Tips for a Summit first-timer?

[Anonymous]

Hi all! I will be attending the Marketo Summit for the first time, and wanted to know what advice you have for a Summit newbie. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I've missed the past few years of Summit (I'm coming from the darkside... Pardot! Now I'm at a new company and currently implementing Marketo for an enterprise company in SF )!

In the most recent years, what are some meet-ups that have been of high interest?

[Anonymous]

• Comfortable shoes are a must. 
• The app that they put out is pretty good too.  Use that to choose your sessions so you know where you need to be.  Also, if there are any updates to any sessions, you'll find them in the app as well eg, room changes, etc.
• Save room in your luggage for swag!

[Anonymous]

Perkuto wrote a good blog about this: The Ultimate Marketing Nation Summit Survival Kit - Marketo & Salesforce - Consulting Services | Per...

USE THE APP - It is vital to knowing where sessions are and you can plan out your day easily.

[Anonymous]

Attend as many sessions as possible.

Meet as many people as possible.

• Business cards
• Comfortable shoes
• Jacket or sweater
• Battery Pack
• Wear Purple

[Josee_Archer]

Prioritize your must-see sessions. Also have a back up plan if the session room fills before you get there. If there is a session you don't want to miss, be sure to line up ahead of time to ensure you have a seat.

Wear comfortable clothes, and definitely comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking.

And lastly, consider bringing a portable charger if you plan to take notes on a device as there are limited outlets (at least in vegas they were limited)

And of course, have fun!! It's a blast!!

[Anonymous]

Congratulations on your choice to attend Marketo Summit Ursula Fox-Koor​!

You are going to have an awesome time and come back with a lot of great ideas on how to use Marketo for your company!

I recommend you bring business cards, comfortable walking shoes, and expandable luggage.

• Business cards: You're going to meet a ton of new people... be sure to make sure you talk to the people you sit by in sessions and swap business cards.
• Comfortable shoes: The Moscone is large, and you'll be doing a lot of walking between sessions, when you're out on the town at night, and when you're walking the expo floor.
• Expandable luggage: Speaking of walking the expo floor... before you go make sure to take a look at the exhibitor list and find ten companies who have products you'd be interested in using at your own company. Then go talk with them and truly evaluate what they are offering. They'll probably give you some sweet swag to help you remember them, so you'll need extra luggage space to bring it all home!

Have fun!

[Jackie_Potts]

Wear comfy shoes. I bring along blister bandaids because there always seems to be someone I travel with that needs them.

Leave yourself plenty of room in your luggage to bring home SWAG.

Network with Marketo Champions, Marketo employees and other users.

Have fun at all of the parties.

The app for the summit will allow you to pick sessions geared to newer users.

[SydneyMulligan]

Definitely second what everyone else has said about having backup options for the sessions you want to go to. And I hate to say it, but if there's one you REALLY want to go to and you're worried it might be crowded, sometimes it's prudent to leave the session immediately before it early to go get in line. Just a judgement call you have to make for yourself. But if you're going to do that, be kind to your speaker(s) and sit in the back.

Don't be shy! If you're not going with coworkers (or even if you are!) definitely take this opportunity to network with other people in your field. You might make great friends that you keep in touch with and look forward to coming back to see every year. Like Summer Camp.

Take lots of notes in your sessions! The people who paid for you to party in San Fran are going to want to know what they're getting out of it in the way of things you have learned and can implement when you get home.

Go to all the parties. Get all the swag. Work from home the day after you get back.

[Amanda_Thomas6]

Hi Ursula Fox-Koor​!

Here are my recommendations:

1. Have 2 options for sessions in case your first choice fills up too fast. All sessions are posted on community for attendees, so you can always catch it there afterwards.

2. Introduce yourself to the people you sit next to in sessions, the people standing in lines with you, etc. You'll never know who you'll meet and won't believe what you can learn about Marketo while standing in lines.

3. Take notes & asks questions during the sessions. This is your chance to get expert advice on your specific instance, so make sure you do!

4. I recommend bringing a notebook for #3. You'll want to conserve your laptop battery since there's not always a good place to plug in during the sessions. Also, on this note, carry a battery pack for your phone. If you use your phone to map out your sessions, take pictures and post to social, and take calls, chances are you'll run through your battery fast.

5. Make time for the expo! There is so much there, and you definitely don't want to miss out on swag. These are marketers marketing to marketers, so you'll see some pretty awesome booth and trade show ideas to take back to your own company.  It's also completely necessary, at least to me, to stay up to date on the latest tools and integrations for Marketo.

Have Fun!!!

[Joey_Forcelli1]

I would HIGHLY recommend keeping up with whats happening on the app.  Last year was my first year and I did not know many people attending the conference.  Before the big closing party I checked out the app and saw that there was a group of people who were in the same boat (not knowing many conference attendees).  We all coordinated meeting up to attend the event together and we had a blast!!!

[Anonymous]

I second and third all the recommendation above! I would also suggest bringing your own water bottle (or scoring one free at one of the booths) and a light jacket/fleece. The session rooms can be cold and dry. I also stuff a small multi plug in my bag in case you need to buddy up on the outlet to power your phone/devices.

[Anonymous]

This link to the Agenda is quite useful: The Marketing Nation Summit, April 23-26, 2017 – Marketo - Agenda

[Anonymous]

There is a LOT of swag.  Last year, I got a couple of lego sets for my son, a cool yoga mat, a Google cardboard and lots of cool stuff.  I think people tend to go crazy the first year with picking up all the swag so if you're into that stuff, save room in your luggage!

[Anonymous]

Wow, you guys are awesome! Thanks for all your tips. Does anyone know if there are any sessions or events specifically geared to first-time attendees? It could be fun to meet fellow first-timers, especially as the conference kicks off.

[Anonymous]

If there isn't, maybe we could arrange one? I'm a first timer as well, and would love to meet other newbies!

[Lauren_Linsalat]

I second everything everyone has said so far, but also - last year was my first summit, and I found the University day 100% just as valuable/educational as the entire rest of summit itself. If you have the budget/opportunity to sign up for University day, I would say to add it!

[Anonymous]

Good questions! This will be my third Summit, but I'm still very interested in the answers here!

A few thoughts:

• I second the KreweChat episode and the note about comfy shoes!
• Plan your sessions in advance! (And, like Darrell said, have a plan B ready.) Summit is full of people and super fast-paced. The Summit app is really helpful with this. (Anyone know if it's ready yet?)
• Arrive with a list of questions you want answered. This will help you pick sessions AND give you something to chat about while you wait in line.
• Think about whether you need to go to technical sessions or more general sessions. If you go to technical sessions, make sure your instance has the features they're discussing (newbie mistake my first year!).
• Check to see if there's a meet-up that's relevant to you: The Marketing Nation Summit, April 23-26, 2017 – Marketo - Sessions
• There's a good-sized break before the Marketing Nation Party. If you want to explore the area for a couple of hours, that's a good time to do it!
• Speaking of exploring, do folks know if there are any official or unofficial activities on Sunday as people are arriving? [If so, take advantage!]

[Anonymous]

Also, don't forget that the sessions and slides are all available afterward! This is good to remember because:

1. You won't panic when your first choice is full
2. It's easier to share what you learned at Summit afterward

When the app comes out, I mark ALL of the sessions I'm interested in attending so I can go back and watch what I didn't attend in person later (or re-watch on I did attend!)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the great tips! I was curious about the app myself and was told that they'll be launching it a little closer to the event and will send the download information via email.

[Devraj_Grewal]

Last year was my first Summit and I'm attending next month.

- One thing I noticed is that you may be standing/walking for quite a bit of time before getting to sit down, so I'd make sure you take short breaks to stretch out

- I'd also recommend a quick nap after sessions end for the day and before the parties that night begin

- Research beforehand which sessions you want to attend so you can plan your days accordingly. If other colleagues are also attending Summit, attend different sessions to cover the most topics