Summit meetings bring individuals together who share similar interests and goals in order to foster new ideas and arguments. They can be held in person at a conference center or hotel, or they can be hosted virtually using online platforms and tools. Summits can be used to discuss issues or topics that are important to the participants, such as the environment, poverty, or global governance. They can also be used to build trust and establish a platform for exchange of views among state leaders.
While some leadership conferences are viewed as a waste of time, a well-conceived summit can be an effective way to develop a strategy and create momentum. To get the most out of your event, it is essential to have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish, as well as how that might affect your attendees.
Depending on the nature of your project, you may wish to restrict attendance to leaders and influential people (a summit) or open it up to a broad audience, including students and industry professionals (a conference). Solid pre-meeting work clarifies objectives and coordinates content. The meeting director, working with a design team, should oversee creation of all pre-meeting, in-meeting, and post-meeting materials and activities.
International organizations, such as the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean play an important role in implementing Summit decisions. In addition, they are responsible for supporting the coordinators of Summit countries in their efforts to carry out their mandates.