Let's talk events! What are you going to this year?

[Andrea Walters]

I know, I know....this may seem pretty predictable - an event marketer asking what events you plan to attend this year.  But, I really am curious!  Inbound? CEMA Summit? Customer Marketing Summit? There are so many to choose from, so let's see what's out there. 

What events or conferences are you (or your team) planning to attend this year? What makes them stand out in a sea of opportunities?

[Evita Legzdina_eazyBI]

Hi! As we have just started to use HubSpot, I was wondering if Inbound is a good one to go to. I've read the reviews across the web, looks like could be worth it. Has anyone been there? Any reviews?   

[Ashley Faus]

I've been to INBOUND several times over the last few years as a speaker, and it's a great conference!

Pros:

- Sessions that cover just about every topic in marketing. You can learn about SEO, Community marketing, email, paid/ads/digital, social media, etc., as well as leadership and team-related topics.

- Tons of networking opportunities, including agency meet-ups, Black @ INBOUND lounge, exercise groups (yoga and running), welcome party, hosted happy hours, and dinners

- It's a big conference, so whatever your goals, you can probably hit 'em (meet vendors, meet prospects, professional development, meet employers, etc.)


Potential Cons:

- The size of the conference can be daunting. Last year, there were around 10,000 attendees and hundreds of session options, so it's tough to prioritize everything. Some people feel overwhelmed by all the options and prefer smaller conferences like B2B Forum or Content Marketing World.

- It's more expensive than some of the conferences that host smaller events in more locations (ie: Digital Summit), but it's on-par with other national conferences.

In sum, I love INBOUND as an attendee and as a speaker. I've learned a lot from attending sessions, I've made great professional connections, and I've had good audiences for my session presentations.

[Evita Legzdina_eazyBI]

Thanks for your input. Content Marketing World was also on my list. 

[BlaneBarker]

Hi @Evita Legzdina_eazyBI I've attended three INBOUNDs in the past 5 years. I love it -- I have come away with both actionable and high level insights that have made me a better marketer and leader. 

I'd agree with @Ashley Faus that the size can be daunting so my recommendation there would be to go with clear objectives that support your goals personally around what you want to get out of the event. For example, I have a (probably very nerdy) goal to meet 2 new people per day, learn about at least 1 new software per day, and overall chase 3 impactful learnings I can take back to improve myself, my team, and my organization's work. 

Overall - highly recommend.