Great Events

Author: Cvent

If you're a marketer or in the events industry seeking fresh insights, actionable tips, and a pulse on the latest trends, then this podcast is for you. We uncover everything from industry insights and career growth to accessibility, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. Join us every other Wednesday as we redefine how to make your events great. Hosted by Rachel Andrews, Alyssa Peltier, and Felicia Asiedu.
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Language: en

Genres: Business, Marketing, Technology

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What It Takes to Become a Strategic Event Leader
Wednesday, 4 November, 2026

Execution will always be part of the job, but event leaders who want to grow their influence need to think beyond logistics. In this episode, Kelly Cheng sits down with Sara Ann Straw, Senior Director of Corporate Events at Kong, to discuss her approach to building more strategic event programs. Drawing from her SAS Framework, Sara explains how asking better questions, creating intentional programs, and building stronger partnerships can help event teams drive greater impact across the business. What you'll learn:How event marketers can move from execution to strategic leadershipWhy AI creates more space for strategy and creativityHow intentional networking can make events more valuable than scale aloneThings to listen for:(00:00) Meet Sara Ann Straw of Kong(02:10) Moving from execution to strategic leadership(03:55) Why event marketers should embrace AI(05:59) The first 90 days at a new role(07:50) Using events as a growth channel(11:24) Why strategic leaders stay hands-on(14:22) Bigger events are not always better