Her Story
About Bonnie
Bonnie Slater DeMont is the owner of Event Strategy Planners, LLC, based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and brings nearly 50 years of experience to the travel and events industry. For the past 35 years, she has built and led her own business as a third-party planner, specializing in large incentive travel programs, conventions, and conferences serving groups of up to 5,000 people. Her career has evolved from organizing major group travel experiences to specializing in riverboat charters for families, friends, and business associates. Bonnie has successfully arranged full-ship charters with leading river cruise lines, creating memorable experiences across destinations including Amsterdam to Basel, Portugal, and the south of France. She is also an active buyer with the E-Group and participates as a hosted buyer at IMEX, where she continues to build relationships and identify opportunities for her clients.
Bonnie’s path to the travel industry began in education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from The Ohio State University and completed graduate coursework at Syracuse University. Before entering the travel business, she spent seven years teaching first and second grade, an experience that helped shape her ability to communicate, organize, lead, and connect with people. Throughout her nearly five decades in the industry, Bonnie has remained committed to the principles she believes have driven her success: building and maintaining strong relationships, staying positive, being honest and upfront, and never burning bridges. She believes in trusting and empowering the people who work with her, viewing them as valued partners whose expertise contributes to the success of every event and travel experience.
Family is at the heart of Bonnie’s life outside of her work. Married for 36 years, she and her husband are proud parents of an adult son and daughter and grandparents to one grandson. The family shares a home in the Adirondack region, where they enjoy weekends during the summer and gather for every holiday with a large extended family of approximately 30 members. Bonnie and her husband also enjoy traveling together and discovering local destinations. Selected to represent Hopkinton, Massachusetts, in Influential Women for 2026, Bonnie hopes to inspire the next generation of women in the travel and events industry to pursue hands-on experience, build meaningful connections, and confidently embrace opportunities. Her philosophy is simple yet enduring: go for it, stay positive, seek solutions, trust the people around you, and always lead with honesty, friendship, and truthfulness.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Bonnie
01What do you attribute your success to?
Relationships. Hugely relationships. I feel like I could go to Barcelona, and I have a friend in Barcelona that would help me. Relationships, being positive, being truthful, and being upfront is the most important thing. And not burning people. I mean, just being honest and truthful is the most important thing.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Go for it. And, you know, you can do anything. If you put your mind to it, I never say no. I never say die, that this can't happen. ... being positive, and finding that solution. And I always… I mean, I… I work… I hired 25, 30 staff on some of my programs. ... trusting people. ... trusting and empowering people. The people that work with you. ... I never felt like they work for me, they work with me.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best way to get in would be if you could start with being a freelance trip director, just because that gives you the on-road experience. And you're working, hopefully you would be working with some true professionals that can guide you. ... getting your nose in wherever you can, even in a low-level job at a hotel doing, You know, helping in the groups department, or in the events department. ... getting out there, somehow getting invited to events, or getting your name out there.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Finding the right boat. That people. And really, the way that I do that is I go to IMEX every year. I'm a hosted buyer, with Melia Hotels... When I go to IMEX, I make my appointments with all of the river cruise companies that I feel like are options for us.
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