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How to Make the Most of INBOUND 2023: Ultimate Attendee Guide

The Ultimate Attendee Guide to INBOUND 2023

Ready for INBOUND 2023? It’s coming right up. This year HubSpot’s annual blockbuster conference runs September 6-8. For anyone in marketing, sales, or customer experience, this is a can’t miss.

We’ve been attending INBOUND for quite a few years and each time we come away inspired, rejuvenated, slightly exhausted, and feeling like it’s completely worth it. So we put together some key tips to help you make the most of a very good thing.

The who

To call this conference packed is an understatement. The 11 featured speakers this year include headliners Reese Witherspoon, Andrew Huberman, Steven Bartlett, Derek Jeter, Guy Raz ,Morgan Debaun, Kim Scott, Dr Yvette Noel-Schure, and HubSpot’s Yamini Rangan, Brian Halligan, and Dharmesh Shah. There are 200+ breakout speakers as well. Dive in here to see the roundup.

As far as attendees, there are simply no other events like this in the world for marketing professionals — and INBOUND continues to grow. 15,000 attended in 2019. 60,000+ from 179 countries attended in 2021. Last year? Well before the event some 171 countries were represented, and the hybrid set-up meant more people can attend than ever.

The where

INBOUND takes place in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) in downtown Boston as well as an online multiverse of livestreams and virtual participation. BCEC is cavernous: 516,0000 square feet, 82 meeting rooms, a 40,000 square foot ballroom — but the energy and friendliness of INBOUND make it feel like the village square.

One amazing phenomenon we’ve noticed is that by the end of the 3 days you feel surrounded by your new closest friends, and new familiar faces are everywhere. Being in Boston is a plus — yes, we live nearby, so we’re biased, but the city is a mecca for great food, drink, culture, and minds.

Live stream on YouTube

Attendee's from around the world can watch INBOUND 2023 Main Stage Programming live via HubSpot's YouTube channel this September 6-8th!

This livestream will include all Spotlight and What's Next sessions. 3-day livestreams will feature over 20+ sessions, English closed captioning and ASL interpretation. The full IN23 daily livestreams will be available to rewatch until Monday, September 11 at 9am EST.

The why

Everyone has their own reason for attending, but there are four elements this industry can never get enough of: education, ideas, community and connection. INBOUND is intentionally designed to provide plenty of all:

Education

Culture and best practices shift lightning fast these days — that’s a given. Staying ahead of the changes and on top of the trends is a huge part of conducting business now. INBOUND is packed with educational events along different tracks.

Ideas

Whether you’re an agency owner, tech maven, marketing pro, in customer success, sales or revenue ops, this is a rare chance to get a megadose of the best content, tactics and perspectives out there.

At a time when we’re often trying to cover all the bases at once — purpose, CRM, business, apps and integrations, the workplace, the workforce — this is a central hub of wisdom and inspiration that really delivers.

Community

At INBOUND this year, HubSpot’s focusing on the power of customer connection and how the future of business is all about a connected mindset. A stellar lineup of engaging content is in the works that will leave you with actionable takeaways.

Beyond sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with industry movers and shakers, leaders across marketing and sales, HubSpotters, peers, and more — so you can build your own community at INBOUND. 

Community and connection are at the heart of INBOUND, and this year they’ll provide ample space and opportunity to grow your network with like-minded professionals.

Connection

INBOUND is Ground Zero for finding allies and making partnerships. My team and I have witnessed some superb matchmaking take place. With a big part of this, even introverts can find a way to tap on their shoulders.

At INBOUND 2023, you can connect with the ease of a tap! Powered by frictionless Klik badges, simply hold your badge close to another attendee’s, click the buttons at the same time, and contact information will be exchanged when both badges light up.

Easily access all of your connections in the Timeline feature of mobile app. With badge-to-badge contact exchange, focus on building connections and community with fellow attendees and peers while your badge collects all of the essential information.

Your next collaborator / superstar / tech solution / marketing revelation could be in that virtual chat, sitting next to you in the keynote, or standing in line for the same food truck (yes, there will be amazing food trucks here). If you’re already a member of the HubSpot community, this will likely be a great way to expand your network and your circles.

The how

The challenge is how to get selective and curate an overall experience that offers maximum value for your time (and your company’s dime). There’s way too much to cover. But the speakers and presenters bring their A-game to this one, so you can’t go wrong.

6 tips to make the most out of INBOUND 2023

1. Have a purpose 

Know why you’re going and what you hope to get out of the event. Could be business goals, marketing strategies, a stronger network, intensive education (we’re big on that here). If your company is struggling with something, INBOUND may have solutions. Then map your goals to the events and stay focused on them. The event can be overwhelming. It’s good to have a North Star. Look for the sessions addressing your pain points.

2. Get registered on time 

If you want to attend the hot sessions and you haven’t yet, register right now if you haven’t already. (Deep Dives and Meetups require reservations, but plenty of other events don’t.) The clock is ticking and some tiers are sold out.

And use the best tool at hand: get on the INBOUND app to make it easy to choose events, save them, and set up your schedule. Avoid the purgatory of waiting in the standby line if you can: while you’re there, you’re missing some other great event, undoubtedly. The last thing you want to do here is waste time.

3. Be open

Counter-intuitive, maybe, but leave some room for out of the box education. Don’t just stay in your wheelhouse — stretch your mindset. Our firm has seen the power of connecting the dots like that: it’s refreshing and eye-opening, and it often translates into a better perspective on getting and keeping business.

4. Ramp up on social media

FOMO (fear of missing out) cuts deep in the marketing world, that we know. Social media is a super effective way to see and be seen. Surf the thread, get noticed, boost awareness, start connecting, and keep it going during and after. It’s also a great way to get a play-by-play of sessions you have to miss.

5. Don’t pitch

While in the thick of it, you want to get the most out of networking opportunities. So do your homework, get there early, and know who you want to talk to but talk to everyone (including the people right next to you).

Then, talk to people but save the pitches for follow-up (nothing kills initial conversations like being pitched). Take names, take notes, and get contact info so you can follow up when the event is over. Establish relationships first. Then pitch.

6. Have fun

INBOUND is so much more than breakout sessions, pitches (more on that in a moment), demos and speakers. If you’re there in person, be there in person. Fight that urge to hide in your AirBnB or hotel room and stay in the fray.

There are great HubSpot and sponsor after-parties — often at some of Boston’s best restaurants. Loosen up on a round of caipirinha flights or small-batch bourbon and start making friends.

Come find us at INBOUND 2023

It’s no secret that we ❤️ HubSpot. Its take on marketing is unparalleled: expansive, growth-oriented, and effective. We’re always looking for the best solutions and innovations, and we’re made the HubSpot ecosystem a big part of that ethos — because it works. And HubSpot has brought that same approach to INBOUND. The 2023 iterations promises to be full of inspiration, surprises, and connections.

That said, we’d love to connect with you during the event. This is a perfect opportunity to discuss your marketing goals and how we can help you reach them. Whether you’re there in person or virtually, come find us. Reach out and schedule a time to meet. We’d love to see you there!

Nathan Harris

Author: Nathan Harris

Nathan Harris is the founder and CEO of New Perspective digital marketing agency.