Marin Bright

Marin Bright, founder and CEO of Bright Business Media, LLC and Smart Meetings, has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years—first serving hotels and establishing herself as the top sales person, then launching nine magazines. In 2002, Bright started Smart Meetings with the goal of improving the quality of the print and online meeting experience, and becoming meeting planners’ No. 1 resource for industry news and information.

Over the past 19 years, woman-owned Smart Meetings has lead the way as an innovator and trailblazer in meetings. Bright pioneered the first one-on-one appointment-based events for hotels and planners, launched one of the first websites in meetings media, and created the first ‘consumeresque’ B-to-B trade publication for meetings. Bright continues to lead the company to expand its offerings and set industry trends.

She has received numerous accolades, including the prestigious WPA Distinction in Leadership Award and two consecutive Folio Top Women in Media Awards as a corporate visionary. Bright has been honored as a Legend in the Northern California chapter of PCMA’s Bay Area Meetings Industry Excellence Awards and named to Eventex’s list of 100 Most Influential People in the Event Industry.