Meet The Team: Marketing Mavens

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So much happens behind the scenes at events: Securing a unique venue, curating an engaging agenda, snagging all-star speakers and planning after-hours events. And that’s all before the event even takes place! To make this all happen, it takes an army — and in the case of the B2B Marketing Exchange (#B2BMX), that army takes the shape of the Demand Gen Report (DGR) team. Across editorial, sales, design and marketing, the small-but-mighty DGR team works around the clock to deliver a show-stopping event.

To pull back the metaphorical curtain, this blog series will highlight the key players and teams powering the B2BMX event series. Next up are our marketing mavens, so without further ado, let’s meet this team:

B2BMX: Who are you and what is your current role? 

Sheri Butts: I’m Sheri. My role is Sr. Director of Marketing at G3 Communications, but some folks just call me “Sheri Promo” (looking at you, Nick Lipere). G3’s brands include DGR, Channel Marketer Report, ABM In Action, Retail TouchPoints, the B2B Marketing Exchange events and the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo in Chicago. I have the pleasure and privilege of leading an insanely talented, dedicated and creative team of some of the best marketers and humans I know, and collaborating across teams to innovate, improve upon and test new revenue models. I’ve been in B2B marketing for more than 16 years and I love connecting the dots to create win-win-win, end-to-end customer experiences for everyone involved.

 

Tiara Spano: I’m Tiara, and I’m the Audience Marketing Manager for #B2BMX! I started out managing all the email marketing campaigns with DGR, and quickly learned that there’s one thing that every good B2B marketer has in common with each other: They all love connecting with their colleagues and use networking at events like #B2BMX as a way to learn from each other and grow as marketing professionals. That’s why I love now being a part of the #B2BMX team!

 

Raquel Brizzi: I’m the Event Marketing Manager for DGR (and our sister brand, Retail TouchPoints). For the past 3.5 years, I’ve been focused on the planning and execution of both our live and digital events.  If you’ve ever watched one of our annual webinar series (like the “Strategy & Planning Series” that aired this November), I’ve been on the team behind the curtain. If you’ve ever sponsored one of our conferences, I’ve likely been your contact for logistics. And if you’ve ever attended one of our events, there’s a good chance we’ve crossed paths at the registration desk, too! I find joy in delivering exceptional event experiences for everyone.

 

 

B2BMX: What’s your favorite part of the B2B Marketing Exchange?

Butts: #B2BMX is one of my FAVORITE ways to connect those dots. Watching the machine come together is truly a sight to behold. Until one produces an event like this, it is difficult to appreciate how much effort, energy and thought go into every single detail (and there are soooo many details). But what really inspires me is seeing how the people behind all that work come together. How teams combine their skill sets and, more importantly, support each other to become a holistic, unstoppable force that brings it all together. I love being a part of that and seeing the powerful impact it can have. The #B2BMX community feels like family, not just for us but for our sponsors and attendees, too. There is a sense of sharing, collaboration, mentoring and rooting for each other that just makes everyone feel good to be there. 

 

Spano: Probably the destination itself. Being from New Jersey, nothing beats leaving the winter weather behind and soaking in the Scottsdale sun all week long. Between the opening night reception under the stars, lunches on the patio and leisurely activities and amenities available at the Phoenician, there’s so many opportunities to enjoy the great weather, all while still getting to experience #B2BMX.

 

Brizzi: The best part about #B2BMX to me is being face to face. I love gathering to network with industry peers and giving our audience the opportunity to do the same by way of our B2BMXperts and CMO Mentor programs, which are designed to get attendees in front of topical experts and marketing executives. Events hold so much value from the educational content to the newest trends, but connection like this (especially in the remote world) is crucial. I personally look forward to connecting with the sponsors and attendees I work with and assist every day leading up to Scottsdale! 

 

 

B2BMX: What album do you currently have on repeat?

Brizzi: I’m completely sold on anything new Taylor Swift releases. So, I’d say her most recent “Midnights” album. Aside from that, 2022 has been the year of the podcast for me. I’m hooked on every show under the “Armchair Expert” umbrella – and the #B2BMX Podcast, too.

 

 

B2BMX: How do you spend your time outside of work?

Butts: Music gives me life. Dancing makes me happy, and meditation keeps me calm. I became a certified yoga instructor in 2020 and even got to teach a class at #B2BMX (it was a very cool full circle moment). I like to cook, and I love to eat! I also enjoy reading, watching anything about time travel and a good funky beat (did I mention I like to dance?).

 

 

B2BMX: If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Spano: Two words: Breakfast sandwiches!! Anyone who knows me know I love a good egg and cheese sandwich, whether it’s plain or has all the fixings, on a bagel or bread… there’s no other food that I can eat all day every day.

 

 

B2BMX: Can you tell us about your favorite creative campaign?

Butts: This is a tough question for several reasons. We get to see so many stellar campaigns nominated for our Killer Content Awards program that it’s nearly impossible to choose. Back to connecting those dots again, a few that stand out in my mind are K9s for Warriors’ Killer Content Award winning campaign, which resulted in the videos real-life hero joining us on stage to support that organization’s mission at #B2BMX. Another is our Refresh, Renew, Remix-themed #B2BMX online event in 2021. In addition to the multichannel promotions that layered in musical elements, we also featured Little Kids Rock and some of the awesome content they created as part of our opening reception. Full disclosure: Both made me cry.

Spano: My colleague Marisa talked about the #SpotifyWrapped campaign in her interview and all the social buzz that surrounded it. We loved it so much that we decided to do our own take on the campaign for #B2BMX. We rounded up the top five sessions from the 2022 event and made them available on our event app that we just launched. Anyone who registers or is already signed on to join us for the 2023 event will be able to look back at some of our favorite moments on the B2BMX stage, in addition to browsing the new sessions they’ll get to see in Scottsdale soon!

Brizzi: There’s something about nostalgia for me. A nostalgic creative campaign I enjoyed this year was the Adult Happy Meal that McDonalds released this fall featuring some of their original characters. While the meal itself was nothing outside their usual menu and the fast-food chain offers themed toys regularly, the familiar characters and Happy Meal box had social media buzzing with adults eager to grab the four available collectibles. I think a campaign like this struck at just the right time with audiences enjoying more throwback content, like “Stranger Things.”

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