16 Different Events and Conferences For Your Creative Agency in 2013
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It’s the time of year again where budgets have been set, and if you’re lucky your team has some money set aside to learn, sell and/or have fun at some events (and these things don’t need to be mutually exclusive)!
Reasons for attending a conference or trade show will vary based on your role within your organization, and of course what your team and personal goals are:
If you’re involved in sales or marketing functions at your agency (you know … getting new business) you may be attending events throughout the year with an expectation that you will develop new relationships, meet with your existing clients and/or land new deals. One suggestion that I have is to be different – it is very difficult to stand out in a crowd, but if you can you’ll find that there is positive ROI to be had. Drive your team to make the most of every opportunity.
One of my favourite trade show stories was Hubspot’s participation at the 2011 Dreamforce Conference. You can read about their strategy and success. What a difference from a standard booth!
Attending a major event as a sales person, or as a member of a sponsoring team can be fun and worth-while if it’s done right. Make yourselves memorable, and people will want to work with you. After all, if you’re in the creative space, what better way to show off your talents than promoting yourselves.
Others will be attending events to learn from industry experts. Personally I don’t like it when people call themselves thought-leaders – what is that exactly? But there will certainly be events throughout the year that will benefit any one of us, regardless of our area of expertise and/or interest.
I generally find that I learn just as much from the people in the crowd (through networking and the questions that come up) as I do from the speakers. So, it’s not only important to look for an event with a good lineup of speakers and topics, but also an event that is attended by smart individuals with a variety of backgrounds relating to your topic of interest.
Here is a list of events that we (at Function Point) have either attended, or are considering this year.
They’re all a bit different, but tend to have great speakers, topics, and yes attendees!
Second Wind – Quarterly events for Account Executives, Traffic Managers and Financial Staff.
We partner with Second Wind and attend many of their events in Chicago. Tony Mikes is a great teacher, and has a lot to share with small to medium sized agencies looking to increase their profitability.
Here are some blogs relating to our work with Second Wind.
- Lessons from the Second Wind Creative Agency Financial Seminar
- Your Creative Agency Must Do Gutsy Things to Succeed in 2013
- How Agency Business is a Pretty Simple Business
- Traffic and Project Managers Exist to Help Your Agency Profit
Marketmix 2013 – Next Event March 20th. Seattle.
Mirren New Business – Next Event May 14-15, 2013. New York.
With a focus on winning new business for your agency, the Mirren Conference can be quite valuable. Have a look at our blogs from last year’s event.
- Mirren New Business Conference: The Ad Agency of the Future
- 2012 Mirren New Business Conference – Ad Agency Key Takeaways
How Design Live – Next Event June 22-26, 2013. San Francisco.
This conference includes 4 options in one – Design, Creative Freelancer, Dieline Package Design and InHowse Managers. There is something for everyone in the creative space!
Hubspot Inbound – Next Event August 19-22. Boston.
“The world’s largest gathering of Inbound Marketing”
As Hubspot users here at fp. we have attended this conference the last two years. There were 1,000 attendees in 2011 and close to 3,000 in 2012, so it’s definitely gaining momentum. Great speakers and entertainment. Last year we got to see Cindy Lauper, and the year before listen to author Ben Mezrich tell some amazing stories!
Here are some key take-aways from last year.
4A’s Transformation – Next Event March 2014. Los Angeles.
Other Organizations and Events:
In-House creative department consultants with events scheduled in Washington DC and beyond.
Adept Creative Project Management
Creative Project Management workshops around the US. Upcoming events are in Seattle, Chicago and Boston.
“ReCourses, Inc., provides individual consulting, seminars, speaking, and writing exclusively for firms in the marketing industry (design, advertising, public relations, interactive, and in-house).”
4A’s has many regional events and Webinars.
Don’t forget to check out your regional branch of the American Marketing Association.
Monthly events in cities around the world. Check out speakers in your area.
Please add any events that you are either considering or have gone to (and enjoyed). Comments and questions are also welcome!
