For those of you who know me (Hey, it's Erin 👋), you know that I've tried to gather marketers together for quite some time now....I think it was 2009-ish when my boss at the Economic Development Corporation asked me to get feedback on a new program we were launching, he offered to buy lunch, and off we went. We loved it so much that we kept gathering, on and off for many years. The trouble was, I couldn't keep buying everyone lunch, and with people growing in their careers, the needs and dynamics changed, so attendance came and went.

Throughout our humble beginnings, we Peas have always welcomed fellow marketers and those in our orbit to gather to "talk shop" at our periodic Pod Chats. As is common for many marketers in small businesses, we like having other marketing peeps to talk to, bounce ideas off of, share new ideas with, and learn from...but we usually don't have many of those people in our companies. 

(✍️ Writers and editors, please excuse all of those phrases that ended with prepositions....I see them, and today I'm letting it slide. I hope you will forgive me. 😂)

These gatherings were a chance to find out what others were doing and what tools were working, and they helped us keep up in an ever-changing industry.

But, in the face of a pandemic, attendance was hit or miss, and even the idea of getting together was a non-starter for a few years. 

Fast-forward to 2024. I still believe that the marketing community in the Eau Claire area needs a structured and meaningful effort to bring marketing/comms/creative professionals together. We have amazing talent in western Wisconsin, not just in marketing, but in communications and PR, videography, writing, software development, graphic design, music, and so many other related fields. Creators of all kinds of content are–more and more–spread out, working side hustles, and doing some cool things for our companies here and across the US. But what we're lacking is a professional organization/network/event for all of us to gather in our region, to find each other, to collaborate, and to grow the businesses and organizations we support.

Why is this so important?

From the small business's perspective, it's hard to find marketing/creative resources unless you're hiring full-time. And even then, hiring these days is no walk in the park. So it makes sense that we need to make ourselves more visible and accessible to small businesses so they know where to find us.

From the creative/marketing/comms professional's perspective, if you're working in a company already, it's important to keep your skills sharp and be prepared for what's next.

If you're freelancing or consulting, it's helpful to know where to find additional resources to complete client projects.

AND...from the perspective of someone starting out or early in their marketing career, it's helpful to be part of a community that can mentor you, give you professional pointers, and help you make connections.

Now, there are conferences out there that serve these audiences and strive to meet these objectives. However, they're designed mostly for people working in enterprise companies, and quite frankly they're funded largely by software and media platforms. These are simply out of reach for most small business marketers and independent creatives. Plus, they feel like you're drinking from a fire hose of semi-relevant information, leaving you inspired, yet completely overwhelmed and frustrated when you're back in the office.

So what are we doing about it?

We're going BIGGER.

The small, casual get-togethers, while comfortable and easy, weren't enough.

We've taken feedback from our peers, our partners, and yes, even our competitors, and decided that collaborating to serve our professional aspirations would have a greater impact for all of us.

Roadmap 2024, the Midwest’s most practical marketing and communications event, will take center stage at the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire on October 10th. This event will be packed with actionable strategies and innovative ideas to drive success in 2025.

The key word there is "actionable" – we're working with all of our speakers to create workshop-style sessions that help marketers, creatives, and communications pros build their plan for 2025. Attendees will be able to peek into how others are doing the job of marketing, learn from each others’ successes and failures, and make sure we're all prepared to grow the businesses and organizations we support in this ever-changing world.

As you may have picked up, this event is leaning into our Midwestern roots. That means you'll find more of a friendly neighborhood vibe than a stuffy corporate one, complete with classic Wisconsin cheese curds and beer to wrap up the day. 

If you’re in marketing, communications, or a creative field–or know someone who is–we hope to see you/them there! Registration is now open to the public, and we can’t wait to see you!