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 leadership
• Why AI creates more space for strategy and creativity
• How intentional networking can make events more valuable than scale alone

Things 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