- Oktopost hosted 117 marketing leaders at New Vintage Place in Grand Rapids on September 16, 2026 for a Tech Week session on AI's impact on B2B marketing.
- Daniel Kushner's opening keynote framed how AI is reshaping strategy and operations while trust, buying decisions, and commercial growth remain unchanged.
- Colin Day moderated a fireside chat with Troy Best (Growth Marketing Manager at GuidePoint Security), Eryn Leedy, MS (Digital Marketing Manager at JR Automation, a Hitachi Group Company), and Lynne Jarman-Johnson (CMO at Consumers Credit Union) on where AI is delivering real business value today.
- A live agentic AI session, led by Grace Kinna, Hannah Curran, and Whitney Hoving, gave attendees a hands-on look at AI in marketing operations workflows.
- Colin Day's companion piece expands on the thinking that shaped the session.
The Main Session
When every competitor has the same AI, what’s left to differentiate you? That was the question on the table at New Vintage Place in Grand Rapids, where Oktopost brought together 117 marketing leaders for an afternoon exploring exactly that, as part of Tech Week Grand Rapids.
Welcome Note: Daniel Kushner, CEO of Oktopost, opened the day, framing why AI is reshaping strategy and operations while the fundamentals, like trust, buying decisions, and commercial growth, remain the same.
What Changes, What Doesn’t: The core keynote by Colin Day, CMO at Oktopost, dug into where AI is genuinely moving the needle in B2B marketing, and where the old rules still win.
The Fireside Chat: Colin also moderated the panel session with Troy Best, Eryn Leedy, MS, and Lynne Jarman-Johnson on what every marketing leader is rethinking in 2026, and the practitioner’s view on where AI is delivering real business value today.
Agentic AI in Action: Oktopost’s Grace Kinna, Hannah Curran, and Whitney Hoving led an intriguing live session on agentic use cases in marketing operations, giving attendees a hands-on look at AI in the workflow.
Conversations Over Craft
The day wrapped with Grand Rapids craft beer, Michigan wine, and #B2BToTheCore photo-booth moments as attendees kept the debate going and their drinks flowing.
In Summary
Thanks to everyone who came out and brought the questions.
Curious about the keynote? B2B Marketing Has Changed breaks it down.
To learn more about Oktopost, contact us for a consultation.
