Tip #7 for Product-Driven Growth: Customer Conferences
Last week I wrote a post about the top 7 ways that start-ups can deliver product-driven growth. That post can be found here. I left out the 7th tip because I felt it deserved more coverage: conferences.
Conferences allow start-ups to create a broader presence. And I am not talking about a closed-door, customer-only conference. The best company-sponsored conferences find a way to associate the company with the broader industry opportunity, not just one particular outcome. Or as Bilal Zuberi and Glenn Solomon taught me “find a way to own the problem, not just one solution.” When a company transcends to represent an industry’s opportunity, its’ centrality drives greater awareness and commercial success. Glenn has a great interview with Nick Mehta, the CEO of Gainsight, where they cover the topic of Building Community in a New Category.
Here are a few nationwide examples:
RSA Conference: (Link here) has a motto “Where the World Talks Security” and is now synonymous with as the cybersecurity conference.
Dreamforce by Salesforce: (Link here) is synonymous with sales and growing a business.
Pulse by Gainsight: (Link Here) is synonymous with customer success.
Pi World by OSIsoft: (Link here) for connecting and optimizing production assets.
And here are three Energize Ventures portfolio companies that are also beginning to employ conferences with great brand and customer results:
Empower by Aurora Solar: (Link here) is now the de facto gathering for the solar industry. Their phrase is: “where solar company leaders, industry professionals, policy insiders, and growth experts come together to share their knowledge, expertise, and insights”
DDC by DroneDeploy: (Link here) is now the largest conference focused on drones and aerial analytics. “DDC brings together a community of innovators from our ecosystem of industries, including agriculture, construction, energy/oil & gas, mining, and more to discuss the latest drone innovations, best practices, and hot topics impacting operations.
Note: this is October 13th and 14th. Register now!
TimeMachine AI by SparkCognition: (Link here) is now the premier AI conferences in the United States. Last year, over 1000+ people came to learn about the transformative nature of artificial intelligence in key industries around the globe, and walked away with actionable insights to accelerate their businesses.
Who else is doing this well in the energy and industrial verticals? And who is adapting well to the digital-first conference environment of 2020?