ATLANTA — Meeting professional Antwone Stigall, CMP, CMM, DES, CBC, has launched Planner Approved, the first Black-owned destination management company (DMC) in the U.S.
Stigall has spent most of his career on the planner side, leading large-scale conferences and events for nonprofits and corporate organizations.
“While I loved the work, I also recognized a major gap in the industry, particularly in destination management. DMC ownership has been historically homogenous, despite serving an increasingly diverse and global audience,” Stigall said. “I launched Planner Approved to address that gap. It’s the first Black-owned Events and Destination Management Company in the U.S., built to combine operational excellence with cultural fluency. I wanted to create the kind of strategic partner I always wished existed when I was a client; one that thinks like a planner, executes like an operator and designs experiences that are both profitable and inclusive.”
Stigall brings an impressive resume to his new venture. He holds multiple industry certifications including Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Meeting Manager, Digital Event Strategist (DES) and Certified Event Designer. He is notably the only African American male in Tennessee to hold both CMP and DES designations.
His background includes being National Vice President of Events & Marketing Operations at Girl Scouts of the USA where he helped increase its convention attendance from a previous record of 3,000 to 10,000 attendees in 2023. Additionally, he boosted event fundraising from the typical $300,000 to $2.3 million while securing new sponsors.
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Trade shows are a critical part of Planner Approved’s focus. “We know organizers are under daily pressure to deliver not only seamless logistics but also elevated attendee experiences that drive exhibitor ROI and long-term growth and engagement. Our services, including design, housing and room block management, transportation, entertainment and event production are designed to support organizers at every stage of the event and trade show lifecycle. We’re building strong partnerships where we operate as an extension of the trade show team, providing scalable support from local destination expertise to full-service program execution,” Stigall said.
Planner Approved offers comprehensive destination and event management services in Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Stigall has been a prominent advocate for diversity in the meetings industry. He serves as Founding Chair of the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Global Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Instructor and Facilitator of the Inclusive Event Design Strategist Certificate Program, Founder of the Black Meeting & Event Professionals Network and Chapter Leader for MPI.
The timing is particularly strategic for Atlanta, which is set to host major events including World Cup matches in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2028 and the Final Four in 2031.
Planner Approved’s senior leadership also includes Sonya Houston, Vice President of Event Operations, who is the former National Managing Director of Conferences at Teach For America.
Reach Stigall at antwone@plannerapproved.com
