A Special Invitation

2026 Summer Institute

Three days in Sun Valley, Idaho for senior leaders across business, policy, media, philanthropy, and innovation, in collaboration with the Manhattan Institute.

June 29 to July 1, 2026Ketchum, IdahoTheme: America 250

Venue

The Argyros Performing Arts Center

120 S Main Street, Ketchum, Idaho 83340

400

Attendees

3

Days

30+

Speakers

2026

America 250

Sun Valley Policy Forum speakers on stage

About the Summer Institute

A curated gathering in Sun Valley.

The Sun Valley Policy Forum Summer Institute brings together 400 leaders from business, policy, media, philanthropy, and innovation for three days of substantive conversation in Ketchum, Idaho.

Held in collaboration with the Manhattan Institute, the 2026 Institute marks America 250 with an agenda built around the ideas, institutions, and leadership shaping the country's next chapter.

The Experience

Keynotes, private dinners, real conversation.

Keynotes & Panels

Headline conversations and executive panels with national leaders from policy, business, media, and innovation.

Private Dinners

Curated receptions, private luncheons, and small-group dinners built for candid exchange beyond the stage.

Curated Conversations

Intimate, off-the-record sessions designed to build real relationships across sectors in Sun Valley.

Who Attends

A cross-sector room.

The Institute convenes a select audience for candid discussion and relationship-building across the sectors driving American life.

Corporate America
Finance
Technology
Energy
Media
Government & Philanthropy

Why Attend

Conversation with consequence.

1

Engage directly with national thought leaders shaping policy, markets, and culture.

2

Build relationships across business, finance, technology, energy, media, and government.

3

Join serious, candid conversations in a setting designed for depth, not spectacle.

4

Gain perspective during the America 250 year, in collaboration with the Manhattan Institute.

Inside the Summer Institute

See the Forum for yourself.

SVPF Summer Institute Schedule

June 29 to July 1, 2026

The Argyros Performing Arts Center, Ketchum, Idaho, in collaboration with the Manhattan Institute.

Monday

June 29, 2026

The Founding of American Greatness

  • Ilya Shapiro: The Supreme Court and the American Experiment
  • Shawn Regan & Mike Boren: Manhattan Institute / USDA – Burn Out: America's Wildfire Crisis – Are We Managing Our Forests or Letting Them Burn?
  • American Greatness Luncheon (Silver Supporters and higher)
  • Reihan Salam: Renewing the Promise of America and its Great Cities: From Institutional Decay to Dynamism
  • America 250 Reception
  • Scott Jennings: The Common Sense Comeback: Restoring Liberty and the Fight for Western Civilization
  • Lord Andrew Roberts: Revolution and Resolve: Perspectives on America's Fight for Independence
  • Concord Dinner (Private Residence, Silver Supporters and higher)

Tuesday

June 30, 2026

American Dominance in a New Era

  • Brandon Beach: U.S. Treasurer – From the Last Penny to the Digital Dollar: Securing America's Financial Freedom
  • Michael Knowles: Host, The Michael Knowles Show (Daily Wire) – Liberty and the American Dream: Foundations of Strength in a Changing World
  • Mark Mills: Executive Director, National Center for Energy Analysis – American Leadership through Energy, Enterprise, and Innovation
  • Elliott Abrams: Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations – Geopolitical Disruptions and American Diplomacy
  • American Dominance Luncheon (Silver Supporters and higher)
  • Sanjana Friedman: Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute – Advancing American Dominance: Investing in Frontier Technologies
  • Madeline Hart & Maj. Gen. Joseph “Solo” Kunkel: Palantir / Defense Innovation Unit – Reindustrializing America: Restoring Strength Through Advanced Manufacturing
  • Gen. David Petraeus: Chairman, KKR Global Institute (moderated by Kim Kagan) – Four-Star Tour of the World and the Return of Geopolitics
  • Private Reception with General Petraeus (Silver Supporters and higher)

Wednesday

July 1, 2026

Culture, Family and Freedom

  • Judge Glock & Aaron Withe: Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute, and CEO, Freedom Foundation – Freedom to Teach: Building a Flexible, Innovative Education Workforce
  • Maya Sulkin & Spencer Klavan: Senior Fellow, SVPF and Writer, The Free Press, and Associate Editor, Claremont Review of Books – The Crisis of Meaning in an Age of Machines and the Promise of Human Flourishing
  • Final Closing Programming
  • Afternoon – Free Time
  • Freedom 250 Dinner (Private for Gold+ Supporters and Speakers)

More programming to be announced.

Plan Your Trip

Travel to Sun Valley.

Everything you need to plan your visit to Ketchum and the Wood River Valley, from flights and lodging to dining and the activities that make Sun Valley worth the trip.

Travel & Lodging

Guidance on flights into Sun Valley and Boise, ground transportation, and recommended lodging in Ketchum and Sun Valley.

Food & Beverage

A guide to the best dining, coffee, and gathering spots in and around the Wood River Valley.

Local Activities

Hiking, fly-fishing, golf, and the arts and culture that make Sun Valley a destination worth extending the trip for.

Manhattan skyline

In Collaboration With

The Manhattan Institute

The 2026 Summer Institute is presented in collaboration with the Manhattan Institute, bringing its scholars and ideas to the heart of the Forum's agenda.

Learn More

Register

Join us in Sun Valley.

Seats are limited for the 2026 Summer Institute. Registration is open now for the executive attendee experience.

Register Now