At the
Midwest Digital Marketing Conference
Perhaps
it is appropriate to situate this progressive gathering of digital savvy
business leaders and individuals interested in staying ahead of the wave of
disruption at an historic landmark, the St. Louis Union Station (built in
1894). History is being made. Just four years in the making, the University of
Missouri, St. Louis College of Business has seized the leadership position in
presenting this discussion at the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference 2016.
And they mean business. Held on April 21, 2016 Experts in the marketing
communications industry address the cutting edge of digital, social, tech and
innovation.
It is an
information overload, packed into six unique tracks and dozens of sessions and
breakouts. Travis Sheridan, Director of Venture Café reminds us that with
innovation comes disruption in his opening remarks but UMSL’s Professor Perry
Drake has been feeding this frenzy since he launched this series of conferences
in April 2013. The interest and attendance has grown steadily each year. This
year’s event promises to propel the discussion further into the mainstream for not
only those in their comfort zone but also for all of those fish out of water who can no longer be in denial. Change is here
and it is profound. (The MDMC2016 graphics and TV commercial were developed by
a crew lead by Evan Miguel, a graduate student at UMSL who was recognized this year with an ADDY award for excellence from the American Advertising Federation. Nice work.)
The
truth is in the details and this is a place where you can to start (or
continue) your discovery of impact of digital marketing from hundreds of vantage
points. The formal presentations include using LinkedIn, Pinterest, 3D printing,
digital/social media, media measurement, mobile, marketing automation, data
mining and so on. But maybe the real information is woven into the fabric of
learning from each other.
Congratulations
to the organizers of this wonderful event from a boomer who wonders if anyone
remembers Marketing Myopia by Theodore Levitt --- and understands why a 19th Century railroad
station might be a perfect place to ponder the future of marketing.
