Forrester dubbed 2022 “The Year of the Customer Marketer”—and LinkedIn declared customer marketing one of the top-growing careers of the year. It’s no wonder that with the rise in Customer Marketing comes the introduction of conferences geared specifically toward Customer Marketers.
There are dozens of marketing conferences out there. Here, we aim to narrow that down to conferences focused specifically on Customer Marketing and Advocacy.
As with any conference, Customer Marketing conferences host keynotes with notable speakers, talking about the industry and the future trends. You’ll hear from customer-facing executives on how they think about Customer Marketing, as well as learn from practitioners in the day-to-day of running a Customer Marketing program.
In addition to the ideas and insights you’ll gain from sessions and keynotes, one of the greatest opportunities at a customer marketing conference is the opportunity to network. Customer Marketers often find themselves working cross-functionally—with few people on their team who really understand the role of Customer Marketing. Conferences give you an opportunity to connect with other people who get what you do, understand the challenges, and can provide boots-on-the-ground advice on how to do customer marketing well.
While each conference is different, there are some things you can expect to learn at your typical Customer Marketing conference, like how to run different types of customer marketing programs and how to get more buy-in and budget.
Check out what each of the following Customer Marketing conferences has to offer.
Looking to network and hone your Customer Marketing skills? Check out these four U.S.-based conferences taking place in 2022.
May 18-19, 2022
Menlo Park CA
For the last 10 years, Advocate Marketing Academy (AMA) has been hosting events supporting the customer advocacy community. This year, after a COVID hiatus, AMA is returning to The Guild Theater for 2 days of TED-style talks and networking. AMA’s speakers are advocacy industry veterans sharing their experiences.
Session topics include multi-dimensional advocacy, how to partner with sales, breaking down silos, advocacy technology, and Customer Advisory Boards. Participants can also choose to take the Certified Customer Advocacy Professional Level 1 Training Course from Referential at a discounted price ($550 instead of $1,495).
Cost: $1,150
Learn more here: https://advocatemarketingacademy.com/ama-usa-2022/
June 14-16, 2022
San Francisco, CA
The inaugural Obsession Summit, driven by Crowdvocate, was created by and for Marketing and Customer Marketing professionals at all levels. Day 1 includes a variety of hands-on workshops meant to bolster your customer market efforts and give you something to go home with. Days 2 and 3 offer opportunities to hear best practices from CMOs at the world’s leading brands and fellow practitioners doing the work. In between sessions, network with other customer marketers or check out the expo hall to find a future technology partner.
Topics range from the future of customer marketing to building your customer marketing team to practical advice on building out your programs.
Cost: Ticket prices vary.
Learn more here: https://www.obsessionsummit.com/
Customer Marketing Summit
June 22-23, 2022
Las Vegas, NV
Product Marketing Alliance is hosting their first Customer Marketing Summit in Vegas this June. Each day boasts a variety of sessions on topics like aligning team structures, metrics that matter, and an integrated approach to messaging from practitioners and leaders from world-renowned brands like Adobe and Slack.
Cost: Price varies depending on ticket type.
Learn more here: https://events.customermarketingalliance.com/location/lasvegas/
September 20-21, 2022
Boston, MA
CustomerX Con is a conference and networking event for customer-facing professionals across marketing, advocacy, engagement, experience, and more. The event is made up of mainstage presentations, “group therapy” breakout sessions, and 1-on-1 networking opportunities. Speakers range from practitioners to VP-level customerX professionals. Agenda coming late April 2022.
Attendees can also add the Certified Customer Advocacy Professional Level 1 Training Course to their registration for an additional $550.
Cost: $995 (register before July 20, 2022 to save $200)
Enjoy this year’s conferences—and stay tuned for next year’s events!