With technological innovation, the manufacturing industry is becoming more dynamic and complex every day. Marketers need to keep pace with the ever-evolving industry with professional development and staying on top of trends or else they’ll get left behind.
We have everything you need to know about four of the best industry conferences and events for you to attend, or send your team to, this year. Expect an endless supply of quality takeaways and networking opportunities to make you smarter and your job easier.
When and where: Feb. 25 – 27, 2019 | Scottsdale, AZ
What it is: The B2B Marketing Exchange’s mission is “to empower our community by spotlighting all that’s new in B2B.” The conference covers the latest trends, market conditions and buyer realities in B2B marketing. It draws in over 1,000 sophisticated B2B marketers with over 90 sessions. There are six tracks, making it a fit for just about any manufacturing marketing role:
- Content strategy
- Demand gen
- Sales enablement
- Digital strategy
- Channel strategy
- Account-based marketing
Why you should go: It’s focused specifically on B2B demand generation with sessions and keynotes from some manufacturing marketing all-stars, including 3M, Siemens, Ingersoll Rand and GE. Plus, it’s in the first quarter which, if you’re a bit behind on planning (don’t worry, you’re surely not the only one), gives you the opportunity to apply what you learn to your 2019 plan.
Sessions to attend:
- Content and the customer experience: Building 360-degree audience engagement | Christine Polewarczyk, SiriusDecisions
- Humanizing even the world’s most boring B2B brands: How to win with empathy, creativity… and a little humor | Tim Washer
- ABM and modern B2B advertising: Reaching the buying committee at your target accounts | Peter Isaacson, DemandBase
- 5 creative ideas to support sales enablement for specific ABM initiatives | Pam Didner, Relentless Pursuit
- Moving beyond MQLs: New metrics and models that support segmentation and account-based strategies | Patrick Oldenburg, ServiceMax
- The quest for top talent: How to build your marketing A-team | Wes Lieser, Versique
Industry Week’s Manufacturing & Technology Show
When and where: April 1 – 3, 2019 | Pittsburgh, PA
What it is: The Manufacturing & Technology Show is “the one-stop experience that brings together manufacturing decision makers, from design to delivery, and keeps them at the forefront of manufacturing’s digital transformation.” While only in its second year, the M&T Show is quickly becoming one of the most popular conferences in manufacturing with over 1,600 attendees, 35 sessions, eight plant tours and six tracks covering:
- Leadership
- Factory automation
- Talent management
- Continuous improvement
- Smart manufacturing
- Supply chain
Why you should go: Although marketing leaders aren’t included on the “who should attend” list, we believe the topics could give you an edge in the subject matter to advise on operations, talent and technology decisions that all have an impact on marketing—not to mention, a well-deserved seat at the executive table. In addition, the conference will feature many growth strategy examples and case studies from top manufacturers. It’s also an opportunity to build your network among other manufacturing companies and various functions.
Sessions to attend: We recommend attending sessions within the leadership track to get up to speed on trends, technology and the overall environment of the manufacturing industry, including:
- Leading through change and disruption (g. trade and tariffs, acquisitions and mergers)
- Positioning your organization for Industry 4.0 and beyond
- Building the agile organization
- Creating a winning culture
- Managing multigenerational environments
When and where: May 5 – 8, 2019 | Austin, TX
What it is: SiriusDecisions is a B2B research and advisory firm that equips executives to modernize and elevate sales, marketing and product performance. The SiriusDecisions Summit is an event for “sales, marketing and product innovators that drive growth in the most well-respected high-performing companies in the market today.”
Why you should go: SiriusDecisions is the organization behind modern B2B marketing as we know it, including the Demand Waterfall—you know, marketing qualified leads, sales qualified leads, that little lead-to-sales process thing that pretty much dominates everything we track and measure. This year, it plans to introduce new models, frameworks and solutions that are aimed at achieving alignment within B2B organizations—you won’t want to miss out!
Sessions to attend:
- Strategic account planning: How to win together
- You had me at data: Critical insights for effective channel marketing
- Marketing automation’s changing position within the marketing tech universe
- It takes a village: How to work together to build insight-driven content strategy
MarketingProfs B2B Marketing Forum
When and where: Oct. 16 – 18, 2019 | Washington, DC
What it is: The MarketingProfs B2B Forum is “where leaders, innovators and people who make things happen gather to learn about the latest in B2B marketing and share the secrets to success.” It’s a big event with an intimate feel.
Why you should go: The main reason to attend the B2B Marketing Forum is the opportunity to network and get advice from top B2B marketers from companies like Google, IBM, SAP and Adobe. There is also an extensive exhibit hall where you can shop the latest technology and tools. Our president went last year. She not only learned a ton, but had a blast during what MarketingProfs describes as “off-the-clock antics.”
Sessions to attend: The 2019 sessions aren’t published yet. Keep checking in for them at http://mpb2b.marketingprofs.com/.
Whether you have 20 years under your manufacturing marketing belt or are brand new to the industry, there are plenty of B2B marketing conferences to choose from for your inspiration and professional development. Drop us a line if you need help convincing your boss on the value or ROI.
