Want to find the best marketing event for your budget? T&E slashed, and you're just looking at how you can upskill and be inspired without leaving the office? Well, aside from checking out all our fab resources, we've pulled together a list of marketing events to look out for in 2023.
No day is ever really the same when you work in marketing – even though some campaigns can be repetitive; we constantly need to test and adjust to improve performance. Competition in the research ecosystem is fierce, with submissions down and engagement challenging. Boring our job isn't. But keeping pace with the ever-changing marketing landscape, especially at a time of economic crisis, is hard.
Of course, you could take a sun-drenched holiday, but unless you're lying on the sunbed swatting up on the latest from people like Neal Schaffer, Ted Schacter and Simon Sinek, you’re unlikely to be swatting up on your marketing. Why not change it up and attend one of the myriad marketing events happening throughout the year, virtually or in person? I recently went to #APE2023 and saw people 'in person' – I mean actual people you can touch and speak to face to face. Some I haven't seen in years and some fab new people I met. I forgot, I am not as young as I used to be, that getting in at 5am is not the wisest of choices, but connecting and building relationships with people is precious so it's all worth it. And the speakeasy bar, Bell Boy, in Berlin is possibly one of the BEST bars I have been to but certainly not the cheapest – though I am told that’s not uncommon in Berlin.
Apart from offering a change of scenery, marketing events are worth their weight in gold. We work in an industry where not only do we have to keep up with our specialist skillsets, but we need to keep up-to-date with open research, preprints, open access books, SDGs, ECRs…the list goes on. Learn straight from marketing experts in different fields with insights and future predictions and trends that you can apply to your marketing, and have authoritative evidence to help steer your organization in the future. What could be more inspiring?
Marketing events are also the ideal place to grow your network, whether it is peers, possible new customers, or mentors you are looking for. You also get to promote your brand in person and create lasting personal connections.
We’re going to be announcing our own industry-specific marketing conference later this year, in partnership with another industry specialist – sign up to our newsletter/content alerts to learn more.
Here are the top marketing events happening in 2023 that you don't want to miss:
Marketing Week’s Festival of Marketing (No dates yet available but you can register your interest). Held in London, UK, the Festival of Marketing (FoM) is organized by the well-respected marketing title Marketing Week. It has grown from strength to strength in the decade since its first edition, but its mission statement remains unchanged. 2022 was SOLD OUT. It is “aimed at providing a content-rich, inclusive and fun environment for marketers to learn, debate and exchange ideas on what it takes to be a modern marketer of the future”. Although this year’s agenda and speakers have not yet been announced, last year’s speakers included TV personality Lorraine Kelly, Mark Ritson, a former marketing professor who taught at London Business School and MIT, and entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor Steven Bartlett. Attendance - physical.
B2B Marketing Exchange (27 February - 1 March 2023) in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. This is an in-person event where you will be able to choose between six different educational tracks and various types of activities, including keynote speeches from 55 different speakers (so far), breakout sessions, networking, and sponsored case studies. This will be the event’s 12th year, and its aim is to “empower and educate the B2B community by spotlighting all that’s new and effective”. Attendance - physical.
Adobe Summit (21-23 March 2023, with a pre-conference in Las Vegas on 19-20 March) in Las Vegas, USA and virtually. Register by 10 February to attend virtually will give you free access, saving $200. This will be the first time the summit is held in person since 2019, and it is jam-packed with activities that will educate, entertain, and inspire you. You’ll be able to choose from 11 tracks, from B2B marketing to content supply chain, and trends and inspiration. The long list of speakers includes speakers from Adobe, PwC, T-Mobile, and McGraw Hill. With more than 200 sessions and hands-on labs, plus plenty of networking opportunities, the Adobe Summit is hard to beat. Attendance - hybrid with physical pre-conference.
AdWorld (29-30 March 2023) Touted as the world’s largest advertising event, this online event boasts eight different tracks covering topics like AI in advertising, content marketing, and conversion optimization, to name but a few. It is attended by over 20,000 marketers and runs over two days full of speeches, panels, and live Q&A sessions with the likes of visionary Seth Godin. This event is definitely not one to miss. Attendance - virtual.
Inbound (5-8 September 2023) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It attracts tens of thousands of attendees from all over the globe. Hosted by marketing giant HubSpot and it is the grownup version of Disneyland, if the grownup also works in marketing. Needless to say, the sheer number of participants means that there is no shortage of networking opportunities, and a chunk of the speakers in attendance are often celebrities whose success stories would inspire anyone. Past speakers include Oprah Winfrey, Gary Vaynerchuk, Martha Stewart, President Barack Obama and Spike Lee. Attendance - physical.
Vibe MarTech Fest (13-14 September 2023) is the largest customer experience, marketing, and advertising technology event in the Middle East and will be held in Dubai. Attendance - physical.
DigiMarCon Europe 2023 (14-15 September 2023) hosts conferences throughout the year in different locations, with this one being held in charming Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Among the many topics covered are behavioural and neuromarketing, account-based marketing, and influencer marketing. Apart from the invaluable information at their disposal, attendees can enjoy socializing, networking, and enjoying the local culture after the sessions. Attendance - hybrid.
Technology for Marketing (27-28 September 2023) held in London, UK. Attended by some industry peers this conference have two events featuring 11 dedicated theatres in every emerging marketing and eCommerce theme and topic. Attendance - physical.
Too busy to attend or need more resources?
HubSpot - possibly the best-known platform offering a wealth of resources, including tutorials, business news, podcasts and countless articles to hone your marketing skills.
Content Marketing Institute (CMI) - jam-packed with advice from experts, featured white papers, a mentorship programme, and so much more. It also hosts a very active community of content practitioners who comment and contribute to the conversation across different social channels and a dedicated Slack channel.
The Mention Blog - discover case studies and how-to articles that facilitate the implementation of the advice featured. Mention also hosts regular webinars related to their blog posts.
Inside Google Ads - Inside offers “news, tips and information on Google Ads and Commerce products”.
Seth Godin - Seth Godin is the bestselling author of 20 books, a serial TED talker, the founder of altMBA and Akimbo, and one of the most respected thought leaders in the world today. He has also been blogging for over a decade, and he posts every single day. If nothing else, his discipline and consistency are inspiring to anyone wishing to make a name for themselves in their respective field.
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