We Create Moments That Move People.

We Create Moments That Move People.

Founded by twin sisters Emily and Amber, we bring thoughtful design and a modern approach to how people gather, celebrate, and shop. Through our family of brands including Karson Butler Events, The Ah Louis Store, The Outpost, and The Sauer Adobe, we

Behind The Brands

Rooted in decades of industry experience and a deep love for bringing people together, we lead with creativity, execute with precision, and infuse each project with warmth, care, and intention.

Karson Butler Events: Extraordinary experiences at the intersection of hospitality, food, wine + design.
Karson Butter Hospitality Co. - A modern hospitality house rooted in connection, intention, and place.
Ah Louis Store; Celebrating 150 years of history, connection, and the joy of giving by Karson Butler Hospitality Co.
Ah Louis Store Outpost by Karson Butler Hospitality Co. A taste of California to take with you.
The Sauer Adobe is nestled in the heart of San Luis Obispo, The Sauer Adobe is Karson Butler’s private entertaining parlor, creative studio, and garden - a historic space for design, education, and gatherings that celebrate connection and hospitality

  • Events

    From luxury celebrations and incentive travel programs to world-class food & wine festivals, we bring people together through thoughtful design and meaningful connection creating experiences that linger long after the last toast.

  • Retail

    We created The Ah Louis Store and Outpost to share our love of hospitality, celebrating meaningful moments with curated gifts, artisan goods, and entertaining essentials that reflect California’s creative, welcoming spirit.

  • Design

    At KBHC, we blend thoughtful detail and guest-centric storytelling to craft immersive environments, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations, making each experience feel purposeful, layered, and deeply felt.

  • Education

    We teach hospitality and celebration as a craft — through immersive workshops, hands‑on sessions, and expert‑led seminars, we empower planners, creators and hosts to elevate moments into experiences rooted in intent, design and connection.

Sisters and business partners, Emily Butler (left) and Amber Karson (right), a the Paso Wine Fest, an event they worked on.

Amber Karson & Emily Butler

Business partners for nearly two decades, twins Emily and Amber are re-defining what hospitality looks like.

Their passion for events, travel, food + beverage and entertaining are infused in each unique client experience they design. Trusted for their ability to elevate guest experiences, brands and clients are turning to Karson Butler to make their next activation, event or celebration one people can't stop talking about.

Trusted voices in the event, hospitality and tourism industry for the past two decades, Amber and Emily have been featured on The Today Show, The Washington Post, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Weddings, Glamour, Biz Bash & more! They were once named by Special Events Magazine as one of the top 25 young event pros under 40 to watch in the nation. Karson Butler is passionate about sharing their expertise with others - as featured speakers on national stages, in their community advocating for the strategic direction of the industry, and in the classroom mentoring the next generation of leaders.

  • Founder and Chief Executive Officer

    Founder and CEO Amber Karson has been an international  leader in the experience industry for 21 years – specializing in luxury programs that intersect food, wine, travel and hospitality. Prior to starting Karson Butler Events, Amber worked as the Sr. Event Planner for Franklin Templeton Investments leading complex global meetings & special events worldwide.

    Amber currently serves on Cal Poly's Experience Industry Management (EIM) Department Advisory Council and has been adjunct faculty in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences for the past six years, teaching in both the EIM and Wine & Viticulture Departments. She regularly teaches classes on Strategic Event Planning; Experience Design; Hospitality, Convention & Meeting Management and Wine, Beer, Spirits & Food Agritourism. She is passionate about giving back to the next generation of leaders. 

    Amber is a member of the San Luis Obispo County (SLO CAL) Events & Festivals Strategy Working Group and the Downtown SLO Association Events & Fundraising Committee. During COVID, Amber was a leader in the community developing best practices for safe re-opening and worked hand in hand with the City of San Luis Obispo leadership to create new economic development strategies.

    A graduate of Cal Poly's Orfalea College of Business (BUS '01), Amber studied marketing and also holds a professional meeting & events certificate from Cal State University Long Beach ('03). In 2007 Amber earned her Certified Meeting Professional credentials, one of the highest honors in the meetings and events industry.

    Amber loves gardening, historical architecture and time spent on the Central Coast's rolling green hills with her vizsla pup, Ferris.

  • Chief Creative Officer

    As CCO, Emily leads all aspects of design and guest experience at Karson Butler Events. From the tangible creative elements to the unspoken feeling factor, Emily thrives at understanding guest behavior. She cares about your attendees' journey – the sum of experiences that they will go through when they interact with your brand.

    Emily's background includes Brand Management for Toyota & Lexus, working in their US headquarters and creating brand and marketing strategies in the auto industry. With prior experience leading a team of over 100 brand energizers in the field, Emily’s creativity and insightful campaigns shaped her passion for delivering a strong guest experience from beginning to end.

    Emily also leads the KBE retail and gifting division, Karson Butler at the Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, CA. On the National Register of Historic Places, the entertaining general store is a must-visit stop for tourists cruising Highway 101, the local Central Coast community and reaches customers nationwide with a robust e-commerce strategy. Emily is known for discovering the latest trends ahead of the market and is a tastemaker in the events and retail industries.

    For over a decade Emily has established Karson Butler Events as a national leader in the social event scene. Named as one of the top wedding planners in the country by Martha Stewart, Washingtonian, California Wedding Day and more, Emily's blend of east coast formality meets west coast coolness attracts high profile clientele.

    Emily's interest in human behavior started when she studied Psychology at California State University, Chico ('00). She holds a professional meeting & events certificate from Cal State University Long Beach ('09).

    Emily splits her time between California and Washington, DC where she enjoys scouting the newest restaurants, traveling to see friends, and keeping up with the latest Tik-Tok trend!Description text goes here

Three young men enjoying wine at Paso Wine Fest under a large white canopy decorated with green banners.
Two women standing outdoors, smiling, with trees and a canopy that reads "The Silo" in the background. One woman is wearing sunglasses, a denim jacket, a colorful maxi skirt, and a camera around her neck. The other woman is wearing sunglasses, a wide
Multiple colorful electric carts driving along a street lined with tall palm trees in a sunny, tropical setting.
A tropical outdoor wedding reception with palm trees, string lights, and a large sign that says 'Aloha', while guests mingle and sit at decorated tables.
A woman in a red dress speaking at a podium with blue curtains in the background.
A hand picking up a small wooden bowl filled with greens, fried chicken strips, sliced red chili, and a creamy dressing, with similar bowls of salad on a yellow tray in the background.
A panel discussion at the Voices Carry CalTravel Summit in Greater Palm Springs, with three people seated on stage, two men and one woman, engaging in conversation, with an audience watching.
Line of vintage Pontiac convertibles with people inside, stopped at a red traffic light at the intersection labeled Pacific, with a red and white Volkswagen bus in the background.
A man in a black blazer and black pants speaking on stage at an event with a blue curtain backdrop, audience seated facing him.
Three people standing behind a table with mini burgers, smiling and holding plates, at an event called 'Masters of Fire,' presented by Williams Sonoma.
A large white castle-like building with twin towers and a red-tiled roof, surrounded by palm trees and a landscaped area with stairs, walkways, and people gathered for an event. Mountain hills are visible in the background.