Glow Golf After Dark.
A Super Bowl DJ.
AI Hackathon.
These are just three of the new experiences that you will be able to experience this year at B2B Marketing Exchange (B2BMX) 2026, powered by Advertising Week, that is a must-attend event for B2B leaders.
The conference, held at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad for the first time, is not just about sitting in sessions; it’s about meeting and hearing from those actively reshaping how to approach marketing and sales in a landscape that changes daily.
Whether you are looking to demystify GenAI with practical use cases or find new ways to build trust in an automated world, the agenda is packed with opportunities to learn from the best. But beyond the keynotes and workshops, the real magic happens in the corridors and lounges where practitioners swap war stories in the midst of networking events. Here are our staff picks for the top five experiences you simply can’t miss next week.
Keynote Speakers
B2BMX 2026 features four keynote speakers, a powerhouse group of innovators defining the next frontier of B2B. From Benedict Evans analyzing the macro-economic shifts of the AI revolution to Dane Vahey of OpenAI providing a direct look at how generative intelligence is reshaping the modern enterprise, these sessions move past the hype into real-world application. Beyond AI, you will hear from Elfried Samba on building magnetic brands in traditionally “unsexy” industries and Atlassian’s Ashley Faus on maintaining human-centered trust in an increasingly automated lifecycle.
Evans is one of the most trusted and influential independent analysts in technology and with more than two decades spent analyzing the forces that truly move markets, he is known for cutting through noise to reveal what matters.
The Co-Founder and CEO of Butterfly Effect, Samba’s session is titled Building a Sexy Brand in an Unsexy Industry, where he makes the case for human-to-human brand building as the most powerful growth lever in modern B2B. As paid media becomes more expensive and less reliable, the brands pulling ahead are those that turn attention into trust, trust into community, and community into revenue.
Vahey was OpenAI’s first B2B marketer and now leads programs that help companies of all sizes adopt AI at scale. His You Can Just Build Things presentation will challenge attendees to reimagine their professional capabilities in an era where artificial intelligence makes the impossible achievable.
Faus is a marketer, writer, and speaker whose keynote will be focused on how trust is the one thing you can’t outsource or automate. As marketers think about how to adapt the journey, workflows, and metrics in the age of AI, Faus stressed they need to remember that it’s still about connecting with the humans behind the screen.
New for B2BMX 2026, The Ultimate AI Hackathon
Work Faster. Think Bigger. Crush the Competition. The prompt is simple this year at B2BMX 2026: Adapt or get left behind. While the rest of the world is just talking about AI, we’re actually doing it with our inagural AI Hackathon.
Welcome to the B2B Prompt Playoff, a half-day, high-octane, hands-on “hack-marathon” designed for the brightest “brave souls” in the enterprise ecosystem set for March 9. Architected by renowned AI trainer and resident disruptor Brent Wees, this session is specifically built for B2B marketers who are ready to stop watching the hype and start scaling their content engines. Wees positions the AI Hackathon not as a lecture but as a high-speed sprint into productivity. You’ll be embedded into an elite squad of teammates to solve real-world B2B scenarios. Under the guidance of expert Table Captains, your team will battle it out to plot, produce, and present a comprehensive marketing and sales strategy.
This experience is a professional evolution. You’ll return to your office as a more dangerous, efficient marketer with an Evolved AI Toolkit that moves you from “curious” to “power-user” by mastering tools that move the needle; The “Subject Matter Expert” Badge that transforms you to being the company’s go-to AI authority, ready to lead internal transformations; Cross-Functional Tactical Insight as you learn to unify marketing and sales goals through a single, AI-powered lens; and A Global Network that forges “battle-tested” bonds with peers from across the innovation collective.
Discover What’s in Store at This Year’s B2BMX Marketplace
The B2B Marketing Exchange (B2BMX) is the event for marketing and sales practitioners looking to reimagine their approaches to revenue generation. One of the main features is The Marketplace, an interactive exhibition area where attendees can explore innovative solutions, connect with top solution providers, and exchange ideas with fellow marketing leaders. It serves as a hub for networking, discovering new tools, and engaging with peers over lunch or during dedicated networking sessions on the show floor.
Here are the company’s that you can meet at B2BMX 2026’s Marketplace are Activate Marketing Services, Calibermind, Clozd, Demand AI , DemandView, Demandbase , Demandfactor, Digitalzone, Docket, Informa TechTarget, Influ2, INFUSE, Intentsify, Integrate, Knak, Lead2Pipeline, Leandata, Lilt, Madison Logic, Netline, Nextroll (Adroll), ON24, Omnibound, Only B2B, pharosIQ, Pipeline360, Propensity, ProspectBase, Prospect Precise, RampedUp, Swag.com, TechnologyAdvice, Ten Speed, TOXPAND, Userled, Vendelux, Vereigen Media, Wistia, and WordPress VIP.
Networking Opportunities
Throughout the three days of the conference, there are times set aside to meet and greet attendees while grabbing a bite to eat or a drink.
On Monday, after a full days of standout workshops, case studies, and our signature keynotes, wrap up the day at the Welcome Reception, an energizing, informal setting designed to spark new connections and launch an incredible week of insights and inspiration. The setting will be the Luna Lounge, starting at 5 p.m.
The event will feature Los Angeles-based DJ and Saxophonist Tim Lacatena. For the past decade, Lacatena has offered a blend of live sax with DJ sets has made a lasting impact at high-end events worldwide— including Super Bowl LVII and opening for Alanis Morissette— that combines the versatility of a DJ with the appeal of a live musician.
Glow Golf
Glow Golf After Dark, hosted by ON24, promises an unforgettable evening at the Omni La Costa greens. Taking place at the Valley Promenade on March 10 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, this exclusive, invite-only event offers a unique opportunity to light up the night with a one-of-a-kind golfing experience. With limited seats available, attendees are encouraged to visit the ON24 Booth to secure their spot on the guest list. Don’t miss this chance to combine fun, networking, and a touch of glow-in-the-dark magic!
Pack your bags for B2BMX 2026, bring your biggest challenges, and prepare to return to your office with the tools and connections needed to crush the competition this year.
