FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: RNelson@Meridian.org | 202-939-5550
Milestone summit convenes global leaders as Meridian unveils the United Airlines Center for Diplomatic Engagement and a new open-access resource for practitioners.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 16, 2026 — Meridian International Center today announced details of its 15th Annual Summit on Shaping American Influence, the organization's flagship convening of policymakers, business leaders, and diplomats addressing the future of American engagement on the world stage. This year's summit also marks a major milestone for Meridian: the renaming of its Center for Diplomatic Engagement to the United Airlines Center for Diplomatic Engagement, reflecting a new strategic partnership.
Now in its 15th year, the Summit on Shaping American Influence brings together senior officials, private-sector leaders, and international counterparts to examine the tools, partnerships, and strategies that shape U.S. engagement abroad. More information is available at www.summit.meridian.org.
“The Center for Diplomatic Engagement has long been a place where leaders build relationships, exchange ideas, and advance international understanding,” said David Bohigian, CEO of Meridian International Center. “This partnership reflects a shared commitment to bringing people and institutions together across borders, and affirms that diplomacy is strengthened by connections built beyond traditional government channels.”
Meridian's Center for Diplomatic Engagement — long a hub for diplomacy, international visitor programming, and cross-sector dialogue in the nation’s capital — will now operate as the United Airlines Center for Diplomatic Engagement. The renaming reflects United's support for Meridian's mission of strengthening American engagement with the world through people-to-people diplomacy.
"United has always believed that connecting people and uniting the world is the foundation of understanding between nations," said Terri Fariello, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and Global Public Policy at United Airlines. "With the largest international presence in the Washington area, our hub at Dulles plays a vital role in this mission, providing direct capital-to-capital service to over a dozen countries. We're proud to deepen our partnership with Meridian and support a center that will keep bringing global leaders together for the kind of dialogue that strengthens American diplomacy for the next generation.”
leaders together for the kind of dialogue that strengthens American diplomacy for the next generation."
About Meridian International Center
Meridian International Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that strengthens America's global leadership by promoting international understanding and dialogue among citizens, organizations, and governments. Learn more at www.meridian.org.
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