Meet Karina Bikerniece, CDM's new Senior Consultant

Curious about people. Serious about the numbers. Always looking for a better way.

Some marketers would rather skip the analysis. Karina Bikerniece genuinely loves it. She's just as interested in why an email prompted someone to act as she is in how it looked. If a platform isn't reporting properly, she wants to get to the bottom of it. And if a campaign isn't working, she'd rather change direction than keep doing something simply because it was in the plan. It's that combination of curiosity, creativity and a willingness to get stuck in that she brings to the CDM network as our newest Senior Consultant.

Good ideas. Better questions.

Karina completed a BA in Events Management before going on to an MA in Marketing and Advertising. As she was wrapping up her studies, Covid arrived. Around that time, she found her way into the events industry by accident — and discovered a natural fit.

Marketing appealed because it gave her room for both creativity and analysis. Underneath both sits something she's particularly interested in: human behaviour. What makes someone pay attention? What makes them act? And how does that change when they've got their professional hat on?

Her strongest channels are Google Ads, email marketing, automation and nurturing. But ask what really matters to her, and the conversation comes back to understanding the numbers:

“I can't stress enough what a difference good analysis makes for the strategy, and as much as people avoid it, I genuinely love it.”

For clients, that means someone who enjoys improving reporting, fixing inefficiencies and investigating technical issues so decisions rest on accurate data. Not analysis for its own sake: analysis that helps a team decide what to do next.

The audience gets the deciding vote

Karina's approach is refreshingly practical: what worked for one campaign won't necessarily work for the next.

Take email. A marketer might love a beautifully designed visual, but, as she points out, a scientist in life sciences might prefer plain text. Her own preferences have to take a back seat:

“I need to take myself and my preferences out of it and listen to the market.”

That also means listening to the people speaking to the audience every day. Production, delegate sales and sponsorship sales hear the questions, objections and language that should shape the messaging. For Karina, that feedback loop is essential.

It's an approach that suits event marketing: a clear deadline, changing challenges and a finite window to make an impact. She enjoys adapting along the way — then seeing it all come together onsite and meeting people face to face.

A builder joining a network of doers

The appeal of CDM? Variety, for a start. Different clients, different marketing teams and plenty of opportunities to learn how other businesses work.

Just as important is the emphasis Caylee places on the quality of consultants' work. Karina wanted a business with a strong reputation that values its people — and somewhere she could contribute to what comes next.

“I'm a builder and always want to contribute to the success of the companies I work for, so I'm genuinely excited to help build something amazing here. There's so much potential.”

That forward-looking mindset extends to AI. Alongside its potential for productivity and better decisions, she's thinking about what AI-driven search means for event websites. In her experience, those sites can be active for only around four months of the year; she sees keeping them useful year-round as an important opportunity.

Beyond the campaign plan

Asked for three words to describe herself, Karina gives us ambitious, hard-working and honest. Then adds chatterbox. We'll allow the fourth.

Outside work, there's spin, reformer pilates, Bodypump and barre, singing with the London Latvian choir, cooking, baking and a helping of trash TV. Her sourdough is a particular point of pride — and baking a loaf for someone is exactly the kind of thoughtful gesture she enjoys.

The all-important CDM drinks order: an iced caramel latte in summer; a warm coffee without syrup in winter. The home coffee machine earns its keep.

She's also saving and planning for a USA trip with her mum at the end of summer 2027, when they'll be celebrating their 30th and 50th birthdays respectively. New York, Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon are on the wish list.

At work, she values autonomy and trust. In life, it's goals, a plan and following through — with a reminder that a little recognition matters, whatever your seniority.

Karina, we're looking forward to what we'll build together. Welcome to CDM.