CEMA CELEBRATES 35^th SUMMIT WITH FUTURE-FOCUSED INSIGHTS, MEMBERSHIP GROWTH, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT

CEMA Summit 2026 Heads to Toronto

CHICAGO, IL – The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) marked a major milestone at its 35^th CEMA Summit held July 26-28 in Austin, Texas – a destination known for its spirit of innovation and disruption. This year’s Summit brought together a record 821 participants, the result of a year spent building strong infrastructure, bold leadership, and a unified community culture. CEMA’s membership recently surpassed 1,000 members with a ratio of 60% event marketers and 40% industry partners.

The Summit featured a candid reflection on the five years since CEMA’s integration with PCMA during a Town Hall moderated by Stephanie Turner, Senior VP, Convention Sales and Strategies with New Orleans & Company. CEMA and PCMA leaders shared what lies ahead for the CEMA community, including a streamlined global membership structure designed to simplify membership and increase the value for corporate event marketer communities. Effective January 2026, member categories will be reduced from 12 to six and will include a new category for corporate event marketers.

“The integration will enable the CEMA community to scale globally while staying true to its core community,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President & CEO.  “We are focused on streamlining, strengthening, and delivering greater value where it matters most.”

Innovation Takes Center Stage

Innovation was front and center as Spark unveiled two powerful new modules designed to elevate event planning and execution. The new Health and Wellness module helps strategists seamlessly tailor wellness strategies to their programs, while the Local Vendor Search tool generates curated lists of suppliers, pricing, availability, ratings, and sustainability scores—empowering more informed and impactful choices.

The Innovation Nation segment made its much-anticipated return, shining a spotlight on the industry’s boldest ideas. Among the standout presenters, Wicket emerged as the winner for its “Transforming Conference Check-In With Wicket Facial Authentication” earning accolades for its potential to transform badge pickup, session load-in, activation kiosk and more.

In recognition of exceptional talent across the industry, the Top 100 Event Marketers campaign was introduced. Fifty rising stars with under five years of experience and 50 seasoned champions who exemplify leadership, strategy, and impact will be recognized at CEMA Summit 2026. Nominations are now open through Monday, September 1, 2025

Featured Speakers

Dr. David Burkus, a renowned author and business thought leader, underscored the importance of clarity and empathy in building smarter, more resilient teams. Elaine Welteroth, New York Times best-selling author, television host, and founder of BirthFund, shared an inspiring conversation on designing a career grounded in purpose, leadership, and impact.

Do Good, Feel Good

The Summit reflected CEMA’s commitment to both industry advancement and community care. Through the “Do Good, Feel Good” initiative, $5,000 was donated to the Central Texas Food Bank to support local flood relief efforts — demonstrating the business events community’s dedication to making a positive difference beyond the event floor.

Journey to Toronto

CEMA Summit 2026 will be held in Toronto August 9-11,2026 – only the second time the Summit has been held outside of the U.S.

PHOTO CREDIT: BIG EVENT MEDIA