What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Do you reach for your phone and read the latest marketing blogs? Do you check up on some Twitter threads and see what the top marketing insiders you follow are up to?
If this sounds like you — if you listen to Marketing Over Coffee, ConversionCast, The Fizzle Show or other marketing podcasts while you get ready for work, or if the passenger seat of your car has become a stack of Adweek and Marketing Week issues — you just might be in the marketing business.
Marketing is a fast-paced industry, where change is constant and innovation is the lifeblood.
To succeed, you must stay on top of things. What you learned in college, even if you only graduated a couple years ago, either is now outdated or has been reworked, reformed and repackaged to excite today’s consumers.
But as easy as it is to keep yourself informed via blogs, podcasts and webinars, there’s nothing quite as effective as attending events where you can network, learn and grow in your profession.
And the Twin Cities is a great place to do this. (Not located in the Twin Cities like us at Brandpoint? Check out this list of national conferences to find one near you.)
To kick off the new year, get your calendars out and mark the dates of these five can’t-miss marketing events going on in the first quarter of 2017.
1. Excited for Change: 2017 Trends for the Modern Marketer
Wednesday, January 18 at 8 a.m. at the Nicollet Island Pavilion
As 2017 begins, interactive marketers will face many of the same challenges, along with the same promises, they’ve seen in previous years. Speaker Greg Swan, who is vice president of brand innovation at space150, and four panelists will discuss the latest trends in consumer behavior and how technological innovations can give marketing teams the tools they need to respond to the ever-changing consumer. This forward-looking event is a great chance to spark ideas and network with other professionals.
Hosted by the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association.
2. Kelly Lucente presents The Brand of You
Friday, January 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DoubleTree Park Place Hotel in Minneapolis
For the past several years, the notion of “creating your own brand” has been all the buzz. But a personal brand is about much more than an image or a huge Twitter and Instagram following; it’s a vital tool for advancing your career. If you know how to market products or events but are less sure how to market yourself, this luncheon will be an invaluable experience.
3. SMBMSP #96: 9 Social Media Content Trends for 2017
Friday, January 27, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at 514 Studios in Minneapolis
We’ve all heard the buzz about Snapchat and Periscope, or rumors of new marketing opportunities Facebook will unveil, but what about the smaller, lesser-known opportunities? Eat breakfast, enjoy a cup of coffee and hear about some of the hidden marketing gems that exist in the social media landscape. Learning about these trends will help you plan an effective strategy for the coming year.
Part of the Social Media Breakfast – Minneapolis/St. Paul (SMBMSP), a recurring series of events that brings marketing and advertising professionals together from across the Twin Cities to learn, share and network.
4. The Business Development Toolbox Talk
Wednesday, February 1, from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at International Market Square in Minneapolis
This event is specifically targeted to those interested in learning how to better leverage leads and use online and in-person resources to form the relationships that grow their business. A three-person panel will share their own hard-won advice on how to make the business development process work. Highly recommended for marketers at all levels, even if “business development” never appears on your resume!
Hosted by the Society for Marketing Professional Services, Twin Cities.
5. 5th Annual Ad Bowl
Monday, February 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis
This incredibly popular occasion might be the most fun you have at a marketing event all year. With major players from the Twin Cities’ top advertising firms in attendance, a superstar panel will dissect the good, the bad and the ugly from the most-watched football game of the year.
Hosted by the American Marketing Association, Minnesota.
