{"id":11188,"date":"2026-07-14T07:53:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=11188"},"modified":"2026-07-14T07:53:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T13:53:23","slug":"why-marketing-conferences-are-still-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=11188","title":{"rendered":"Why marketing conferences are still worth it"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"A woman, seen from the back, speaks at a podium to a packed conference.\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As I write this, I\u2019m sitting on a flight home after attending Cannes Lions. I\u2019m exhausted, dehydrated, and way behind on my email. I started to wonder: Why do we confer?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conferences in our industry are a paradoxical experience. They\u2019re usually held in enviable destinations but packed with events, so you rarely have time to enjoy the local flavor. Everyone complains about the weather, the food, and the travel time, while colleagues back home post memes about how they do all the work while their managers reap the rewards of (insert conference title here).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cannes Lions is especially egregious. I\u2019ve heard far more people complain about being there than I ever would\u2019ve guessed. Are they all just trying to downplay it? Is it a type of false humility in a \u201cCannes isn\u2019t really that great, so it\u2019s OK that I\u2019m here and someone else isn\u2019t\u201d kind of way? Or do they really feel annoyed by being forced to spend time in the south of France?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s dig into the pros and cons of industry conferences.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why companies keep coming back<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oh, the humanity<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Relationships are what build businesses, especially burgeoning ones. The impact of human connection can\u2019t be overstated, especially in a post-COVID, remote-leaning, AI-generating world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a startup, you can find VC funds and private equity firms, startup-friendly businesses open to partnerships, and innovative brands that want to push their marketing teams forward.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get intel sooner<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vast majority of conference time is spent talking. You\u2019re eating, in a meeting, walking between events, at the Chandelier Bar, Gutter Bar, or Fontainebleau Lobby Bar, but always talking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is intelligence gathering. You\u2019ll hear who\u2019s looking for a new role, what company is trying to sell, what product really works, and which one doesn\u2019t. It\u2019s your opportunity to act on that knowledge before someone else does.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dynamic marketing<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conference becomes a pop-up experience for your company. It can be zany, sophisticated, or understated. It\u2019s an opportunity to express your brand voice in a way that\u2019s unique and temporary.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don\u2019t have a space, you can sponsor someone else\u2019s and place your best people on their stage or camera. Being visible at a conference is surprisingly achievable.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The cream rises to the top<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conferences are a fire that reveals who can handle the pressure and who can\u2019t. It reveals who\u2019ll call in sick on day two, who\u2019ll take that breakfast meeting, who\u2019ll thrive speaking into a microphone, and who\u2019ll hide from the stage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some employees will represent your brand brilliantly. Some won\u2019t. Knowing the difference makes your company stronger.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/enterprise\/seo\/?utm_campaign=ic_mt_0101enterprise&amp;utm_source=martech.org&amp;utm_medium=referral\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"headline-responsive\">\n        10X your SEO with <span>Semrush for Enterprise<\/span>.\n      <\/div>\n<p>\n        The world\u2019s most powerful SEO platform, purpose-built for Enterprise.\n      <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n      <span>Request demo<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why people keep coming back<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You are who you network with<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The human connection that builds a business also builds a career. Some of my closest friends are VPs and executives with whom I\u2019ve stayed out far too late, building shared experiences that make us want to bring our worlds closer together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The random assortment of tech salespeople, agency leaders, and minor celebrities who bought Smashburger last year at Cannes Lions still talk about hiding our fries under the table from the very strict Caffe Roma manager.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Panels, roundtables, and speaking engagements<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conferences require content, which means plenty of opportunities to speak. You\u2019re much more likely to get a slot if you\u2019re already planning to attend. Very few conference speakers have all their travel and attendance costs covered.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Get yourself to the conference, then start raising your hand. Connect with those networked friends, ask your marketing team to nominate you, and say yes to every opportunity. Even if you don\u2019t know the subject matter well, you can study before the session.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bucket-list destinations<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If it\u2019s a priority, it\u2019s easy to tag on a few days before or after a conference for personal travel. I\u2019ve known people who took a week before Possible in Miami for a Disney Cruise with their family, or stayed after Adweek New York to see a Broadway show. I\u2019ve explored southern France by staying an extra day or two after Cannes Lions, including this year, when I spent a day wandering the beautiful artists\u2019 village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The overabundance of free stuff<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2014 95% of swag is junk. Please stop with the stress balls, cheap Chapstick, and baseball caps. But there are gems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At sunny conferences, you\u2019ll never need to pack sunscreen or a personal fan because they\u2019re everywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of my favorite items this year were the straw hat from Zeta Global, the Chill Pill from T-Mobile Ads, the themed swag bags from DoorDash Ads, and the charm bracelet from Snapchat at the Female Quotient Beach.