Date posted: August 29, 2014

The August issue of Inbound Logistics features my case study on KaiKini Bikinis’ integrated inventory control and shipping operations solution. The article details how the new system brings big savings to this clothing manufacturer based in Hawaii.

This is my second article for in Inbound Logistics this year. I’ve been a regular contributor to the publication since 2012.

Date posted: August 27, 2014

Summer is about gone: the barbeques are tilting towards the garage, swimsuits are soon to be closeted, and the kids are headed back to school. For many, the problem is to avoid what the Bard called “the winter of our discontent” from taking over one’s frame of mind or sapping energy.

Perhaps a trip to a B2B marketing conference can serve to keep the spirits up. Not only is it a good reason to get out of the office— it’s always good to have a look at the latest trends, listen to some new ideas, and expand that always important network. Refreshing one’s perspective can have a tonic effect.

With that in mind, here are five of the best marketing conferences taking place in the months ahead, where a road trip and business trip come together nicely, and there’s still time to get on board:

• The Festival of Marketing
  London, November 12-13
  The Festival of Marketing is a celebration of the modern marketing industry in all its glory.  Filled with and fuelled by a line up of hard to reach speakers, hard to win awards, easy to drink cocktails and like-minded peers, The Festival demands your time, brain, handshake and liver. From board CMO to beginner, from digital evangelist to brand guru, data geek to media genius, this is a festival for all involved in marketing.

• ITSMA Annual Marketing Conference
  Boston, November 4-5
  The Information Technology Marketing Services Association s 21st Annual Marketing Conference will be in Cambridge, MA, November 4 & 5. There’s an extraordinary line-up of speakers, pre- and post-conference workshops, networking opportunities, and the Marketing Excellence Awards celebration.  With a focus on Driving Business Value, the Conference will showcase experts’ advice on what it takes for marketing to be accountable and contributing to the business. Come to learn the latest about digital marketing, storytelling, ITSMA’s latest research, lead generation, social media and more. This year the plan is to make it much more interactive— with roundtable discussions, breakouts, case studies, and exercises throughout the conference.

• The Marketing Festival
  Brno, Czech Republic, October 31 – November 2
  The Marketing Festival is a world class marketing event held in the very heart of Europe. This is for all interested in current and erudite information on digital marketing. The lectures and workshops are practically oriented to primarily appeal to specialists in SEO, link building, PPC advertising, web analytics content marketing, and social networks. This year’s lecturers include Avinash Kaushik, digital marketing evangelist for Google.

• 2015 Analytics with Purpose Conference
  San Diego, March 1-3
  Today, marketing managers are held accountable for data that provides direction—for results.  Uncovering the human element in data and turning it into behavior-driven action is at the forefront of those results.  It’s a must-know for marketers in order to lead and succeed. At this American Marketing Association (AMA) event, attendees will learn about the tools, techniques and experiences directly from marketers that are turning behavioral insight into advantage. And the weather is always perfect in San Diego!

• DIGIMARCON CRUISE 2015
  Orlando, FL, April 26 – May 3
  The DIGIMARCON CRUISE Conference showcases the most audacious and thought provoking speakers in the digital marketing industry, providing attendees with emerging strategies, the latest innovative technologies, best practices, and insights from successful digital marketing campaigns. The conference takes place over the course of 7 days onboard the Royal Caribbean ‘Freedom of the Seas’ Cruise Ship (departing Port Canaveral, Florida, USA) sailing to Labadee (Haiti), Falmouth (Jamaica), George Town (Cayman Islands) and Cozumel (Mexico).

At the very least, the thought of going to one of these should warm you up as winter’s breath approaches. Bon voyage.