This post originally appeared on my LinkedIn Pulse at an earlier time.
Now that ConvergeSouth is over, I thought I’d provide you with a recap. Full disclosure: I was a board member this year and pitched in to help.
What Is ConvergeSouth?
ConvergeSouth is one-day marketing conference in Winston-Salem, NC. This year alone, the conference hosted speakers in inbound marketing, marketing funnels, SEO, digital strategy, social media, video, podcasting, digital PR, influencer marketing, collaboration and digital tools. Can you get that in one day anywhere else nearby? I don’t think so.
Where Is ConvergeSouth Held?
This year, ConvergeSouth was held at Wake Forest’s Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem. Great facility, wonderful staff, and hosts. The photo above is what the atrium looked like before we started the conference.
Who Should Attend ConvergeSouth?
Sales and marketing could both benefit from this conference. Whether you work in an agency or, in-house. Nonprofit or, for-profit. Small or, large there is something to be gained from attending ConvergeSouth.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend ConvergeSouth?
Hardly anything. Really. Consider that many of the speakers that present at ConvergeSouth regularly speak at comparable, multi-day conferences, ConvergeSouthis a tremendous value as a conference. The one day conference starts at just $169with a discounted rate for nonprofits. Add the VIP reception for an additional $99 ($249 combo ticket)
What You Missed This Year
In a word, a ton! To get an idea, here’s what sessions I was able to attend.
VIP Party
Held at the host hotel the Kimpton Cardinal, attendees of the VIP party were treated to a fun time in the Cardinal’s rec room.
Photo courtesy of ConvergeSouth President, Kristen Daukas.
Keynote
Marcus Sheridan (The Sales Lion)
Fresh from Content Marketing World, Marcus ignited the room with his stories and real-life examples of content marketing at work. He challenged the audience to use content to build trust and enhance the sales process for all concerned.
Breakout Session #1
George Thomas (The Sales Lion) – Creating An Inbound Marketing Strategy Without Blowing Your Budget On Tools
George did a great job presenting inbound tools at a variety of budget levels.
There were a few I hadn’t heard of… that’s part of the magic of ConvergeSouth.
Lunch and 3 Big Things
During lunch, we featured three presenters with three big helpings on topics in marketing.
Stephanie Carls – Marketing to Millennials Their Way (Snapchat, etc.)
Stephanie gave us a lot of information on marketing to millennials. Tons of stats and information on their preferences.
Jim Lin (Ketchum) & Busy Dad Blog– Influencer Marketing
Jim laid down some great information on influencer marketing. Jim set the record straight on what you can expect from influencer campaigns.
George Thomas (The Sales Lion) – How to Create a Podcast that Drives Results, Relationships & Revenue
George gave us a great framework to produce a consistent, topically focused podcast and showed us some free tools to make it happen. Great session!
Breakout Session #3
Dorien Morin-van Dam (More in Media) – Taking Fear Out and Putting Fun into Video Marketing
If you had any excuse not to do video, Dorien provided the tips and advice to get it done on even the most modest budget! And she gave us a “to-do” complete our first video. Which, I finally did, below
Breakout Session #4
Emily Alphin (Consultant) – Tech Tools for Small Business Marketing
Tools covered included: Fotor, Asana and more!
Probably the most important thing for me is reconnecting with so many from the local marketing community.
Want to see what I learned in 2014, check out this post.