Bougie On A Budget

Ksenija Polla, CMP, CICE is the Director of International Development at Talley Management Group, bringing over 30 years of expertise in international association meetings. Her extensive experience encompasses membership recruitment and retention, product development, event management, sales, marketing, and relationship development. Since joining Talley in June 2024, Ksenija has been instrumental in expanding the firm's global reach and enhancing client engagement strategies. Her leadership has significantly contributed to Talley's growth in international markets, especially through partnerships in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.  

Prior to Talley, Ksenija held several pivotal roles at the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), where she spearheaded initiatives like the ICCA Skills certification and the Association Impact Masterclass. She began her career in Croatia’s congress sector before joining ICCA in 1997, ultimately leading the Association Community (2013–2020), serving as Regional Director for North America (2021), and later as Head of Education and Legacy Programmes (2023), overseeing global education and the acclaimed Incredible Impacts Programme.  
 
A passionate advocate for human-centric leadership, gender equality, and sustainable impact in the business events industry, Ksenija is a frequent speaker at international conferences including IMEX, Business Events Industry Week, and the ICCA Congress. She is actively involved in shaping conversations around association transformation, global trends, and legacy measurement. In 2025, she was honored with the Smart Women in Meetings: Stellar Performer Award by Smart Meetings Magazine, recognizing her dedication to mentorship and transformative leadership. At her core, Ksenija believes in the power of connections to create meaningful, scalable impact locally and globally. 

Emilie Perkins, CAE, CMP Fellow, CMM, PMP, CED, HMCC joined Raybourn Group International in 2019 and now serves as the Vice President of Client and Conference Services. In her 25+ year career in association management, she has designed, executed and evaluated over 1000 meetings of all sizes. She has extensive strength in Strategic Meeting Management, Marketing and Event Design. She is also an Adjunct Faculty at Indiana University where she has co-facilitated the Nonprofit Meeting Management Course since 2017.

 She graduated Marquette University and passionately believes in professional development - receiving her Certified Meeting Professional Designation (CMP) in 2009; Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 2014; Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM) in 2016; her Project Management Professional (PMP) in 2020; her Certified Event Designer (CED) designation in February 2021 and her Certificate in Healthcare Meeting Compliance (HMCC) in 2025. In 2022 she was named a CMP Fellow. In addition to sharing her time and talent through speaking, she has authored numerous blogs and is an active member and volunteer on both the State and National level with MPI and ASAE.