What a crazy couple of weeks for marketers who decided to head to both the Marketo Summit in San Francisco and Sirius Decisions Summit 2018 in Las Vegas. This was my first trip to Sirius Decisions so it was a new experience for me.
How do they compare against one another? Which one should you attend?
Watch the official highlights video below (and make sure to stick around for the Outtakes).
Off to Vegas
About two weeks before the Sirius Decisions Summit 2018, I was given a pass so I had to find some last minute flights and accommodations. Yes, it was a week after the Marketo Summit but rooms at the Luxor cost a whopping $38 a night–there was no excuse not to go.
I particularly liked the setup where sponsors were given the first day to provide use cases of their technologies in action. Usually, one would think this would be demo central, but it wasn’t. I listened to folks like Derek Boggs walk through how direct mail (via PFL) is changing the way Insidesales.com is engaging its audience.
The second day focused on award-winning case studies on various marketing initiatives. For example, rebranding is a hot topic for me as we are working through rebranding options for Digital Pi and RevEngine Marketing. There were several sessions on this topic, including one by Julianne Rose of ConnectWise who shared how she helped merge four brands into one over several years.
The evolution of brands over several years.
Sirius Decisions 2018 vs Marketo Summit 2018
Since they are both fresh on my mind, here’s the rundown of how they compared in 2018.
Both are different and very useful depending on what you are looking for. To summarize, the Sirius Decisions Summit provided the frameworks to set marketing and sales strategies, while the Marketo Summit was all about getting your hands dirty to make those strategies a reality with Marketo.
Personally, I loved the mix because both apply to me. However, if your company has standardized on Hubspot, you could probably skip the Marketo Summit. If you are in the weeds with Marketo creating workflows and cleaning data, the Marketo Summit might be the better fit. For executives looking for pure strategy, Sirius Decisions Summit might be your choice if you can only attend one.
| Marketo Summit | Sirius Decisions Summit | |
| Location | San Francisco | Las Vegas |
| Types of Sessions | Marketo “how to” with some marketing strategy tracks. | Strategic/Executive level. Case studies for marketing, sales, and product leaders. |
| Theme | Fearless Marketer | Intelligent Growth |
| Cost for attendees | $1,895 | $2,100+ |
| Attendees | Approx 6,000 | Approx 3,000 |
| Designed for | Marketo practitioners and execs at companies that have (or are considering) Marketo. | Marketing and sales leaders. Platform independent. |
| Sponsors | A little less than 100 | A little more than 100 |
| Parties | Yes | Yes |
| Featured Artist | Flo Rida | Fall Out Boy |
Looking Ahead
In speaking with marketers, many were forced to make a tough decision between the two events this year.
Fortunately, in 2019, these events will not compete. Sirius Decisions is scheduled to take place in Austin, TX May 6 – 9, 2019. Marketo is mixing it up by bringing its Summit to Las Vegas October 21-24, 2019.
See you in 2019.
Want to catch up on the 2018 Marketo Summit happenings? Read: Top Takeaways from Marketo Summit 2018.
The post The Decision: Sirius Decisions Summit or Marketo Summit? appeared first on RevEngine Marketing.
