Contents:
- Killer Keynote Quotes
- Buzz Buzz Buzz: Reactions to the #B2BSMX Direct Mail Kit
- The Best of #B2BSMX Breakout Sessions
- B2B Innovator Awards: Mic Drops All Around
The B2B Sales & Marketing Exchange, #B2BSMX, has come and gone for another year, and what a show it was! In true 2020 style, our friends at Demand Gen Report turned their biggest event of the year into a virtual extravaganza. The PFL team was delighted to partner with them to help make it an unforgettable three days of insights, personal stories, awards, fun networking events, and (of course) direct mail from none other than PFL.
With an event as jam-packed as this one, it’s inevitable that attendees couldn’t be at every session, so we’ve put together this highlight list to showcase many of our favorite moments.
Some highlights you simply had to be there to truly enjoy, such as the Lightning Round Trivia hosted by our own Eva Jackson, but registrants can watch session recordings on-demand. If you haven’t registered, post-event registration gets you access to the entire library of recordings for just $49. On-demand recordings are available from now until December.
Killer Keynote Quotes
The opening keynote, A New Plan A, from speaker Jay Acuzno features exceptional production quality and tells deeply human, relatable stories that tie into the core theme of “not settling.” Don’t settle for Plan B — make a new (and better) Plan A.
Best practices are like faulty equations because they’re missing key variables — your variables. Those are the exact same things we need to start incorporating to thrive and find our new Plan A.
Jay Acuzno
Here are more killer keynote quotes:
“We have no choice but to be very focused on where we put our dollars. […] We’re not only looking at targeting by industry or title or size but by type of buyer and where they are in the buying cycle.” — Casey Foss, CMO of West Monroe, David vs. Goliath
“Retention is the new acquisition, and if you aren’t viewing the world in that way, I predict you will be very shortly.” — Tip Kopp, CEO of Terminus, The New Revenue Conversations in the C-Suite?
“As we see buying teams get larger and larger, they are having trouble reaching consensus. The buying has become more complex. The companies that are winning are helping these buying teams make decisions.” — Jeff Davis, J2D Consulting, Disrupting the B2B Journey
Buzz Buzz Buzz: Reactions to the #B2BSMX Direct Mail Kit
PFL partnered with Demand Gen Report to ensure that this year’s #B2BSMX event made a big splash, and of course we did that with direct mail. Together, we built a unique Creative Toolkit stuffed with engagement. The toolkit included a personal notecard, sponsor list, event guide with coloring book, event passport for competitive prizes, as well as a travel mug, coffee-flavored gummies, colored pencils, and even a penny to scratch off completed events.
The purpose? We wanted to create a big buzz to drive both interactivity and attendance.
The results? Outstanding. See what attendees had to say!
“In a world where everything has shifted online, I have to give a huge kudos to the folks at B2B Sales + Marketing Exchange #B2BSMX virtual event. They’ve managed to convince me in their registration process to share my personal address so that I could receive their #B2BMXtoolkit, and I’m not disappointed.” Bertrand Hazard
“Digging my #B2BSMX swag!” Elisa Lippincott
“Really enjoyed the content at #B2BSMX this week. Very well organized and love their event passport idea! @B2BMX” Rick Thelwell
“Really nice show kit making #B2BSMX feel much bigger than an online only event” Michelle Liro
“I’m ready for #B2BSMX this week…Are you?” Lisa Loeffler
“Such a great testament to how you can create meaningful connections while including so much brand personality.” Olivia Davis
The PFL Team is thrilled about all these reactions as well as many more that popped up across social media, but the pièce de résistance is someone reacting to everyone else reacting:
“Love seeing all the coloring love on my social feed! #B2BSMX” Alicia Esposito
The takeaway from all this buzz is to bring your brand into the real world, especially when delivering a virtual event. Learn more about how you can enhance your virtual event experience.
The Best of #B2BSMX Breakout Sessions
With more than 60 breakout sessions that included great speakers, labs, case studies, and networking opportunities, #B2BSMX had an incredible amount of value to offer. Squeeze out a little more value by watching these sessions if you missed them!
Happily Ever After: Building Strong Customer Partnerships That Stand Out in a Digital World
This fireside discussion will make you feel like you’re sitting down to chat with old friends! Nick Runyon, CMO of PFL, moderates a discussion between Austin Martin of Zoom and Charles Hawkins of PFL to uncover the secrets to their successful working relationship.
Did We Just Become Best Friends? How to Unify Sales & Marketing as Revenue Rock Stars
Jay Tuel and Brian Finnerty of Demandbase (in sales and marketing, respectively), tell their story of how they learned to open the lines of communication between their teams. Achieving sales and marketing alignment is the key to effective and efficient prospecting, and your pipeline will thank you for it.
The Time Is Now: How to Create a Digital GTM Strategy for a 24/7 World
Hear from Kate Adams, VP of Marketing at Drift, as well as Melton Littlepage, SVP of Marketing at Tenable, about how to convert your website traffic into prime opportunities for selling. Learn why automation makes all the difference in marketing!
Deliver Real World Experiences That Grab Attention & Make Your Brand Pop!
Samantha Yarborough, Director of Strategic Partnerships at PFL, shares real-life examples of how leading brands are bringing their stories to life.
Standing Out in a Sea of Marketing Saturation
Josh Baez of Heinz Marketing and Cheri Keith of ON24 dig deep into what it takes to generate predictable pipeline in a market where every industry has been rocked on its heels. Dig deep into their mutual case study so that you can take away reliable strategies for putting the customer at the center of your marketing.
Direct Mail in the Digital Age
Live attendees benefitted from the open discussion format hosted by Eva Jackson of PFL, but the recording is still packed full of guidance about using direct mail. Find out how to set your brand apart in the modern virtual world.
You can go beyond the regular sessions: #B2BSMX includes certification courses from Drift, Demandbase, and Cvent.
B2B Innovator Awards: Mic Drops All Around
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the B2B Innovator Awards!
PFL is proud to announce that Chelsey Axline, Sr. Marketing Manager for Customer and Channel, walked away with a B2B Trailblazer Award. Chelsey has done outstanding work bringing new ideas and new energy to the way we connect with our customers.
The awards ceremony was packed with special faces that were familiar to the PFL team. Shout outs and kudos to:
- Katie Kelly, Udemy
- Jennifer Fields, Plex Systems
- Brian Finnerty, Demandbase
- Harry Battu, Procore Technologies
- Kirsten Boileau, SAP
- Jorge Granada, SAP
- Lisa Christiansen, Poly
The PFL team tips its hat to Demand Gen Report for a stellar partnership and an online event experience that’s worthy of a standing ovation.
If you’re ready to make your virtual event POP like we did for #B2BSMX, you know what to do:
