CEMA wrapped its 2026 CEMA Summit in Toronto, Ontario, marking the largest gathering in the organization’s 27-year history and reinforcing the growth trajectory that is driving CEMA’s next chapter of global expansion.
This year marked only the second time in the organization’s history that the Summit has been held outside the United States, and the first time it has been hosted in Toronto — a fitting home for a Summit built around global connection.
More than 850 corporate event marketers, strategists, and industry partners gathered at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel August 9–11 for three days of practitioner-led education, global case studies, and candid, future-focused conversation under this year’s theme, “Where the World Comes Together.” The Summit welcomed 383 first-time participants and 145 participants from Canada, with 19 countries represented overall — a reflection of how far CEMA’s community now reaches.
“The strength of the CEMA community has never been measured by attendance alone — it’s measured by the willingness of events strategists to share their successes, challenges, and lessons learned with one another,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president & CEO, PCMA and CEMA. “As events leaders face increasingly complex challenges around leadership, AI, audience engagement, and business impact, that spirit of collaboration only grows more valuable. And as this community keeps expanding globally, it’s what will keep helping events leaders advance their organizations, develop their teams, and create meaningful impact for years to come.”
Event programming across the three-day Summit focused on three pillars — impact, influence, and intention. More than 40 practitioner-led education sessions complemented Main Stage conversations exploring leadership, artificial intelligence, audience engagement, measurement, and the evolving role of event strategists.
