The highlight for me was the panel debate on Social media. They were a strangely attractive panel this year, not that that had any impact on how engaging the material was, but it was noted at how B2B is glaming up!

There is one thing though… there are at least 150,000 B2B marketers out there in the UK alone, yet this annual event only attracts 200 people. What is that all about? The event is really well run, well promoted and the IDM have a trusted brand in the market. I do not think the numbers reflect badly on the IDM nor the marketer, but the question I pose is where were the rest of you?

Is it that the B2B marketer is not motivated to go to conferences, per say, or he/she is looking for a different approach, maybe something more focused, or maybe companies are not supporting the marketer [financially] to attend? My money is on the latter.

Continual professional development within B2B marketing is essential, as times are changing rapidly. Understanding and harnessing new techniques and technologies are essential for continual growth – just knowing your 4 P’s is history. Marketers are not cheap to employ, so getting the most out of them/us can only be achieved by further ‘intellectual’ investment. Sales teams, lawyers, doctors, engineers etc all go to regular conferences to make sure de-skilling is avoided. OK, some professions have to go to events, due to legislative enforcement via CPD points, but the principle is the same. In short, an informed marketer will bring more to your business than one locked away in a cupboard.