It has been a super busy start to the year. Conferences and meetings with like-minded marketing executives have taken me from my apartment in New York to London, Munich, San Diego, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Los Angeles and most recently, San Francisco (I am actually writing this as I cruise at 35,000 feet back to New York…with a live Internet connection thanks to GoGo Inflight Internet!).
Marketers around the world want to know how companies are innovating and changing the way they interact with each other online.
Regardless of where I am, the discussion always stays the same: marketers everywhere want to know how companies are innovating and changing the way they interact with each other online. Sure, we discuss pleasantries (“Looks like you brought the nice weather!”), tell stories (many of which are supposed to garner a chuckle – but don’t), and even discuss politics from time to time (the US is definitely getting the benefit of the doubt these days – I hope it lasts), but in the end, we don’t stray far from our focus on how the industry is changing.
Why am I telling you all this? “Get to the point,” you might be thinking… so okay, here it is. Many, if not most, companies launch new products and services around major conferences and events. Those who attend these events get the first peek at these products and services and often receive massive incentives (aka price discounts) to try them out. If you’re not at the event? Sorry, no discount.
But that’s not all. Even in this economy, when budgets are tight and dollars scarce, it’s imperative to keep conferences in your yearly itinerary. Why? Read on.
Lee Odden, of TopRankBlog.com, polled his readership and uncovered that most people attend events to (1) maintain knowledge/stay current on industry happenings (2) network (3) research the competition and (4) party!
Conferences are like a giant mixer: throw together like-minded people, shake it up and all sorts of great things can happen.
Just as important, conferences offer the opportunity to dialogue with your customers face-to-face. And let’s not forget events are a prime venue for meeting prospective customers, especially since it’s easier to meet with a few at a single event than fly all over the world. Last but not least, conferences breed creativity and new opportunities. It’s like a giant mixer: throw a few hundred like-minded people together, shake it up and all sorts of great things can happen.
So, with that said, which events should you make sure are on your calendar this year? Here’s one marketer’s recommendation:
- Online Marketing Summit hosted by ClickZ.com, May and June – Covering all things digital, this show is very affordable and likely in a city near you (with 17 one- and two-day stops throughout the US this summer).
- eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit, San Jose, May 4-7 – eMetrics highlights the latest thinking in web analytics and its place in the marketing mix – timely information for an economy where every dollar counts.
- Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced, Seattle, WA, June 2-3 – For experienced search engine marketers: exchange ideas, influence the industry and build your network at SMX Advanced.
- Search Engine Strategies Toronto, June 8-10 – The only Search Engine Marketing (SEO & PPC) event in Canada, SES Toronto covers all things Search, including how Social Media, Display, Offline Advertising, E-Mail and other marketing channels are affecting the industry.
Until next month! In the meantime, if you have a question, thought or just want to say hi, please connect with me here on Twitter or here on LinkedIn.
Matt McGowan is the VP & Publisher of ClickZ and Search Engine Watch.