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I even tried to get a tattoo at Pinterest\u2019s Manifestival, but they were fully booked. I also picked up a free carry-on suitcase from InMobi to get everything home.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why companies hesitate<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Measuring ROI is difficult<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some companies are strict about proving value. How many meetings did you book? What follow-ups happened? Deciding the right level of investment is almost impossible.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kargo puts on a drone show at Cannes Lions every year that must cost millions. How do they know which deals came from that show? I don\u2019t know. But I do know they\u2019ll probably do it again. Because\u2026<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Once you start, you can\u2019t stop<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The absence of your brand can speak louder than its presence. \u201cWhere did they go?\u201d \u201cI heard they lost business.\u201d \u201cMaybe they can\u2019t afford it anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you decide to show up in a meaningful way, it\u2019s incredibly difficult to disappear.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Someone will always feel slighted<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You won\u2019t be able to bring everyone, and those not chosen may feel they deserved to go. They\u2019ll grumble during the conference, creating a negative environment in the absence of some of your top people, who did attend.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why you might hesitate<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your health and comfort<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For most conferences, you\u2019ll experience jet lag, swollen feet, overstimulation, social drain, too many calories, dripping sweat, and miles of walking. Your routine will evaporate, and your mouth will be permanently dry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll exercise less, drink more, and forget to text your partner goodnight. Your mind, body, and relationships will all take a hit, and you\u2019ll have to invest in recovering them.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The cost of being away<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conferences usually take a full week away from work. Even if they\u2019re two or three days, the prep, travel, and recovery will easily spill over. This will slow your day-to-day progress and mean missing social and family engagements.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Personal risk and exposure<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m going to hold your hand when I say this: Every conference presents opportunities to make bad decisions. It\u2019s almost a requirement to make at least one. How else will you bond? (See pros list.) But the consequences vary wildly. It\u2019s up to you, and the strength of your own boundaries, to make sure your bad decisions stay relatively harmless.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The real value of showing up<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Personally, I\u2019m grateful to this industry and to my employers, past and present, who invested in sending me to conferences because they believe the return is worth it. They\u2019ve trusted me to represent the company, our vision, and our point of view. I\u2019ve made new contacts, strengthened old friendships, and recorded content that I\u2019ll be humble-bragging about on LinkedIn very soon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why do we confer? Not because conferences are immediately ROI-positive. We do it because relationships, ideas, and trust are built faster when people spend a few days together than when they spend six months trading calendar invites.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of the value shows up months or years later when someone remembers a conversation, introduces you to the right person, or calls you before they call someone else.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As long as you\u2019re honest about the downsides and prepared to manage them, I think the upside far outweighs them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you see me at a conference, I\u2019d love to take your company\u2019s tote bag. I\u2019ll probably need it to carry all the pens, water bottles, and all the random swag I picked up along the way.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/why-marketing-conferences-are-still-worth-it\/\">Why marketing conferences are still worth it<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/martech.org\/\">MarTech<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As I write this, I\u2019m sitting on a flight home after attending Cannes Lions. I\u2019m exhausted, dehydrated, and way behind on my email. I started to wonder: Why do we confer? Conferences in our industry are a paradoxical experience. They\u2019re usually held in enviable destinations but packed with events, so you rarely have time to &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=11188\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Why marketing conferences are still worth it&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"medium":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"medium_large":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"large":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"inspiro-featured-image":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"inspiro-loop":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"inspiro-loop@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-masonry":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-masonry@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_cinema":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_portrait":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_portrait@2x":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false],"portfolio_item-thumbnail_square":["https:\/\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/woman-speaking-at-conference-800x450.png",0,0,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11188\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}