2026 COMPEL CEOs Annual Business & Economic Summit

What’s really happening in the economy—and what does it mean for your business?

The COMPEL Annual Summit kicks off at 8:00am and runs until 12:30pm. Join us for a dynamic half-day experience featuring networking, breakfast, TWO engaging panel discussions, and a keynote you won’t want to miss.

Connor Lokar of ITR Economics will cut through the headlines and deliver a powerful, practical look at the economic forces impacting business owners today with his keynote presentation. With the midterm elections just days away, Connor’s perspective on what’s ahead will be especially timely, helping leaders understand the signals, anticipate what’s next, and make smarter decisions in an uncertain environment.

Keynote Speaker: Connor Lokar of ITR Economics

Topic: The Economic Outlook: What’s Coming—and How to Prepare

The economy doesn’t operate in a vacuum—and neither does your business. Interest rates, inflation, consumer behavior, labor markets, and the political landscape all create ripple effects that can shape your company’s growth, profitability, and future. For business leaders, the challenge isn’t simply knowing what’s happening. It’s knowing what the signals mean and what to do about them.

At this year’s COMPEL Annual Summit, keynote speaker Connor Lokar of ITR Economics will deliver a powerful, timely look at the economic forces shaping the business environment. With the midterm elections just days away, uncertainty is high—but Connor will cut through the headlines and political noise to separate the signal from the noise, reveal what the data is telling us, and provide an actionable outlook for what business owners can expect next.

If you’re a Business Owner, CEO, or Professional Service Provider and your ideal client is a business owner or executive, this session will give you a clearer understanding of the economic landscape—and the insight you need to make smarter decisions, identify opportunities, manage risk, and prepare your business for what’s ahead.

Info: Kicking off our event, this panel explores the biggest decision an owner can make: when—and whether—to exit. That decision doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Economic conditions, interest rates, buyer demand, industry trends, and market cycles can all shape when an owner sells, what the business is worth, and what comes next.

In this timely panel discussion, business owners and advisors will explore how today’s economic environment is changing the exit landscape—and what owners should be doing differently because of it. We’ll unpack the factors that can influence valuation and buyer behavior, whether waiting another one to three years actually creates additional value, and how owners can prepare for uncertainty while focusing on the factors they can control.

We’ll also look beyond the transaction itself: how operational & financial weaknesses can affect an exit, what makes a business more attractive to buyers, and how the economic environment surrounding a sale can shape expectations.

Info: Following Connor Lokar’s economic outlook, this COMPEL member-led conversation brings the discussion from the macro level to the business-owner level. COMPEL members will share their real-world reactions, perspectives, and takeaways—what surprised them, what confirmed what they’re seeing, and what they’re doing differently as a result.

The conversation will explore how today’s economic environment is shaping decisions around growth, hiring, investment, capital, pricing, risk, and strategy—and what business leaders are watching as they plan for what’s ahead.

Event venue & nearby stays

Heritage Club at Bethpage, 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Farmingdale, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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