INBOUND 2022- From a Virtual Perspective

At the beginning of September, Digital Brew packed up our bags and headed out for a week of networking and fun at HubSpot’s INBOUND conference in Boston. If you missed out on one of the biggest marketing events of the year, don’t fret! Here’s what one of our virtual attendees, Cat Henderson, has to say about the experience. 

Marketers Unite

INBOUND is HubSpot’s annual conference that is consistently successful in its endeavors to bring the strongest marketers together from all across the globe. Held in early September each year, INBOUND leaves its attendees feeling inspired and revitalized after a week of community and connection.

INBOUND And All Inclusive 

INBOUND takes place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center but this year marks the first time it was held as a hybrid event – and to say it was prosperous is an understatement. It’s easy to not feel included in a hybrid event but INBOUND’s online platform made it easy to connect with everyone. Downloading the app made it simple to select events and save them to your schedule. Everything accessible to in-person attendees was also made accessible to virtual attendees and I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of it all.  

Growing from 15,000 attendees in 2019 to a shocking 60,000+ in 2021, INBOUND is a force to be reckoned with. As for this year? 161 countries were represented and with the hybrid set up, that means more people can attend than ever before. With 14 featured speakers and over 65 breakout speakers, this year did not disappoint. Of those speakers, some of the most notable included Jane Goodall, Viola Davis and the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

Rebuilding Our Collective Future

Of all the keynote speakers, I found Jane Goodall to be the most awakening. Her interview, titled: “Rebuilding Our Collective Future” touched on so many relevant topics but one of the most relevant being sustainability. UN Messenger of Peace, Nonprofit owner and Author, Goodall has pertinent opinions on the movement and approachable ways to see it through. She spoke adamantly about protecting the environment not only for us but for future generations stating “hope is about action, not just wishful thinking”. Engaging with other online attendees during this moment was enlightening and guests had many positive things to say about Goodall’s thoughts. This made for a really wonderful experience with a lot of takeaways for all spectators – virtual or not. 

Vulnerability At The Forefront

Next on the radar for myself was Viola Davis. Being the huge How to Get Away With Murder fan that I am, I had to sit in on this one. Actress, Producer and Philanthropist, Viola Davis was by far the most vulnerable of the speakers that I saw. She touched on subjects like her experience with Imposter Syndrome, her path to familial forgiveness, social anxiety, trauma and race. All of these are sensitive subjects but Davis handled them with such grace, it was a pleasure to watch. Davis quoted renowned author Brene Brown saying “When you share your story in a room full of people who have empathy, shame can’t exist”. And that’s exactly what INBOUND was – a room full of people with empathy. Davis encouraged practicing mindfulness and transparency in every situation. There was much to learn from her interview and I am thankful to have had a virtual seat at the table. 

Tolerance And Togetherness

Maybe the most memorable interview of all, Barack Obama took the stage to end the conference with a bang. A recurring theme he discussed was tolerance, and how different our world would look if more people practiced tolerance. He also emphasized the flaws in the Senate, which was bold – but admirable. Stating that it’s imperative that we address minority viewpoints and regional interests. Technology was also brought up and how it’s become a catalyst for division in the US. Obama said that it’s common for technology to accentuate conflict to elicit emotion and we’ve seen this done before. He touched on numerous topics near and dear to the hearts of all Americans and this made for an extraordinary interview. Not only did in-person guests attend the conference of a lifetime but virtual viewers had the chance to feel equally connected and involved.

Meeting Of The Minds

INBOUND 2022 was an absolute hit to say the least. Perspectives were challenged and community was built in this year’s most prominent meeting of the minds. Highlights like Jane Goodall, Viola Davis and Barack Obama will go down in INBOUND history. The inclusive environment was felt by all – virtual or not, and for this, I want to say thank you to HubSpot. Until next year, INBOUND! 

Got big ideas you want to discuss from INBOUND? We’re all ears!