John R. McKinnon

Director of Global Projects

John McKinnon is a Northern California native that began his career in the advertising business in Los Angeles. After working for 10 years on national broadcast campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, he relocated to New Orleans to focus on large scale events at Dietrich Destination Consultants.

It was in this arena that his true creativity was unleashed with spectacular soirees that also imbued a genteel southern hospitality at their core.

John’s trend of excellence continued after Hurricane Katrina with a move back to San Francisco where he was responsible for exclusive events in the City’s most beautiful venues, with an additional focus on Napa Valley to the North, Monterey & Carmel to the South and Lake Tahoe to the East. While overseeing the operational aspects of hundreds of programs with Mana, Allison & Associates, his corporate base expanded further, with a particular focus on the Pharmaceutical, Technology and Financial Services sectors. In 2011 he founded Voila Events, a boutique firm that specializes in the incentive market and the bespoke programs that make memories last a lifetime. These varied experiences are what he brings to the ConferenceDirect table as Director of Global Projects.

He’s been a member of the San Francisco Travel Association since 2005 and was appointed to their Tourism Council in 2022 to promote the San Francisco region as a top global destination.

In 2015 he was invited to join the Board of Directors of the Curry Senior Center, a nonprofit that provides services to homeless and low-income seniors in San Francisco that promote independent living while maintaining their dignity and self-esteem. In June of 2017, he was elected to serve as the Board’s President.