New Leader Named for CEMA

Brian Mason has been named vice president, strategy and operations, for the Corporate Event Marketing Association. Mason, who was a senior-level global event strategist with Salesforce for more than 14 years as well as a member of CEMA's advisory board, will now lead the CEMA team and work with the organization's advisory board to execute CEMA's vision and lead growth initiatives. Mason is filling the position vacated when Sandra Marcus stepped down in January.

Marcus' departure came just nine months after she was named to the post in April 2023 by leadership from the Professional Convention Management Association. PCMA acquired CEMA in late 2020, following a strategic alliance formed by the associations earlier that year. Mason now reports to Junior Tauvaa, PCMA’s chief business officer, and his duties will include brand marketing, new program development, events, membership growth and retention, and ongoing community engagement.

"Strategic event leaders today play a key role in driving key KPIs for companies across all industries," said Mason. "I am excited to join the CEMA team that cultivates strategic event marketing careers through education, networking and leadership. I look forward to supporting our event marketing membership, advisory board and industry partners into CEMA’s next chapter.

Evolving its identity

CEMA has seemingly been trying to write that next chapter since the PCMA acquisition, having evolved from its roots as a Northern California-based, tech company-heavy group of engaged event marketers to a larger organization, now under the auspices of PCMA with its broader focus and global reach. Longtime CEMA executives Kimberly Gishler and Olga Rosenbrook left the organization in October 2022 after helping with the transition for two years. Given Mason's background, colleagues believe he can deftly navigate the path forward.

"Brian’s solid understanding of the CEMA community and culture will provide significant contributions and accelerated execution of CEMA strategic plans, growth and community engagement," noted Amy Walter, head of global event strategy at Atlassian and chair of the CEMA advisory board.

Sherrif Karamat, CAE, who serves as president and CEO of both PCMA and CEMA, likewise expressed confidence in Mason and CEMA's direction. "Brian’s leadership will be integral with PCMA and the CEMA advisory board as we continue to collaborate to develop new value opportunities for members and business partners that leverage the combination of two of the global business events industry’s most powerful communities," Karamat said. "The CEMA community continues to create industry-leading educational content and high-impact professional networking opportunities."