May 20, 2026

Thank you to all who joined us for our Welcome Reception & Kick-Off Dinner at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena! Between the excellent company, delicious food, and gorgeous setting, it was the perfect way to begin this year's Annual Conference. 

Building on the traditional foundation for our dinner as an opportunity to bring our members and business partners together for a purely social occasion, we were inspired by this year's Annual Conference Keynote speaker Charles Vogl to make some intentional changes designed to help guests connect even more deeply. In distinction from previous years, we reduced the number of guests at each table to better support rich and inclusive conversations, we set votive candles and fairy lights in our centerpieces to help guests keep their focus on their table and dinner companions, and we introduced a small activity with Conversation Reflection Cards to give guests a structured invitation to share personally with each other. You can learn more about Charles' impactful suggestions and how to fold them into your next gathering by downloading his guide to Sacred Dinners for Deep Friendship. 

We hope you were able to join us for this memorable evening! If not, we hope you will plan to join us for next year's Welcome Reception & Kick-Off Dinner in Northern California. 

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