In honor of Event Marketing Month, the team at Banzai spoke with a few leading event marketers to see what excites them about event marketing and more.
Aspiring to be the next great event marketer? Great! We want to help you get there.
These Event Marketing leaders are incredible examples of what it takes to make an impact as a marketer. The team at Banzai was lucky enough to chat with:
- Janna Erickson, Director, Field & Events Marketing, Domino Data Lab
- Ariana Shannon, Marketing Director, SalesIntel.io
Read on to see what excites them, what challenges them, and what advice they have for future event marketers.
Connect with Janna and Ariana on LinkedIn and hear more from them during our 10/27 webinar, “You Did What?! Event Marketing Mishaps We Can All Learn From.”
Janna Erickson, Director, Field & Events Marketing, Domino Data Lab
Have you attended a Drift or Hubspot event in the past 5 years? There’s a good chance Janna Erickson played a significant role in making that event a success. Janna has recently transitioned to leading field and events marketing at Domino Data Lab, a leading data science company.
B: What got you involved with events?
J: The love of networking and building experiences that are outside the norm.
B: What has been your biggest challenge over the past 18 months?
J: Bringing back in-person and having the buy-in from all stakeholders.
B: What has been your biggest win over the past 18 months?
J: Launching RevGrowth at Drift and a tiered event program.
B: What is the most important skill for an event marketer to have?
J: Going to use my least favorite word.....ability to pivot quickly.
B: What is one thing you would tell someone just getting started in event marketing?
J: Be patient, create the engine and take the appropriate time to assess what is working.
B: If you weren't in marketing, what would you be doing?
J: I'd be in sales.
B: Tell us a fun fact about you!
J: I am a diehard Football fan, Patriots Nation all the way :)
Ariana Shannon, Marketing Director, SalesIntel.io
Producing a quality event is a work of art. There are so many moving pieces that need to work seamlessly together. Ariana Shannon is a true artist in every sense of the word. Her background in graphic design and video production allows her to create unique experiences that audience members are unlikely to forget.
B: What got you involved with events?
A: I've always enjoyed creating order out of chaos. Events are also one of the most versatile campaigns that you can run and allows you to push the boundaries of your own marketing knowledge.
B: What has been your biggest challenge over the past 18 months?
A: Putting together SalesIntel's first annual customer conference, SalesIntel Annual Summit 2021, while balancing my other campaigns. There were several things we were pulling together at one time. I could not have done this without the support of the organization and key marketing teammates.
B: What has been your biggest win over the past 18 months?
A: For a short time this year, I led our marketing and inbound teams at SalesIntel until we chose a new Head of Growth. During that time our team held true to our quarterly numbers and goals. It is a great feeling of accomplishment for myself and the dedicated team I work with every day.
B: What is the most important skill for an event marketer to have?
A: Adaptability - You have to adapt to new circumstances and situations constantly. In some situations, you're sourcing a material you've never used before or trying a technology that the event hosts specifically requested that you need to master in a short time. We can constantly increase our skills, create timelines, stay up to date on our checklist, and do everything 'right', but the true test of an event, and really any marketer, is how you adapt to a situation that is thriving or struggling.
B: What is one thing you would tell someone just getting started in event marketing?
A: Develop the skills to think critically and communicate effectively. You need others to help you succeed in events and will need both of these crucial skills when working with vendors, partners, speakers, sponsors, and more.
B: If you weren't in marketing, what would you be doing?
A: I'd most likely be running my own small business for hand-crafted goods.
B: Tell us a fun fact about you!
A: I'm a creative at heart who can do everything from graphic design to basic 2D animations.
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The team at Banzai has had the opportunity to speak with some incredible marketers over the years. Here are a few of our other favorite resources that are definitely worth the read (if I do say so myself).
- 6 Marketers Share Their Top Tips for Promoting Virtual Events
- Intimacy, Relevancy will Define the New Field Marketing
- How Digital Marketing Can Elevate Event Marketing
- Sendoso's Sruthi Kumar on the Evolution of Field Marketing
- Why Events Are a Great Tool for Partner Marketing
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