CEMA Newsletter: May 2025

Written by Amy Jesernig, Business Development & Account Director, Invision

This month’s CEMA Study Tour took us behind the scenes of Atlassian Team ’25 — a flagship event that’s helping Atlassian deepen connections with their fast-growing global customer base. Known as a leading in-person event with a hybrid digital strategy, Team ’25 was a masterclass in how to strategically blend in-person experiences with an even broader digital reach. Thirty-five event professionals from a variety of industries came together for this 2-day learning program. For the first time in years, Atlassian moved Team ’25 out of Las Vegas and into Anaheim, California, creating a vibrant campus-style environment across four venues: the Anaheim Convention Center, Marriott, Hilton, and Westin. This change of scenery brought a fresh energy to the event and a unique layout that thoughtfully leveraged each space to enhance the participant journey.  

Our Study Tour started with an incredible opportunity to attend the opening keynote — a dynamic conversation featuring Atlassian Co-Founder and CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes alongside James Vowles, Team Principal for Williams Racing, and racing legend Jenson Button. The packed house buzzed with excitement as they unveiled an inspiring new partnership between Atlassian and the historic F1 Williams Racing team — a moment that set an electric tone for the event. 

One of the highlights of the Study Tour was an exclusive walkthrough of the tradeshow floor led by Atlassian’s Event Strategist, Holly Venable, and Senior Event Marketing Manager, Natasha Messina. They shared their intentional design approach, creating a floor plan that not only delivered exactly what participants wanted but also wove in multiple feedback moments throughout the event — a brilliant way to turn the event into a product improvement engine.  

A major theme emerged throughout the tour: a deep, thoughtful commitment to understanding diverse audience needs. Whether designing for in-person guests or virtual participants, Atlassian has developed a model that meets audiences where they are — both physically and digitally. Their advanced hybrid strategy was particularly impressive, with every element of the live event carefully crafted to optimize digital engagement, capture post-event content, and deliver strong ROI long after the event wraps.  

Panel conversations deepened the knowledge-sharing about the Team ‘25 and everything that went into it, and included industry luminaries such as Invision CEO Angie Smith, who also shared on the importance of cultivating strong event marketing communities through organizations like CEMA to help experiential leaders share best practices and advance the industry as a whole.  

Beyond the event itself, the CEMA Study Tour also gave us a chance to explore the vibrant city of Anaheim — from the energy of the OCVIBE district to the charm of the Anaheim Packing District. And of course, an unforgettable night at Disneyland, where casual conversations about theme park favorites turned into meaningful connections with industry peers. It’s rare to find experiences that remind us how much we all share beyond our job titles — but magic like that happens often on CEMA Study Tours.  

One of the greatest values of these tours is the diversity of perspectives we get to learn from. Regardless of background or experience, the CEMA community comes together through a shared passion for creating exceptional events. CEMA Study Tours like this one are the ultimate reminder that collaboration, curiosity, and community are the heart of what we do.  

A huge thank you to Atlassian for opening their doors — and their playbook — to all of us. We walked away inspired, energized, and ready to apply new ideas to our own events.