CEMA Newsletter: February 2026

Meet Marissa

A CEMA member since 2015, Marissa Snapp brings curiosity and bold thinking to her role as Sr. Director of Strategic Events at Confluent, where she designs purposeful, community-driven experiences.

Finding My Professional Home
Marissa first joined CEMA in 2015 at the encouragement of her then-boss, Michele Schneider. While she was grateful for the introduction, it’s in the past few years that she has truly leaned into the power of the community. Event marketing can often feel isolating — especially when navigating global shifts and constant change — but CEMA shifted that experience for her.

Being part of a community where the Advisory Board and staff are genuinely invested in each other’s success has been grounding. In a profession that is continually evolving and challenging, CEMA has become her strategic “sanity check” and a source of steady peer support. More than a network, it’s the professional home that keeps her inspired to push the boundaries of what’s possible in event experiences.

Where Inspiration Comes to Life
For Marissa, the CEMA Summit is the highlight of her professional year. She lives for the energy of reconnecting with longtime peers while building new, high-impact relationships that spark fresh ideas. The mix of thought leadership, innovative activations, and meaningful conversations is what makes the experience so powerful.

One standout for her has been CEMA’s growing focus on wellness — an essential priority in such a high-pressure industry. She leaves Summit each year feeling inspired, refueled, and ready to bring that same spirit of innovation back to her team. And yes, she’s already counting down the days until Toronto this summer.

Designing with Curiosity and Courage
Right now, Marissa is energized by a “test-and-learn” event her team is launching in San Francisco specifically for Data Engineers — a critical persona within Confluent’s ecosystem with very high expectations for how they spend their time.

The event is being treated as a laboratory: exploring what truly motivates attendance, what types of hands-on experiences resonate, and how to create genuine value. Her ultimate goal is to apply those insights to transform Confluent’s flagship Current event in Fall 2026. It’s the perfect intersection of strategy and human insight — understanding what makes a community feel truly “at home” at an event.

Balancing High Energy with Intentional Reset
To meet the demands of global event production, Marissa has learned to be intentional about how she resets and refuels. She’s drawn to podcasts and films — anything that tells a compelling story — because storytelling fuels her creativity and helps her think differently about how experiences are designed at Confluent.

On the lighter side, she unapologetically loves Bravo TV. In a world of high-stakes strategy and global logistics, a little “unserious” drama is wonderfully restorative.

And at the center of it all is her French bulldog, Moose. Whether they’re exploring San Francisco or she’s returning home from travel, Moose reminds her to stay present and find joy in the small moments. That balance allows her to show up as her most authentic, spirited, and grounded self every day.

Leadership Through Empowerment
Marissa’s guiding mantra is simple but powerful: Ask for what you need, work with what you have, and let your team shine.

For her, asking for what you need requires courage and clarity — the vulnerability to secure the resources necessary to move mountains. Working with what you have reflects the reality of event production, where adaptability and strategic thinking are essential. But the most meaningful part is letting her team shine. She believes leadership is about creating impact through others, and her greatest fulfillment comes from building environments where her team can excel and lead with confidence.

Keeping Humanity at the Center
As the industry looks ahead, Marissa sees AI becoming embedded in nearly every aspect of event marketing. While it’s an incredible productivity tool, she believes the real question is how to leverage it responsibly without losing the human element that defines meaningful connection.

She’d love to see CEMA lead with hands-on, approachable conversations about ethical AI — tackling topics like data privacy and bias in a way that feels empowering rather than intimidating. For her, the greatest opportunity lies in allowing AI to handle the heavy lifting so event professionals can focus on what they do best: designing authentic, memorable experiences that truly matter.

Quick Takes with Marissa

• Favorite event destination: Amsterdam
• Go-to productivity hack: Using Plaud to summarize meetings and action items
• Event-day essential: Cross-body bag and hand sanitizer
• CEMA inspiration: Debbie Brewer
• Biggest lesson this year: Resilience

A Note of Gratitude
Marissa is deeply grateful for the community of innovators and friends she’s found through CEMA. “Thank you for letting me share my story,” she says — and for being part of the journey that continues to inspire her every day.

Connect with Marissa on LinkedIn