2018 is creeping upon us, and what better way to start the new year than with some conference warm-up?
As a CMO, you’re probably looking to be ahead of the industry, gain multi-channel expertise, and, as always, improve your marketing ROI, in which case, conferences provide all of this under one roof. In addition, in-person events empower you with more knowledge to address complex questions like: How to engage, acquire, and retain customers in the long term? Or how to create a complementary MarTech stack?
So, to help you choose the right conference to devote your time to in 2018, here’s a list we compiled based on personal experiences and recommendations.
1. SiriusDecisions Summit
May 8 – 11, 2018 | Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
The best CMOs stress the need to make data-driven decisions. Having the right data not only helps your marketing team establish the value of their efforts, it’s also critical for growing your company. For these reasons, the SiriusDecisions Summit blends plenty of data-driven insights, best practices, and innovations into four full days. As a CMO, this is a great opportunity to learn, in detail, proven research and frameworks to make the case for growing the marketing department.
2. Marketing Nation Summit
April 29 – May 2, 2018, | San Francisco, CA
Held by leading marketing automation company Marketo, the Marketing Nation Summit is a yearly conference that brings together the brightest minds in digital marketing, advertising, and IT. Each year, Marketo raises its standards, inviting famous guest speakers and visionaries like Hillary Clinton, Will Smith, and Arianna Huffington.
My CEO and sales colleagues mentioned to me that this event packs insightful learning and networking opportunities. There’s even a University Day to get “Marketo-certified” with workshops, demos, and presentations by Marketo experts.
3. Dreamforce
September 25 – 28, 2018 | San Francisco, CA
Run by Salesforce, the Dreamforce conference is one of the most breathtaking events that cater to B2B marketers and, specifically, to C-level executives. With over 3,200 sessions, there’s so much you can learn to transform your customer engagement, create seamless one-to-one buyer journeys, and equip your marketing for growth. If you’re a Salesforce user, this event packs a lot of hands-on training to better your existing capabilities and ROI of the platform.
4. Forrester B2B Marketing Summit
[Dates haven’t been updated yet]
Built for B2B marketers at the executive level, the Forrester Summit offers data-driven best practices, new breakthroughs, and networking with an elite community of marketing and sales leaders, innovators, and practitioners. Honing in on strategic marketing processes and sales enablement, this conference is designed to help you adopt new tactics and approaches to grow long-term, profitable customer relationships.
5. MarketingProfs B2B Marketing Forum
November 13 – 16, 2018 | San Francisco, CA
Last but not least is MarketingProfs – a premier event catering to the unique challenges and opportunities of every B2B CMO. Whether you want to build a winning content strategy, grow powerful campaigns, or fuel your marketing projects, this conference is for you! Following last year’s forum, my colleagues returned with 40 long pages of notes – so there’s a lot to learn!
Make 2018 count!
B2B marketing is an art you need to master, so why not learn from the best? Make 2018 a successful and profitable year by adding one of these conferences to your agenda!
