CEMA Newsletter: August 2026

By: Katie Batten

Sometimes you meet a leader during immense organizational change when leadership structures shift, the familiar landscape disappears, and you feel unsure of your place. That is exactly when I met Karin Flores. At a moment when I was questioning my path, Karin stepped in to remind me that I belonged, anchoring me and championing my growth. She didn’t just manage; she advocated.

That is the kind of leader Karin is. She is an industry icon who has not only helped shape the global event marketing landscape during some of its rockiest (and best) moments, but who has also quietly and powerfully influenced the careers, leadership styles, and the lives of so many of us reading this today.

Before she leaves 25+ years of the corporate world behind at the end of July for her highly anticipated “third act,” I wanted to capture some of her favorite memories, her “white whale,” and the timeless wisdom she has to pass down to the next generation of event marketers.

Q: You’ve had a front-row seat to some of the most defining moments in corporate events—from the agency world at GPJ to helping build Dreamforce at Salesforce. Was there a single moment where something clicked and you realized what this industry could actually be?

There were many, but if I had to pick one, it was the year we brought (RED) to Dreamforce.

I went to NYC with my mentor, Suzanne DiBianca, and met the (RED) team—a small group working to end AIDS. Inspired by their mission, we brought their story to life across the entire Dreamforce campus.

We activated their narrative through technology partnerships, social impact, luminary speakers, and our headliner, U2. (RED) became the first customer I got onto the main stage.

That moment crystallized something: this industry isn’t just about products. It’s about creating platforms where purpose-driven organizations share their mission, spark deep connections, and actually move the needle. Orchestrating that at scale is the real power of what we do.

Q: You’ve made some significant pivots. Almost 12 years in agency life, 11.5 years at Salesforce, almost 5 years at Okta, and now closing out a chapter entirely. How do you know when it’s time? How do you learn to trust that instinct?

For me, it’s always come down to two things: following my instincts and following great leaders.

When I left the agency world for Salesforce, walking away from an incredible CEO in Chris Meyer and manager Alex Sapiz wasn’t easy. But Salesforce was a rocketship, and I wanted to work alongside Elizabeth Pinkham and Marc Benioff.

At Okta, I saw a chance to build something and serve a mission I believed in. You have to ask: Does this fit with what I need and want right now? Those needs change. What you need at thirty is different from forty.

The instinct feels like clarity mixed with excitement. Purposeful, not reactive. And those pivots? They weren’t detours; they were the education.

Q: After 25+ years, what do you think the next generation of event marketers is going to have to figure out that we haven’t yet?

AI is going to change business in ways we can’t fully comprehend. But human connection will become even more valuable. When everything is automated and content is generated at scale, what becomes rare is the genuine, authentic thing.

That’s what the next generation of event marketers has to master: creating in-person experiences that feel genuine in a world that feels completely staged. It sounds simple, but authenticity can’t be faked, and audiences can smell a phoney from a mile away.

Authenticity is going to become our most valuable currency. Not technology, not scale, not reach. Authenticity. The events that survive and thrive won’t be the ones with the fanciest production; they’ll be the ones where people feel seen, heard, and genuinely connected.

Q: Every event leader has a keynote speaker they always wanted but never quite landed. Who is your “white whale”?

Booking luminary speakers is one of my passions. But my white whale stands above all: Yoko Ono.

I’m fascinated by her—not just her artistry, but the injustice of her narrative. For decades, her story has been told about her, filtered through other people’s biases.

I always dreamed of creating a stage where Yoko could tell her own story—in her own words, on her own terms. It wasn’t just about a famous name; it was about giving one of the most misunderstood figures of our time a platform to speak for herself. Hearing her say who she is.

Q: And finally, if you could sit down with yourself just starting out, what would you say? And is there anything you’d do differently along the way?

I’d tell myself to figure out what’s truly important, and understand that priorities shift at different phases of life.

If I could sit down with younger Karin, I’d say three things:

• Be kind. To others, yes, but especially to yourself. This industry moves fast, but the genuine relationships you build are what sustain you.
• Show up. Consistently. Not perfectly, but genuinely. Your presence and effort matter more than you realize.
• Do your best work. But remember that your “best” changes depending on your life stage. Sometimes your best is fifty hours a week. Sometimes it’s knowing when to leave at five.

And I’d want this carved into my mirror: The work will always be there. Your family may not be.

I don’t say that to create guilt, but to create clarity. The events, the launches, the wins. They’re important, but they’re never the thing. The thing is the people you love.

Would I do anything differently? Sure, but honestly, I’m grateful for the journey. Just don’t get so focused on the destination that you miss the people standing beside you.