The Summit helped us discover two providers in very crowded markets

“After the Summit, we hired two companies we wouldn't have discovered without Marcus
Evans. Our total spend has been around AUD 130,000” said Jane Hillsdon, Chief Marketing
Officer, Birdon Group, a delegate at the Marcus Evans CMO Summit.

What new opportunities did the Summit present you with?

We found a web developer and an agency to help us with brand positioning. We didn't know
about them before the Summit. The environment was ideal for CMOs to meet different providers.

Would you have discovered them on your own?

No. There are so many web developers in Australia. We are in completely two different states
and our paths wouldn't have crossed. I doubt they would have come up on an internet search.
It s a very crowded market and they weren't within our circle. Having that chance to meet and
hear more about what they offer really helped.

We had recently shortlisted four website developers and started working with one but they
weren't up to scratch. At the Summit, when we heard what this website developer was capable
of, we realised we needed them. We got to know them better in subsequent meetings and sealed
the deal. It was an easy choice to switch over to them. The Summit was a much better way to
source providers than what we had done before.

Regarding the brand strategy piece, we knew we needed help but weren't actively looking for
providers yet. The timing was perfect. Both contracts together have been around AUD 130,000.

Would you have accepted unsolicited calls or emails from these providers?

No, most probably not. When someone just cold calls or emails randomly, without an
introduction or referral, I treat it as spam. We treat unsolicited attempts as spam. If they were
posting lots of interesting content on LinkedIn I might have noticed them, but I wouldn't have
paid any attention to their emails.

Is the 30-min one one-toto-one meeting format an efficient or effective way to meet new providers?

Yes. The format works. We selected to meet companies that were relevant to us.

How would you compare Marcus Evans Summits with other industry events?

What I really liked about the CMO Summit was that it was targeted just at CMOs. The number of
attendees was very good, not overwhelming. I felt that the format really worked for networking
opportunities, and I could have conversations with industry peers. It wasn't just a mix of
agencies or junior executives from different industries. The value is in having a room full of
CMOs. That is one of the reasons why I m planning to attend again soon.

The mix of presentations was very good. The content was designed for the CMO level. I don't
attend other marketing conferences. The connections I made at the Summit were very valuable.
It was all very well done.