It’s a podcast crossover! This episode mash-up features female B2B podcast hosts for a recap on how they met at a recent GTM 2023 event hosted by Pavilion. Hear from these women in B2B marketing on how they’re planning on elevating their event strategy in 2024 and what they expect to see more of from communities in the New Year.
Connect with 2 Pizza Marketing hosts, Melissa Moody & Ashley McGovern
Connect with Women in B2B Marketing host, Jane Serra
Featured Guests
Name: Jane Serra
What they do: VP Marketing @ Wrk
Podcast: Women in B2B Marketing
Name: Melissa Moody
What they do: Podcast host at 2 Pizza Marketing
Podcast: 2 Pizza Marketing
Key Insights
The Power of In-Person Connections at B2B Events
In this crossover episode, the podcasters reminisce about GoToMarket2023, where the joy of real-life meetings surpassed virtual connections. They note the “pocket of happiness” such events create, allowing for the rekindling of interpersonal skills and the strengthening of relationships beyond the screen. The consensus is clear: face-to-face engagement leads to more profound and more authentic business relationships, a sentiment echoed across LinkedIn and beyond.
Precision in Audience Targeting Enhances Event Experience
The episode underscores the significance of having the right audience at B2B events. The hosts commend GoToMarket2023 for its precise targeting, gathering an audience that was not just brand-aligned but also deeply embedded in the Pavilion community. This focus resulted in a conference where attendees felt a sense of familiarity and relevance, avoiding the “mixed bag” often experienced at larger events. The right mix of attendees can transform an event from a mere gathering to a hub of meaningful exchanges, fostering a community feeling among participants.
Balancing Structure and Flexibility in Event Design
The podcasters praise GoToMarket2023 for its well-thought-out structure, which balanced keynote sessions with ample networking opportunities. They appreciated the event’s recognition of networking as a primary attendee goal, reflected in the layout and agenda. The event encouraged participation in micro-events, adding to the overall experience rather than detracting from it. This approach, they suggest, should be a model for future events, where the design facilitates both the acquisition of knowledge and the building of professional relationships.
Episode Highlights
The Impact of Event Structure on Networking
Melissa, Jane, and Corrina dive into how the structure of an event can significantly impact the networking experience. They commend GoToMarket2023 for creating a layout that facilitated easy movement and interaction, allowing attendees to fluidly engage with one another and with the content. The strategic placement of demos and the scheduling of sessions were highlighted as key factors that contributed to an environment conducive to building connections.
“The layout of the event, the way that the demos were there, but not domineering, the events around it, the dinners and the evening things, even the fact that they didn’t… encourage those micro events that you always get with an event.” – Melissa / “This was the first time they’d ever done it. So I feel like they were like, let’s figure out what works. Let’s figure out what resonates. And as big of a brand as both those two that you mentioned are, Pavilion and Insight Partners, it was nice to see them kind of just go for it and test and see what lands with the audience.” – Corrina
The Role of Community in B2B Marketing
In this segment, the hosts discuss the unique aspect of community within the B2B marketing space, particularly how different communities within the go-to-market (GTM) space collaborated at the event. They reflect on the surprising unity and mutual support among competing communities, which typically offer similar services and vie for the same audience. This crossover of communities not only enriched the event experience but also showcased a broader sense of camaraderie and shared purpose in the industry.
“These just different communities that you can join because you can’t join and pay for all of them and actively participate in all of them, but it’s like all of the communities in the GTM space got together and loved each other.” – Jane
The Importance of Event Content Curation and Knowing Your Audience
The conversation shifts to the importance of content at B2B events. Corrina also emphasizes how this particular conference brought the right people in the right rooms, which, unfortunately, is not always the case. However, it should be a top priority for organizers. Finally, the trio suggests that future events could benefit from more rigorous content curation and speaker preparation to ensure each session delivers practical value. It is not just a stretched-out LinkedIn post or a thinly veiled sales pitch
“I feel like this is probably, out of my 13 years or so being in this space, the first conference that really nailed their target audience and getting purely just the right ICP in the room. And that’s what was pretty unique for me.” – Corrina
The Evolution of Marketing Events Post-Pandemic
Summary:
The podcasters reflect on the evolution of marketing events in the post-pandemic era, noting the changes in how people interact and the heightened appreciation for in-person meetings. They discuss the adaptability required to transition back to physical events and the newfound gratitude for being able to connect with peers outside of virtual platforms.
“It’s been so long because of the pandemic and momdom. So just learning that I can be a normal person off of zoom. So it was great just to build the quality of people that were there was just the next level.” – Jane
