The JW Marriott Indianapolis hosted ExactTarget’s annual Connections conference September 13-15. Over 3,000 marketers came together, including executives from Yahoo, Facebook, Adobe, Twitter, Klout and Foursquare, to discuss the future of marketing and the role of the hyper-connected consumer.
One of the hot topics covered was social media, held responsible for changing what marketers do and how. Now that messages can be delivered with speed and relevance in real time, results are expected just as quickly.
In addition to 55+ breakout sessions, 10 educational tracks and industry certifications, the conference also included world-renowned keynote speakers such as Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and author Aron Ralston. The event also unveiled ExactTarget’s expanded suite of interactive marketing products.
Two other noteworthy announcements were made at the Connections 2011 conference. ExactTarget launched their Latin America Division in Sao Paulo,Brazil. The organization also introduced the ExactTarget Foundation, a charitable cause chartered to combat childhood hunger, advance education and accelerate entrepreneurship.
In keeping with the theme of the ever-changing landscape of social media, JW Indy enjoyed tweeting with such users as @LukeAtSteelcase, @CaseyAtIntuit, @Rossi_b and @CariSultanik during the conference. Thanks for your feedback!