services nationally. Since then, TMC has earned a reputation for building lasting client relationships based on honesty and reliability, serving organizations nationwide for forty years.
A recognized leader in the hospitality and meetings industry, Loken began his career in 1971 as the first full-time employee of the Office Education Association, now BPA, in Columbus, Ohio. There, he gained experience organizing large-scale annual conventions. In the mid-1970s, he earned certification in convention management and joined Meeting Professionals International (MPI) in 1978, later serving as President of the Ohio Valley Chapter. From 1979 to 1987, he was a member of MPI's International Board of Directors and served a term as International President, overseeing the relocation of MPI's headquarters. He was also among the first to earn the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation.
Recognizing the potential of meeting-planning outsourcing, Loken founded The Meeting Connection on August 1, 1986, making it one of the first companies to offer these services nationally. Since then, TMC has earned a reputation for building lasting client relationships based on honesty and reliability, serving organizations nationwide for forty years.