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This is a guest post by Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based marketing agency and HubSpot VAR. His forthcoming book (December 2011, Wiley), The Marketing Agency Blueprint, serves as a guide for building tech-savvy, hybrid agencies.
Next month, I’m traveling to Boston with several members of the PR 20/20 team to attend the Inbound Marketing Summit. It’s one of our “can’t miss” events of the year. The conference offers a great opportunity to enhance marketing knowledge, share ideas and strategies, and network with others in the industry.
We’ve attended IMS since the inaugural event in 2008. If you’re considering the trip, but unsure what to expect, or if it’s worth the expense, following are what I consider to be the three benefits of attending.
1. Gain Knowledge from Industry Influentials
As the marketing industry undergoes a period of transformation, due to shifts in consumer behavior and technology advances, continued education becomes increasingly more important for all professionals. Stay on top of new strategies and tactics, and hear stories of inbound marketing success from a strong lineup of speakers, including Chris Brogan, Brian Halligan, Guy Kawasaki and Rich Miner.
Previous IMS conferences have provided insight, use cases, statistics and helpful tips on how blogging, search marketing, social media, content and lead management can help generate leads, win sales and build customer loyalty. I’m expecting no less at IMS Boston 2011, as this year has the strongest set of speakers to date and an improved location in the heart of downtown Boston—an ideal location for both business and leisure.
2. Take Advantage of Networking Opportunities
Outside of the planned sessions, IMS offers opportunities to meet and network with industry peers. In addition to putting faces to those you already interact with online, be prepared to go home with valuable new contacts.
If you take the time to talk with other attendees, you may find unexpected opportunities to grow your business. In fact, at past IMS events, we’ve met business partners, clients, vendors and friends that have been instrumental to our agency’s success.
3. Have Some Fun Outside the Office
In addition to the content and networking, conferences like IMS provide unique experiences and create shared memories for your co-workers. I’ve found them to be great value-adds for employees interested in expanding their knowledge bases, and traveling together builds a stronger team and company culture.
Bonus: Multiple Marketing Events are Taking Place this Week
This year, IMS is a part of FutureM, a celebration of marketing fueled by more than fifty events in the greater Boston area, taking place Monday-Friday, Sept. 12-16. If you’ll be traveling to Boston for the conference, FutureM can make the trip even more valuable and help to justify the expense. FutureM passes are available for $99, and include a $50 discount to both IMS and the HubSpot User Group Summit (HUGS), with most other events included in the cost.
Your Thoughts?
Have you attended IMS in the past? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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