We help businesses, associations and government agencies think differently about event planning.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING EVENTBring something new to your next conference, meeting, trade show or seminar.
VIEW OUR PORTFOLIOBased in Maryland, just outside of Washington DC, Ashton Conference Planning Professionals helps businesses, associations and government agencies strategize new ways to produce better events. While we’re experts in every aspect of planning, from site selection to onsite management, we’re much more than a traditional event planning agency. In addition to being able to plan events in her sleep, founder Michele Nebel Peake specializes in educational design — the study of how people learn. That translates to innovative ideas designed to help attendees be more engaged and more receptive to your event’s messages. It’s an art we’ve perfected over the last 20-some years, and it all starts with a clear understanding of your business goals.
Trade Shows
Seminars
Conferences
Board & Executive Meetings
Conventions
Product Launches
Corporate & Nonprofit Galas
Charity Functions
“Michele hired me as a speaker for one of her annual events in 2010. Her communication was outstanding, her attention to detail was impeccable and she was always to pleasant to work with, even when under pressure! She really did an incredible job managing the event and I would recommend her work to anyone.”
Midori Connolly, Speaker, Consultant | AVGirl Productions
“Michele is the best in the business! Her experience and knowledge is obvious in everything she does. From the call for papers process, to the session selection process; notifying and working with speakers, to session room assignments and configurations; from banquet orders and number guarantees to negotiating room blocks and hotel contracts and every detail in between, Michele has it all covered. She is easy to work with, extremely flexible and open to new and out-of-the-box ideas. She always gets the job done right, on time and within budget!”
Shauna Peters, Account Strategist | MDG
“Michele has provided excellent service. While being reliable and consistent with outcomes, Michele has contributed positively to the final financial outcome of our events through cost-saving measures and her ability to provide a thorough review of all service contracts our association engages for our events.”
Nancy Allen, Director of Operations and Contract | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA)
“Michele is quite simply a joy and pleasure to work with. She is professional, has great communication skills, and follows up with you immediately. I especially respect her approach to running a conference, which at times can be stressful. She flat out gets the job done and everyone I know appreciates her professionalism and approach to putting on a first-class event.”
Bart Bettiga, Executive Director | National Tile Contractors Association
“Through her patience and ability to build solid relationships, she is capable of making everyone feel welcome and essential to the success of the event. Michele’s organizational skills can be seen through her event planning; the conferences remain upbeat and timely and provide information that continues to educate and motivate everyone in attendance.”
Lisbeth Calandrino, Associate Publisher and Director of Consumer Research | Fabulous Floors Magazine
“I love working with Michele Nebel Peake! She is the consummate professional who gently but firmly guides speakers to meet deadlines while providing them with the support needed to shine. Since 2009, Michele has impressed me with her responsiveness, dependability, courtesy and sense of humor over the phone, via email connections and in person. I recommend her to anyone looking to hire her firm for an event.”
Christine B. Whittemore, Chief Simplifier | Simple Marketing Now - http://SimpleMarketingNow.com
“Put simply: Michele is fantastic. She has worked with us for three years in a variety of capacities from planning and managing executive board meetings to full industrial trade shows and conferences. Her forte is certainly educational design for our conferences, always bringing cutting-edge formats and content ideas to help keep our program fresh and our members engaged. While it can be difficult to trust a contractor to interact with your principles, Michele has always been personable and professional when dealing with any level of our membership, from associates to CEOs. Most importantly, she has the unique ability to stay focused on the macro goals of the event while remaining detail oriented with logistics.”
Michael Wilbur, Manager, Board Relations & Special Projects | Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA)
“What amazes me most about working with Michele is her ability to immerse herself into each industry and make herself a subject-matter expert full of knowledge, contacts and resources. When I launched Craft Beverage Expo in 2012, the first call I made was to Ashton Conference Planning and Michele. In three short years, Michele has helped shape the most respected conference program in the beverage industry. Besides her ability to create stellar adult learning programs, Michele can handle all of the meeting components as well. From contract negotiation, AV requirements, catering, and board leadership, she can handle every aspect of the conference program. I cannot recommend Michele and her team enough."
Kellie Shevlin, Executive Director | Craft Beverage Expo
“Michele gets the job done and I appreciate her professionalism. We have enjoyed our 10+ year association with her very much. Michele is great fun to work with and always focuses on outcomes and the team. She is among the best!”
James A. Hieb, CAE, Executive Vice President/CEO | Marble Institute of America (MIA)
“Michele has an exceptional talent for developing and producing conferences. Content is critical to attracting and engaging attendee and her programs are designed to do just that. She stays current on adult education trends while finding the right mix of topics and speakers in any industry sector. She is professional, loyal and dedicated.”
Jennifer Hoff, CEM, President | Taffy Event Strategies
“Michele has the keen ability to quickly learn a market, who the power players are, and what the community needs and wants in order to produce content that attracts the right people to our events. That, coupled with her extreme attention to detail and negotiating tactics have made her my go-to partner on launch events, acquisitions and established events alike for the past five years.”
Jenn Heinold, CEM Senior Vice President, Events | Access Intelligence
“Michele sets herself apart by granularly dissecting each touchpoint to find innovative opportunities and solutions to any issue. She’s seamlessly on top of everything. An acknowledged expert in the dynamics of adult learning and management, she produces events that make anyone smart enough to hire her look brilliant.”
Christopher P. Ramey, President | The Home Trust International