Unfortunately this past March, I was too sick to attend the Canadian Internet and Marketing Conference in Squamish, BC. I am looking forward to attending the conference next year for sure though.
I would like to introduce a guest writer, Jennifer from Lower Mainland Children’s Directory, who made it to CIMC……..
Marketing and Mountain Air #CIMC2015
By Jennifer @ Lower Mainland Children’s Directory
I attended the Canadian Internet Marketing Conference in Squamish over the weekend, this was the inaugural event put on by Marwick Marketing and Jelly Marketing and was completely sold out days in advance. 200+ marketing professionals and experts descended on the gorgeous town of Squamish BC for 2 days of education and networking. The event was held at the gorgeous Quest University Campus which is perched high atop the hill overlooking the town of Squamish just above the Garibaldi Highlands.
Given how many options there are for conferences and workshops available to anyone wanting to learn more about blogging, internet marketing and the digital landscape. So many in fact it can often be a challenge to choose the one that is right for you, your business and your level of expertise. After all these conferences are not inexpensive to attend when you factor in the time commitment, the travel and accommodation expenses, plus meals all of these expenses are over and above the $500+ price tag for a ticket to the event. After you get over the sticker shock you’re going to want to choose wisely to ensure you are going to get value not only for the money you’re investing but also the large chunk of time that you will have to dedicate to a 2 day event.
5 Highlights from #CIMC2015
1. Location
Squamish is gorgeous, it is one of my favorite places to visit for a day or a weekend when I need to relax and recharge. It was the perfect setting for the conference lending to the relaxed vibe of the weekend. Nothing like some mountain air and great experts to get your creative juices flowing.
2. The Blogger Panel
A fun and engaging group of professional bloggers offering great tips and tricks to starting and growing your blog. Rebecca Bolwitt from Miss604 stated that it’s important to stand out from the crowd by finding your own voice and Kristyl Clarke from ValleyMom.ca added to that with the importance of building a relationship with your readers.
3. The importance of Storytelling
It is amazing how engaging a good story can be. While Peg Peters was on stage I don’t think I took a single note or touched my phone because his story was so engaging. I wanted to listen to every word, at the end of the story my first instinct was to go an sign up for the Run for Water immediately which is a testament to how compelling a good story can be.
4. Become an Early Adopter
This seemed to be a recurring theme amongst all of the speakers. Whether it was adopting new technology or a new way of thinking the common thread was you need to be open to new things in order to take your business into the future. That’s not to say use every new social platform or run out and get the latest wearable tech gadget but be open to change and choose the innovations that work best for you and are relevant to your business.
5. Connections
There was a load of talent in Squamish over the weekend. One of the best parts of any conference is the connections you make, both new and old.
If you think the CIMC2016 is for you, save the date as marketers from across North America will take over Squamish again April 14 & 15, 2016.
5 Tips for attending any conference:
1. Make sure you grab early bird tickets to the event if possible. It will be a substantial savings.
2. Book your hotel early! If you leave it to the last minute and there are other events in town you won’t like what you’re left with if you can get a room at all.
3. Step outside of your comfort zone and attend the networking events, even if you think you’re socially awkward.
4. Bring back-up! You are going to be using social media throughout the conference, an extra battery or external battery is a must.
5. Leave your work behind. Don’t plan to “catch up” on other assignments or projects during the conference, there won’t be time, and if you really want to immerse yourself and enjoy every aspect of the experience you can’t be preoccupied by the emails awaiting a response in your inbox.