Vilma Villavicencio, founder and owner of Checklist Events, has been named Prevue Meetings + Incentives’ inaugural 2026 Planner of the Year. She received the honor during a celebration at IMEX America on Oct. 14.
Presented by Caesars Entertainment as part of Meeting Planner Appreciation Month, the award recognizes the contributions of meeting professionals and was determined through an industry-wide vote among four finalists.
Villavicencio has more than 20 years of event management experience. After building her career in the corporate world, she founded Checklist Events, where she has led domestic and international programs ranging from intimate gatherings to large-scale events with as many as 37,000 attendees.
“This is a career highlight and a meaningful step in strengthening my personal and professional brand,” said Villavicencio in a media release. “More importantly, it shines a light on the talented professionals whose work often happens behind the scenes. Prevue’s recognition sends a powerful message that our creativity, dedication, and expertise matter and deserve to be celebrated.”
“Vilma represents so much of what we hoped to celebrate when we created Meeting Planner Appreciation Month,” said Laurel Herman, President and Editorial Director of Worth International Media, publisher of Prevue Meetings + Incentives. “Experience and expertise certainly matter, but so does passion, resilience, creativity and the ability to bring people together in ways that leave a lasting impact. Seeing our industry participate in selecting our inaugural Planner of the Year made this recognition particularly meaningful.”
The other three finalists were Ellie Soucy, President of Incentive Meeting Services LLC; Jeanette Alston-Watkins, Regional Sales Support Specialist at SOPREMA; and Heather Pilcher, CEO and Executive Producer of Blue Spark Event Design. All four finalists were recognized at IMEX America and will be featured in the November/December issue of Prevue Meetings + Incentives.
Villavicencio received a stay at Caesars Palace, courtesy of presenting sponsor Caesars Entertainment, and a custom watch provided by Seiko.
Launched by Prevue Meetings + Incentives in September 2026, Meeting Planner Appreciation Month is an annual industry-wide initiative recognizing the professionals behind meetings and events. Based on Worth International Media’s corporate mission, “A World Connected,” the program includes an Appreciation Yearbook, Thank You Videos, giveaways and the Planner of the Year award.
More information about Meeting Planner Appreciation Month: meetingplannerappreciationmonth.com.
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