I’m sat here slightly groggy by still euphoric after our annual conference yesterday. As anyone who organises events knows, a huge amount of planning and preparation goes into making something like this happen, and therefore its enormously gratifying and satisfying when it goes as well as it did yesterday.
Huge thanks to the sponsors, delegates and tweeters (both there and remotely) who made the event such a success. Particular thanks go to the speakers, both of the keynotes and the breakouts, who talked frankly, openly and honestly about the issues facing B2B marketers in the current environment, and provided insights and inspiration to the assembled delegates.
My view is the single most important factor determining whether an event is successful or not is – for want of a better word – the ‘vibe’. And at yesterday’s event, there was a great vibe, or buzz – both speakers and the audience bought into the theme of ‘brave new world’ and how marketing must continue to adapt to the new digital age. I was massively impressed by the candour with which the keynote speakers discussed the issues that they have faced in embracing and integrating digital forms of marketing.
I felt the overwhelming consensus of opinion was that whilst there huge challenges facing marketers at the moment, there are also huge opportunities, both for brands and for marketers themselves. However, as Pete Jakob of IBM pointed out – paraphrasing Seth Godin – in order to succeed, marketers must embrace these opportunities and be prepared for a rough ride. The challenges ahead are not for the faint-hearted, but the alternative strategy of ignoring them will ultimately prove catastrophic – not just for the individual, but for the brand also.
Despite this, Pete closed his presentation saying that its an incredibly good and exciting time to be involved in B2B marketing, and that practitioners could and should be upbeat and optimistic.
If you were there, I’d love to know what you thought of the conference, and what your number one takeaway was. Thanks again to all those who contributed to making this event a success.