The Content2Conversion Conference has grown substantially over the past three years — both in terms of attendees and the content covered during the event. Expanding to four tracks in 2017 — ABM in Action, Content2Conversion, Demand Gen Summit and Sales Impact Summit — the event is now moving under the umbrella brand of the B2B Marketing Exchange (Feb. 20-22).
More than 800 attendees are expected to converge at the event venue, The Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz., to gain the latest insight on trends and best practices for managing complex sales cycles and buying group realities. The conference includes 50+ sessions.
The B2B Marketing Exchange will also feature keynote speakers, including Andy Eninger, Learning Program Designer at Second City, the famed Chicago improv comedy school, who will lead Collaborating With Your Customers to Create B2B Messaging That’s Not 2Boring2Care, an interactive keynote presentation on how to create B2B messaging that is the opposite of boring.
A full pre-show lineup of workshops and case studies, as well as sponsored Show & Tell, Behind The Scenes and Lunch & Learn sessions will round out the event, which will also feature plenty of networking opportunities in the Solution Zone expo hall.
Demand Gen Report‘s editors highlighted noteworthy sessions they are looking forward to and weighed in on what they anticipate will be the hot trends at the B2B Marketing Exchange:
Andrew Gaffney, Editorial Director: Actionable Insights To Apply For Content & Campaigns
The feedback we get over and over again about our event is that marketers love seeing real-world examples of what their peers in other B2B sectors are doing. We consistently hear that marketers were able apply several of the ideas and concepts from our speakers and put them into practice to improve their campaign results. I anticipate that will be the case again this year, and a few of the speakers and sessions I’m looking forward to include Scott Donaton, Chief Content Officer at Digitas, sharing examples of snackable content in his session on B2B Storytelling For A Bite-Size World and Brian Fitzgerald, CMO at Veracode, who will give his perspectives on Un-Marketing, as well as Laura Ramos, from Forrester, providing her take on Customer Advocacy & Account-Based Strategies.
Carol Krol, Editor-In-Chief: Applying ABM
Account-based strategies top the priority list for many marketers looking to gain an edge in their business. It’s a trend I think will only get hotter in 2017 as marketers refine their approach. That’s why I’m looking forward to ABM In Action Live, one of our two new tracks we’ve added this year to give marketers the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of account-driven marketing from practitioners and experts. All of the sessions are specifically designed to provide practical, real-world advice in an area in which many marketers have sought greater clarity.
That education starts on day one, with BlueBird Strategies’ Cari Baldwin leading a workshop session, called ABM In Action: The Building Blocks Of A Successful, Sustainable Account-Based Strategy. Another session I expect will be chock-full of practical guidance is Alfresco Software’s 5 Critical Steps To Creating The Ideal ABM Program. This one features CMO Sydney Sloan providing detailed insight into how this software provider successfully rolled out their own ABM program. Matt Senatore from SiriusDecisions will also be on hand with his session, How Best-In-Class B2B Orgs Operationalize ABM, for more hands-on how-tos for marketers.
Brian Anderson, News Editor: Driving The Critical Last Mile Of Conversions
One of the big trends that will be discussed in detail at The B2B Marketing Exchange is how marketing is enabling their sales counterparts to have relevant conversations with prospects and close more deals. Featured sessions in the Sales Impact Summit track include Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing, hosting 8 Ways Marketing Can Double Their Sales Team’s Productivity; and David Bruno, Marketing Director at Aptos, hosting How Deal Enablement Can Avert Messaging Breakdowns.
I’m also curious to learn what tips and strategies they will share for better alignment between both teams to maximize success. Mary Shea, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, will discuss how sales and marketing professionals must adapt as buyer expectations have changed in her session B2B Buyers Mandate A New Charter For Marketing And Sales. She’ll also share new methods and approaches to tighter collaboration and formulating coordinated plays.
Klaudia Tirico, Features Editor: All Eyes On Influencers
As a big advocate of influencer marketing in both the B2B and B2C landscapes, I’ve seen the major benefits of the practice from both angles. I also believe content makes the marketing world go round; you can’t have a successful marketing plan without killer content. So what happens when you put killer content and influencer marketing together? Poof! You get a stand-out marketing campaign that connects with buyers on multiple levels.
In the Content2Conversion track, Lee Odden of TopRank Marketing will take the stage to discuss the top trends and best practices in influencer marketing for B2B professional, and he’ll discuss how to win and fail at influencer engagement. I’m looking forward to learning what the influencer marketing space will look like in 2017 and what strategies can generate the most success for B2B marketers. So, if you’re wondering where I will be during Odden’s session, titled: Influencing the Influencers: Top Trends & Best Practices for B2B Marketers, the answer is… front row!
#B2BMX By The Numbers
Attendees will come to the B2B Marketing Exchange from far and wide, and we have a number of great sessions and discussions planned! Here’s a breakdown of current statistics:
- 800+ senior-level B2B marketing and sales executives will be in attendance;
- Attendees are coming from 40 of the 50 U.S. states;
- More than 50+ speakers and industry insiders will be sharing their insights and expertise; and
- 40+ sponsors will be sharing the latest technology and services in the B2B marketplace.
