@ karsonbutler
@ karsonbutler
From luxury celebrations and incentive travel programs to world-class food & wine festivals, Karson Butler Events brings people together through thoughtful design and meaningful connection creating experiences that linger long after the last toast.
Extraordinary experiences at the intersection of hospitality, food, wine + design.
Our Expertise.
Our Expertise.
Food & Wine
Designing the culinary experience is at the forefront of each and every event we plan. Our passion for hospitality shines through each unique event: multiple day wine + food festivals, chef's dinners, wine country excursions & exclusive culinary experiences
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Travel & Tourism
From planning in our home state of California or grabbing the passport and heading abroad, travel has always been a core focus at Karson Butler Events. From day one we’ve worked around the globe helping clients find the perfect destination for their programs.
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What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.
Corporate
Karson Butler offers a variety of solutions ranging from corporate meeting planning, brand activations, experiential marketing campaigns, gifting and employee celebrations. As we started our careers in corporate America (read more about that here), we intimately understand just how important each brand touch point is for both internal and external audiences.
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What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.
Social
Since our inception in 2008, we’ve helped hundreds of social clients with their most important life events. From weddings to birthdays, family reunions and showers, our clients become an extension of the KBE family. Helping design events that are an authentic reflection of the people we plan for is our top priority.
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What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.
Education
Knowledge is power and sharing is caring. As an adjunct faculty member at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, Amber teaches in both the Experience Industry Management and Wine & Viticulture departments and we're passionate about giving back to students. Emily has mentored many up and coming planners and our greatest joy is seeing past employees rocking it in this industry, too!
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What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.
Overall Services
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What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.
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Our House of Brands
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.
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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.
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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
Let’s Collaborate.
We love partnering with clients, creatives, and brands to bring meaningful experiences to life. Whether you're planning an unforgettable celebration, looking for expert guidance, or dreaming up something entirely new — we’re ready to listen, create, and make it happen together.
970 Chorro St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
hello@karsonbutlerevents.com
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