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Grand Masters Summit

Tuesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 15, 2026
9 -11:30 a.m. EST
Tampa, Florida

SIEF How-to Guide for Grand Master Host Temples

Strengthen Relationships, Honor Tradition, and Lead by Example.

We are busy planning for the 152nd Imperial Session of Shriners International in Tampa, Florida, from July 12-16, 2026.

Hosting your Grand Master during Imperial Session is more than a ceremonial gesture — it is a unique opportunity to deepen fraternal bonds, demonstrate leadership and highlight your temple’s commitment to the Masonic brotherhood. By facilitating the Grand Master’s presence, you play a vital role in representing your jurisdiction and its traditions.

Why Host the Grand Master?

  1. Elevate Your Temple’s Legacy: Extending this invitation to your Grand Master strengthens your temple’s connection with the Grand Lodge and other Shrine temples in your jurisdiction. This fosters unity and collaboration among your local fraternal leadership.
  2. Showcase Hospitality and Excellence: From coordinating travel to ensuring comfortable accommodations, hosting provides a platform to demonstrate the Masonic values of courtesy, honor and brotherhood.
  3. Collective Responsibility, Shared Success: By partnering with other temples in your jurisdiction, the cost of hosting your Grand Master might have the ability to be shared. This collective effort not only makes hosting more feasible but also highlights your good relationship with fellow Shrine leaders.
  4. Promote Grand Master Engagement: By hosting, you encourage your Grand Master’s active participation in key events, including the Grand Masters Summit — an invaluable opportunity for collaboration and discussion of critical Masonic issues — and the Grand Masters Spouses Meet-up.

This year, we’re introducing an important change: if your Grand Lodge has not yet confirmed attendance for Imperial Session, we will reach out directly starting April 7, 2026, to offer the opportunity for self-sponsored attendance. To ensure a seamless and collaborative experience, we strongly encourage you to extend the invitation to your Grand Master before April 7. Acting early will help create alignment and foster a unified approach.

Invitation and Expenses: The invitation to attend and subsequent expenses are facilitated through the temple. The Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge is the direct point of contact for hosting the Grand Master.

For those inviting the person who will be Grand Master in your state or province for 2026 to the Imperial Session, provided below are recommendations for managing the invitation process.

  1. The Shrine temple to which the Grand Master belongs extends the invitation and assumes all expenses such as transportation, lodging, meals, etc.
  2. All temples in a particular Grand Jurisdiction collectively contribute to the total expense and the Grand Master’s temple serves as host. The host temple Potentate on behalf of all temples concerned extends the invitation.
  3. If the Grand Master would like to attend but it is not possible for a temple or temples within a Grand Jurisdiction to cover the expenses, in many cases, he or his Grand Lodge may be able to assume some or all the costs involved. Transparent communication is essential in this case.
  4. Please keep in mind that the host temple is responsible for ensuring that appropriate courtesies such as transportation, etc. are taken care of while at Session.
  5. Temples should, for their own benefit, conform to the historical practice of providing hotel accommodations by emailing sessionreservations@shrinenet.org before March 31, 2026.

Please understand Grand Masters will be placed on a waitlist after March 31, 2026.

Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge Outreach: Contacting the Grand Secretary of your Grand Lodge is the official point of contact for the Grand Master. He can assist you in confirming the incoming Grand Master and spouse’s schedule and availability along with providing proper protocol and guidance for extending an official invitation.

Responsibilities

It is your responsibility as the host of your Grand Master to be sure that he and his spouse (if accompanied), are appropriately included and entertained at other times not scheduled during Imperial Session. Therefore, if you are hosting your Grand Master, you should be able to provide him and his spouse with a written document that shows the events and activities that they are invited to attend and make the necessary arrangements to facilitate their participation.

Provide Grand Master and spouse (if accompanied) with a finalized schedule of events and activities which includes open and invitation only events.

Events and Activities Hosted by the Office of Membership Development and SIEF

We would appreciate your attendance and inviting your Grand Master and spouse (if accompanied) to the selected events below; however, please note attendance is optional. Spouses are welcomed and encouraged to attend events and activities listed below, understanding the Grand Master Summit is invitation only. Unless otherwise noted, throughout Session, there are no reserved sections for Grand Masters to be seated; rather they are encouraged to sit with the Representatives from your temple. Registration links for associated events and activities can be found on Events and Activities at Imperial Session

SIEF: Grand Masters Summit: Tuesday, July 14, 9-11:30 a.m. ET and Wednesday, July 15, 9-11 a.m.

Step into a realm of profound leadership evolution at the Grand Masters Summit – an annual gathering-by invitation only- that has been shaping destinies since 2016. Join the visionary minds behind state Grand Lodges from across the United States and around the globe, converging for a transformative experience like no other.

SIEF: Grand Masters Spouses Meet-up: Tuesday, July 14, 9-10:30 a.m. ET

This event is not just creating a gathering – we are crafting an experience. Let the conversations flow naturally, let the connections be authentic, and let the insights gained be transformative. This is your space, your moment and your opportunity to be part of a community that understands, appreciates and celebrates the unique journey of being a spouse.

The Grand Masters spouses are invited to attend the Grand Masters Spouses Meet-Up, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback last year and promises an even better program this year.

Rooming

For room reservations at headquarters hotels, email sessionreservations@shrinenet.org before March 31, 2026 to request an electronic form. It is only necessary for the host temple to respond to this request. Please understand Grand Masters will be placed on a waitlist after March 31, 2026.

Events and Activities Hosted by the Office of Membership Development and SIEF

We would appreciate your attendance and inviting your Grand Master and spouse (if accompanied) to the selected events below; however, please note attendance is optional. Spouses are welcomed and encouraged to attend events and activities listed below, understanding the Grand Masters Summit is invitation only. Unless otherwise noted, throughout Session, there are no reserved sections for Grand Masters to be seated; rather they are encouraged to sit with the Representatives from your temple.

  • SIEF: Membership Summit: July 12, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. ET, Join us in a dynamic convergence where meaningful dialogue is not just encouraged – it is the heartbeat of the summit. Engage with a vibrant community of learners, each contributing unique perspectives and experiences. Together, we will go beyond surface-level discussions, diving deep into the currents of industry trends to gain profound insights that will shape the future of your organization.
  • Hall of Fame Luncheon: Tuesday, July 14, Noon. – 1 p.m. ET
  • Grand Masters Recognition: Shortly after reconvening from lunch break. Tuesday, July 14, 2026
  • SIEF: Learning Center: Discover a must-see experience at Imperial Session: The Shriners International Education Foundation (SIEF) Learning Center awaits you. Purposefully crafted to cultivate community and collaboration, these immersive sessions promise fresh insights, practical strategies, and innovative approaches applicable to temple business needs.
  • Shriners Zone: Proposed: Discover the Shriners Zone! Connect with fellow Nobles, share in the fun, and even spark a little friendly competition. Don’t miss the chance to explore, engage and celebrate the spirit of Shriners!