Marketing conferences can provide a variety of benefits for everyone involved. Business owners, marketing directors, and office managers stand to gain fresh insight on new marketing practices and current trends, but is the experience ultimately worth it? Here are a few pros and cons of attending marketing conferences to help you decide.
Con – They’re Relatively Expensive
Attendees can expect to pay between $800 and $1200 on average for a quality marketing conference. Although the insight gained is deemed invaluable, there are occasions when they go overboard. Some conferences serve excessively posh snacks and drinks throughout the event while others might use steep attendance fees to finance entertainment. Whether it’s worth it or not depends on what the attendee expects to gain from the experience.
Con – Lots of Self-Importance Going Around
People attend marketing conferences to get tips from the pros who have repeatedly proven that their methods work. These marketing gurus know their stuff and are not afraid to let it be known. One can expect to attend a session titled How to Make Your SEO Content Boom and end up hearing a 30-minute rant on how a company was in disarray before the speaker stepped in and saved the day. The constant self-praise can become exhausting and take away from the actual message of the presentation.
Pro – Speakers Tend to Be Very Timely and Relevant
As much as the speakers may gloat, they do know their stuff. The information provided is usually up-to-date and can be applied immediately. Speakers are known for regurgitating previously presented information, but it is usually current enough to be valuable. Marketing conferences are overall a useful source of the most relevant marketing approaches and software at the moment.
Pro – Networking is Outstanding
The best part about conferences is that everyone is there to expand their minds and networks. People tend to gather in small groups to discuss what they just heard, how it applies, and their individual approaches to marketing. Attendees exchange personal information during this time and make possibly useful contacts with people they otherwise would have never met. Sometimes, the information gained through casual conversation can be more valuable than conference speeches themselves. The concept of an event that houses like-minded individuals at an exotic location — if even for a few hours — can make the entire experience worth it.
The marketing experts at Market My Market utilize the information and connections gained via marketing conferences to continuously improve digital marketing efforts for all clients. Your business can be next to benefit. Contact us today at (800) 997-7336 to discuss digital marketing options available for your company.
