Be Prepared To Have Your Mind Filled With Inbound Awesomeness
As I prepare to leave for HubSpots Annual Inbound15 conference in Boston later tonight, I am reviewing the schedule of like 200 or so sessions, wondering where in the heck I begin.
Luckily this ain't my first Inbound rodeo, so I have an idea of how this week will flow.
The biggest difference for me this year is, it's my first time attending at the new location, the BCEC. The last Inbound I attended was in 2013, and there were only 5,000 attendees. And while that felt huge at the time, this year they are expecting around 13,000 people. That's freaking crazy, yo.
So, besides continual practicing and execution of defensive walking techniques, here is what I am planning on doing this week in Boston.
The Keynotes Look Solid
Seth Godin kicks off Inbound15 Tuesday evening with his Keynote.
Seth was at the 2013 Inbound I attended, (I sat 2 seats away from him in the audience. I felt special.), and as always he will deliver. I'm curious to see how he sparks my mind this year. Hopefully, his talk will prep my brain for the onslaught of information I will soak up all week.
Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, Co-Founders of HubSpot, will be filling us in on all things Inbound.
Brain and Dharmesh always do something fun for their intro to the stage, and I'm sure this year will be no different. I'm really looking forward to them talking about all the new features coming into the HubSpot platform. As a partner, I already know what they are, but if I told you now here, I would have to... well, you know.
Salt Lake City HubSpot Users Group Represents
As one of the co-leaders of the SLCHUG, it is awesome to see a decent amount of SLC Hubspotters going to Boston.
As part of the SLCHUG, our group won a cool contest where we get a copy of Seth's new book, a fun HUG breakfast where we get to meet other HUG leaders from around the globe, and we get some sweet VIP seating for the keynotes. That's how the SLCHUG rolls, folks.
If you are in the SLC area, you should come to our next event. Heck, just plan on coming to all of our events. =)
HubSpot Partner Sessions
As a certified HubSpot partner here in Salt Lake City, it is always great to go to Boston and interact with other agencies rocking the Inbound movement.
HubSpot has sessions every day of Inbound specifically for partners, where we get to go learn best practices from those who are doing incredible things in their business. Maybe one of these years, Bernco Media will have a story to share. =)
So, with that track pretty much filling my schedule, I will be missing out on a lot of other sessions that I would love to see live. Hopefully, HubSpot records a lot of these for later review, as they have in years past.
Inbound Rocks... Or is it Inbound Laughs?
Every year, HubSpot usually has an awesome concert. The last one I saw was One Republic, and that was killer. The previous year was Cyndi Lauper. She was amazing live, though a bit of a drama queen at the show. (yes you were, Cyndi)
This year, HubSpot says goodbye to rocking out, and hello to laughing your butt off with Amy Schumer.
This should be interesting, to say the least. As with music, not every band is everyone's cup of tea, but with comedy, I think it can be even harder to make everyone happy. Amy has a pretty filthy sense of humor, and while I LOVE IT, I bet she may offend some.
Wonder if HubSpot has asked her to tame it down? I hope not!
Club Inbound and Sponsors/Vendors
Yup, I for one am excited to see the peeps at tables waving me in to look at their neat stuff. Unlike the kiosks at the malls where the pushy sales reps try to make eye contact with me and wave me in to try the world's best hand cream, this show is my annual geek-out event and I am all about seeing great new things that will help me become a better marketer, and consultant to my clients. (Wonder if any will have hand cream swag? I hope not.)
Networking And The Parties Around The Seaport
Going to sessions, and listening to people talk all day is great and all, but the real action happens while mingling with other HubSpotters, marketers, and attendees. I have met some great people over the years at Inbound, and I look forward to meeting more this year. If you are in Boston for the event, and reading this post, look me up on Twitter, and let's say hi.
Eating The Kitchen Sink
There is a burger joint called Boston Burger Company, and I have a ritual of going there every year, at least once. There is a burger called "The Kitchen Sink" that is to die for (though could also lead to heart disease. Just kidding. Not kidding. It's ginormous. OK Kidding). I love going there and sitting on the patio, watching the people walk by while sipping back a cold beer, and eating my favorite burger. It's a slice of burger heaven.
And That's a Wrap
While, not an exact detailed timeline of where I'll be, you know, for those stalkers out there. (I must protect myself. Kidding again). I always find myself just going with the flow as well. When it comes to big events like this, having a plan of attack is a great starting point. But some sessions fill up fast, and you may want to have a plan for when that happens.
Going with the flow allows you to not be so hard on yourself if you miss something, but it also just allows you to absorb the awesome vibe that is Inbound15.
Oh, and bring some comfy shoes.
Enjoy the show!
Until next time,
Doc
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