When Bob and I created the conference in 2016, we had both spoken at a variety of industry events through the years. Our goal was to build the type of program we’d always wanted to attend, but couldn’t find on the speaking circuit — an intimate event, full of expert marketers and thought leadership practitioners from across industries, with ample opportunities to meet people and learn from each other,  While we’ve had some missteps, on the whole we feel we’ve accomplished that mission. Watch this short video to hear what attendees had to say about their experiences at past events:

“This event was helpful because it discussed the business goals you can realistically achieve with thought leadership. I learned specific tactics which I’m currently using to develop thought leadership that can generate leads and sales for my company.” —- Stefan Riches, Director of Content Marketing, Stantec

“The number of attendees is a relatively intimate number. The opportunity to meet and talk with others who are experiencing similar challenges is incredibly valuable. ” —- Catherine Larsen, SVP of Sales — North America, ActiveDocs

“I love the fact that we’re hearing from speakers that are in totally different fields. What they’re saying is really interesting. Everyone who’s in thought leadership should attend this at least once.” —- Shannon Hart, Communications Lead, Infosys Knowledge Institute

‘Unlike other events that are more sales and marketing driven, it’s more about how to make your thought leadership better. All the sessions were very in-depth. How they did it in their organization. How they succeeded. How they failed. What they learned from it.” —- Founding Partner, Phronesis Partners, Alok Tayal

“Really good. A great opportunity to meet people who are dealing with a lot of the same issues I am. To hear some really good best practices and creative solutions.” —- Elizabeth Heichler, Custom Content Editor, MIT Sloan Management Review

“It’s a good way to see some best practices. The speakers were marquee.” —- Carol Lin Vieira, Partner, Marketing & Public Relations, BX3

“The thing that has surprised me the most was the networking. It’s really hard in large conferences to network meaningfully. You might get 1 out of 10 good people. And, here it’s pretty much every single person.” —- Christina Galoozis, Senior Manager External Communications, West Monroe

“Great day!” —- Steve Cokkinias, VP of Markting and Sales, FMG Leading

“As we embark on our planning for the year ahead this event helped me to prioritize and focus efforts where they will make the most impact.” —- Jennifer Price, Director of Marketing, Baker Newman Noyes