These are interesting times in the world of B2B marketing and there are few better opportunities to sort the hype from the hope than B2B Forum, hosted by MarketingProfs.
I’ve had the good fortune to be a speaker at the B2B Forum every year but one since 2010 when I co-presented with our client, PRWeb on Content SEO Best Practices and What to Avoid.
That’s 15 years of sharing, learning and connecting with an amazing community of B2B marketing practitioners. B2B Forum is a tight community and the attention to detail for attendees is equal parts sense of humor and a dose of “I wish I’d thought of that” conveniences.
Leading the charge is Ann Handley, (Happy Belated Birthday Ann!) the queen of content and B2B marketing whom we’ve interviewed six times on our blog and podcasts over the years. She’s a fountain of knowledge, common sense and clever humor – all of which come together with enthusiasm and genuine thoughtfulness for creating a great conference experience.
The next B2B Forum is coming up fast, November 17-19 in Boston and I’ll be there along with an excellent group of B2B marketing practitioners, consultants thought leaders and people making shit happen in the B2B marketing world.
Every event offers a mix of opportunity and challenge especially when it comes to deciding which sessions to attend. Looking through the conference agenda, there are several themes that stood out from this year’s event. In case those themes line up with your interests, here are some sessions to look forward to:
Opening Keynote at B2B Forum
There are few more memorable openings (think marching band, professional dancers, hip-hop group) than at B2B Forum. The 2025 event kicks off with an Opening General Session and Keynote: Superhero Leadership in Uncertain Times with Ann Handley and Filmmaker Brett Culp.
November 18 – 8:30am to 9:30am
Given the title, it seems reasonable for Ann to come out with a superhero costume, right? I’m guessing her superhero name would be “SuperANNifragilisticexpialidocious” but that’s just a guess.
There are also keynotes from Joe Pulizzi, Christopher Penn and Kate O’Neill.
AI, data & analytics-driven B2B marketing
Of course there are numerous sessions about AI. Everyone in B2B marketing is grappling with how to best apply AI in their marketing mix and these are some of the sessions that will help point you in the right direction.
Day 1: “Beyond Dashboards: How AI Is Reshaping Marketing Revenue Storytelling”
November 18 – 2:00pm to 2:30pm
Presented by Eric Westerkamp, CEO at CaliberMind
Day 2: “Embracing AI for Better Marketing Outcomes: 5 Ways to Use AI to Drive Demand and Revenue”
November 19 – 10:55am to 11:25am
Presented by Neel Patel, Head of AI Products at Asana
B2B content inspiration to governance
Creativity in B2B marketing is a must and where we get inspiration (outside of AI) is more valuable than ever. And so is how we manage that creative content.
Day 1: “Align, Approve, Amplify: The Content Governance Strategy That Delivers Great Content Every Time”
November 18 – 10:20am to 11:05am
Presented by Erika Heald, Consultant
Day 2; “Stealing Isn’t a (Marketing) Crime: The B2C Playbook That Will Revive Your B2B Campaigns”
November 19 – 1:30pm to 2:15pm
Presented by Jaclyn Freedman, Head of Marketing at Peerlogic
Buyer journey and full-funnel thinking (brand → demand → revenue)
Audience insights are essential for creating value across the customer lifecycle. Because what’s the point unless you’re driving towards outcomes, impact and revenue?
Day 1: “Full-Funnel Thought Leadership: Drive Brand, Demand, and Revenue Outcomes.”
(including a brand new research report, Answer Engine: The State of B2B Marketing Thought Leadership)
November 18 – 10:20am to 11:05am
Presented by me! Lee Odden, CEO at TopRank Marketing
Day 1: Acting on Insights: Creating an Audience-First Marketing Culture
November 18 – 4:05pm to 4:50pm
Cheri Hulse Head of Market Insights at Zoom
Day 2: “Escape the Revenue Generation Maze: How Marketing Can Own 80% of Pipeline to Predictably Hit Goals.”
November 19 – 10:55am to 11:25am
Presented by Tiffany Nwahiri, Founder at 3rd & Taylor
B2B measurement, reporting and playbook
There’s some that say the old ways of B2B marketing are broken and not only do we need a new playbook, but we need more effective ways to report on our performance.
Day 1: “From MQLs to Meaningful Growth: A New B2B Marketing Playbook for the AI Era.”
November 18 – 5:00pm to 5:45pm
Presented by Jon Miller, Founder & CEO at Phave
Day 2: “Bridging the Gap: Presenting Marketing Success to Leadership and Boards”
November 19 – 10:00am to 10:45am
Presented by Katie Roudabush, Chief Marketing Officer at Alpine Intel
B2B content channels & formats
Successful marketers are definitely raising the bar on content quality and experience. Both video and better email design are ways to do just that.
Day 1: “Practical Ways To Use Video To Unleash B2B Growth, Presented by Vimeo.”
November 18 – 2:00pm to 2:30pm
Presented by Charlie Ungashick, Chief Marketing Officer at Vimeo
Day 2: “Beyond the Trends: Design Principles That Make B2B Emails Work for Everyone”
November 19 – 2:25pm to 3:10pm
Presented by Justine Jordan, Head of Strategy & Community at Beefree
B2B creativity + brand identity
There really is no brand or demand debate – we must do both and do them well. There are plenty of demand gen sessions, but these two will help take care of the brand perspective.
Day 1: “The Shared Mindset of Iconic Brands.”
November 18 – 11:15am to 12:00pm
Presented by Lindsay Tjepkema, Founder at Human Brands Win
Day 2: “The Brand Benefits Playbook.”
November 19 – 8:30am to 9:15am
Presented by Allen Weiss Founder & CEO MarketingProfs
Optimizing your B2B marketing skills & operation
Let’s not neglect the most important resource we have in B2B marketing – the people and their skills. These sessions will help you optimize your team and marketing productivity.
Day 2: “Punching Above Your Weight: Having an Impact With a Lean (Solo?) Marketing Team”
November 19 – 8:30am to 9:15am
Presented by Angela Sarno, VP of Marketing at PaymentWorks
Day 2: “Learn, Grow, Teach: Upskill Your Team Through Training and Development”
November 19 – 10:00am to 10:45am
Presented by Mandie Sullivan, Senior Marketing Operations Manager at Insperity
Finish 2025 with a better B2B marketing strategy, best practices and human connections
Whether you’re focused on building brand trust, mastering AI-driven analytics, or finding new inspiration for how you approach content in ways that will actually work, MarketingProfs B2B Forum is a great place to level up. Every year, it’s a reminder that despite all the change in the world and in our industry, the power of a community of smart, curious, and generous marketers sharing what works is something worth investing in.
I hope to see you in Boston November 17-19, 2025!
