Sonal Sullivan CMP, HMCC
A Certified Meeting Planner with three decades of experience in meetings, events, and hospitality, Sonal has been instrumental in connecting people across the globe to strengthen relationships, share knowledge and insights, celebrate achievements, and promote growth. She has built a reputation as an agent of change, finding efficient and innovative approaches to maximize resources and surpass goals.
In 2013, she established Personalized Meetings & Travel to deliver custom solutions that address unmet needs in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving business environment. Sonal's career achievements in association and corporate planning along with her background in hotel sales uniquely positions her to provide clients with keen insight and an edge-up during negotiations.
Sonal enjoys serving as a go-to resource, championing a cause, and nurturing relationships with clients and vendors alike. Her aim is to design tailor-made events that meet and exceed her client’s expectations.
I live in the Chicagoland area with my husband and two children. When I’m not planning meetings and attending conferences, I love traveling, baking, floral arranging, health & fitness, reading, and spending time with family and close friends.
Here’s What Others Are Saying
Description
“I have known Sonal for close to 15 years and witnessed her fast rise and impressive career in the hospitality industry. She is an industry
professional with a stellar reputation. Suppliers and planners alike adore, respect, and appreciate her. Doing business with her is mutually
conducive and fruitful because she approaches things with a “win-win’ attitude…seldom seen these days.
If you have to describe the consummate meeting executive, industry colleague, and mentor, well Sonal IS the one!”
Andre Valk, CMP, HMCC
ALHI
"Wow, where do I begin? Sonal worked with our Firm for over a year and she immediately became an integral part of the team. She helped navigate contracts, communicate to senior leadership, and was a trusted resource for both our Events team and the Firm. She is extremely organized, creative, and always brought positive energy to the office every day. Our biggest task while Sonal was with our team, was planning our Partners’ Retreat. This required numerous site visits, managing multiple vendors, as well as a very tight planning timeline. The event was a huge success and we could not have done it without Sonal’s partnership. She is a true event professional and has a deep passion for the industry. I would highly recommend Sonal for any of your event needs!"
Kelsey Fischbach, CMP
McDermott, Will & Emery LLP
"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sonal on many projects over the years and she continues to be my go-to person when I need assistance with my meetings. She is a consummate professional, able to jump into a project at any time with little to no direction and successfully see it through to the end. Her extensive experience and knowledge of the industry, coupled with her ability to handle stressful situations under pressure, makes her an asset to any team. Sonal’s cheerful disposition, can-do attitude, and drive for excellence make her a favorite among our clients and team members."
Jennifer Walter
SDI Travel
“I highly recommend Sonal Sullivan and Personalized Meetings & Travel with whom we’ve worked for over ten years. Sonal has consistently demonstrated exceptional expertise in planning and executing events of all sizes, from intimate dinners to large conferences and retreats.
She effectively manages every aspect of the process, including budgets, vendor coordination, venue sourcing, and on-site execution, all while working seamlessly with our leadership team. Sonal’s attention to detail, creativity, and professionalism have consistently exceeded our expectations, making her an invaluable partner.”
Gabriella Cyranski
McDermott, Will & Emery
"Sonal and I worked together on several projects over the last couple of years. She is a very experienced and detailed meeting and event management professional. She has a very calm demeanor which is a necessity, especially when working under pressure. She is reliable and always aware of objectives and deadlines and would be an asset to any team."
JRegina Panza (former employee)
McDonald's
"Sonal and I worked together on several projects over the last couple of years. She is a very experienced and detailed meeting and event management professional. She has a very calm demeanor which is a necessity, especially when working under pressure. She is reliable and always aware of objectives and deadlines and would be an asset to any team."
Myha Trieu
Predactiv
"I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with Sonal Sullivan for the past three years. It’s a rare occasion when contracted vendors are able to so
fully integrate themselves into your business, operations, and culture it’s a seamless experience, but Sonal does exactly that.
Working with Sonal on our annual signature event and governance and committee meetings over the past few years have been outstanding. Across the board – from our small leadership meetings for 20 attendees to our largest event with over 1,000, Sonal’s incredible depth and breadth of experience and contacts within the hospitality industry helped us provide a superior experience for our members, improved our internal processes, and saved us a significant amount while dramatically reducing our exposure
to risk. She really took the time to get to know our industry, our members, and how our organization worked internally to maximize her value.
Sonal is a true professional and always puts the client first. Her personality and attitude are truly admirable – she’s one of the most positive, solution-oriented, collaborative, inclusive, and funny people I know. I love working with Sonal and recommend her highly to anyone who wants to make their events the best they can be, both from the attendee and the sponsor's perspective."
Stephanie Crain (former employee)
Council of Residential Specialist
“We had the privilege of working with Sonal on two of our client conferences and she surpassed all expectations. I’ve known Sonal for many years through the hospitality industry, and when we had an opportunity arise where we needed a meetings industry professional who was accomplished, respected, and committed to excellence, Sonal was the first person that came to mind. Sonal, onboarded quickly, collaborated with staff to learn the vision and goals of each conference and fostered relationships with the team and vendors. She has a keen eye for detail and proposed options to stay within budget while meeting contractual obligations and enhancing the attendee experience. Sonal’s professional and calm composure provided each team with confidence and her passion and commitment to excellence contributed to the success of each conference. Sonal is personable, classy and has a wealth of knowledge to take your event to the next level. I highly recommend Sonal and will contract with her again when the opportunity
arises.”
Colleen Bagnasco, CAE, CMP
Association Management Center