2026 NSA Carolinas Annual Banquet
June 12–13, 2026 · Raleigh, NC
Join us for our biggest event of the year — a weekend celebrating our chapter's success, investing in your craft, and connecting with the speaking community you call home.
Friday, June 12 — Awards Gala & Dinner
Venue: Raleigh Founded - North Street
Address: 509 W. North St., Raleigh, NC 27603
Kick off the weekend with an elegant evening celebrating everything our chapter has accomplished this year. Enjoy a buffet dinner, two complimentary drink tickets, and a night filled with recognition, community, and the kind of conversations that only happen when great speakers get in a room together.
The evening will include:
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A real red carpet with professional photos!
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Celebration of all we have accomplished this year
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Time (and more photos!) with your NSA Carolinas speaker friends
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Presentation of this year's chapter awards
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Recognition and send-off for our outgoing board members
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Welcome to our incoming board and the new chapter year
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A delicious dinner ️and celebration drink tickets
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Registration does not include hotel accommodations, but hotel recommendations are shared below.
This is a night to dress up, slow down, and celebrate. We hope you'll join us!
Full weekend (Friday and Saturday) pricing:
Friday-ONLY ticket prices:
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Member (individual): $120
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Member (couple; member + guest): $170
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Additional Guest of Member (additional guest tickets with members’ couple registration): $95
Saturday, June 13 — Professional Development Day
Venue: Raleigh Founded - North Street
Address: 509 W. North St., Raleigh, NC 27603
Our Professional Development Day is built for working speakers. The day is hands-on and interactive — small-group roundtables where you can actually dig into the challenges of running a speaking business.
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Pillar
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Roundtable 1 @ 10 am
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Roundtable 2 @ 11 am
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Eloquence
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Your signature story
Allie Plieter
Every speaker has a story that does the heavy lifting — the one that earns trust, shifts perspective, and stays with an audience long after the event ends. Is yours working as hard as it should? We'll explore how to sharpen the structure, deepen the emotional truth, and make sure your signature story still reflects who you are today.
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From good to unforgettable
Sharon Delaney McCloud. CSP
Technical skill gets you booked. Presence gets you rebooked. What separates a competent keynote from one that people talk about on the drive home — and how do you close that gap intentionally? We'll dig into the specific choices that elevate a strong talk into a transformational experience.
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Ethics
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AI & authenticity
Lynn Unsworth, CSP
How do you use AI tools in your business — for content, proposals, social media — without losing your voice or misrepresenting your process to clients? Where do you draw the line, and how do you communicate that line to the people who hire you?
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Pricing integrity
Michelle Edelen
Do you charge what you're worth, or do you discount in ways that undercut your peers and signal low value? How do you hold your fee even when a client pushes back, and what does that say about how you value your own work?
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Enterprise
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Your referral ecosystem
Dr. Kevin Snyder, CSP
Referrals don't happen by accident. They happen because you've built relationships where the right people think of you first, trust you enough to put their name behind you, and know exactly who to send your way. How do you build and nurture that ecosystem deliberately — and how do you make it easy for people to refer you?
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To hire or not to hire?
John Edwards, CSP
When is it time to stop doing everything yourself? Can you truly outsource the sales process — or is that the one thing you have to own? We'll talk through the real decision behind bringing on help for sales, operations, and marketing: the benefits of hiring, the questions to ask before you do, and what to know ahead of time so your first hire actually moves your business forward.
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Expertise
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Engagement that earns attention
Stan Phelps, CSP, GSF
Audiences today are distracted, overstimulated, and quietly skeptical. How do you earn their attention from the first thirty seconds and hold it through to the close? We'll explore specific, practical techniques for creating the kind of engagement that makes a room feel alive — and makes event planners want to bring you back.
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The close that converts
Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE
Whether you're selling from the stage, driving attendees to a next step, or simply trying to make sure your message sticks, your call to action is the moment everything either lands or evaporates. What makes a CTA feel natural rather than pushy, and how do you build toward it from the very first line of your talk?
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Saturday's roundtables are led by some of the most accomplished speakers in our chapter — CSPs and seasoned pros like Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE; Sharon Delaney McCloud, CSP; Stan Phelps, CSP, GSF; Allie Pleiter; Dr. Kevin Snyder, CSP; Michelle Edelen; Lynn Unsworth, CSP; and John Edwards, CSP. Where else can you sit at a small table and talk shop with this caliber of speaker?
These are intimate conversations, not lectures — a rare chance to ask the questions you've been wanting to ask, and to learn directly from the people who've been there.
Lunch is included.
Saturday Schedule
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9:00 AM — Registration & morning refreshments
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9:30 AM — Welcome address, incoming chapter president
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10:00 AM — Roundtable session 1 (45 minutes)
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10:45 AM — Short break
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11:00 AM — Roundtable session 2 (45 minutes)
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11:45 AM — Short Break
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12:00 PM — Lunch & Facilitated Lunch Table Discussions
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1:00 PM — Panel
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Featuring Allie Plieter (author of 60+ books); Stan Phelps, CSP, GSF; and Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE
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2:00 PM — Adjourn
Saturday ticket prices:
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Member: $90
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Non-member: $110
We've got you on hotels!
Unfortunately, we weren't able to secure a hotel block this year for our anticipated number of out-of-town guests. But we wanted to help make booking as easy as possible for you anyway, so we've organized a few hotel options near Raleigh Founded — North Street, for anyone who's traveling in from out of town:
Closest to the venue (walkable):
- Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Downtown — Glenwood South (600 Glenwood Ave, ~0.1 mi from venue / across the street). Average room rates for June 12-13 typically run around $200-$270/night*. (Note: self-parking is $30/night.)
- AC Hotel by Marriott Raleigh Downtown (9 Glenwood Ave, ~0.5 mi from venue). Average room rates for June 12-13 typically run around $250-$320/night*. (Note: self-parking is $21/night.)
A more affordable option (slightly further but still downtown):
- Holiday Inn Raleigh Downtown (320 Hillsborough St, ~0.7 mi). Average room rates for June 12-13 typically run around $140-$170/night*. Still close enough to walk or grab a quick rideshare to the venue.
A quick note: rates, taxes, and parking fees change often — please verify all four with the hotel directly before booking. Booking directly with the hotel often gets you the most accurate information.
NSA Carolinas aligns with the National Speakers Association policies for Code of Ethics, Civility and Professional Conduct. By registering for any of our events you are also agreeing to adhere to these national standards to uphold the highest standards of professionalism.
If you have questions or any special needs or accommodations that we can support you with, please let us know! We look forward to seeing everyone on June 12th and 13th!
