The Internet Marketing Association (IMA) and Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) co-hosted the IMPACT17 Cayman Conference April 26-28, 2017, at the Kimpton Seafire Resort on Grand Cayman. Aside from the fine dining the attendees were served a wealth of Internet marketing and innovation intelligence and best practices. IMPACT17 Cayman brought together marketing thought leaders, business leaders and elected officials, all motivated to learn about the application of cutting-edge technologies and innovative marketing techniques few have tried.
“The Internet continues to transform every business and every consumer around the globe,” said IMA Chairman and CEO Sinan Kanatsiz. “And everyone who attends an IMPACT event comes away with the knowledge and motivation they need to take the Internet to the next level and redefine marketing in a technology-centric world.”
Here are some key highlights of the experience from among the over 40 distinguished speakers and legends in digital marketing:
• Tamara Gaffney, Principal Analyst, Adobe Inc., shared her company’s version of what the future may bring. For example, she noted that “as people are moving over to mobile devices, we’re not seeing growth in e-commerce” because mobile users spend less time on websites and are less likely to purchase.
• Jeff Marcoux, CMO Lead for of Microsoft, addressed “The Science of Relationships” and how the brain receives information.
• Vincent Walden, partner with Ernst & Young, outlined “Governance Best Practices for Digital Marketers.”
• Victor Cho, CEO of Evite, gave a stirring presentation on the importance of face-to-face communication, particularly in a digital-centric world.
• Eric Riviello, Director of Business Development for Cision’s PR Newswire, offered findings from the Cision annual survey of marketing professionals in a presentation titled “No More Excuses: From Business Expense to Business Driver.”
In addition, Audi presented a video on their “driverless car.” And Ketel One Vodka showed an informative brand video on their history and background. During the conference, speakers also reported on several IMA initiatives, including the Women Leadership Group and IMA.EDU education effort.
“IMPACT Cayman was an overwhelming success again this year and we are delighted to work with our partners the IMA who bring outstanding world-class speakers to the Cayman Islands so that the local industry can access this brilliant international content without having to make an expensive trip overseas. We were particularly pleased to see a significant increase in attendees, and free conference passes were given four young Caymanian students, who were also honoured on the main stage for their achievements this year” said Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO of Cayman Enterprise City.
The impressive roster of IMPACT17 Cayman speakers also included:
• Aaron Hillegass, Big Nerd Ranch, CEO
• Akbar Jaffer, IMA, San Francisco Group Chairman
• Alex Gray, IMA Canada, Chairman
• Bill Eldien, Ketel One Vodka, CEO
• Brian Wong, Kiip, CEO
• Charlie Kirkconnell, Cayman Enterprise City, CEO
• Don Simpson, MarketLinc, CEO
• Eileen Keens, Yello, Marketing Manager
• Faquiry Diaz, mxHero, Chairman
• Hope Frank, Kiosked, CMO
• Jaime Ford, Jet.com, Digital Marketing Analyst
• Jeanniey Mullen, Mercer, Global CMO
• Jeff Montejano, KCOMM, President
• John Costello, Microsemi, VP Business Development
• Kamin Samuel Consulting, Business and Life Coach
• Keiran Hutchinson, Ernst & Young, Partner
• Keith Miller, Saffron Consultants, VP North America
• Natalie Urquhart, Cayman National Gallery, Director
• Reggie Judah, TV Liquidator, CEO
• Rob McNabb, Logic Communications Cayman, CEO
• Steve McIntosh, CML Offshore Recruitment, CEO
• Thomas Bartke, EcomConvert, Founder
• Tracy Morgan, nContext, Senior Director
• Winston Conolly, Lainston, CEO
• Yves Le Sieur, VDS Los Angeles, Head of Digital Marketing
“It’s been amazing working with the IMA on creating IMPACT17 Cayman and I am thrilled we were able to deliver four diverse, seamlessly executed events at multiple venues to c reate an incredible experience for attendees this year. We would like to say a huge thank you to our local conference partners which include Logic, Audi, CML Offshore Recruitment, Lainston, Yello, BritCay, Trident Properties, The Department of Tourism, Island Air, Cayman National, Pinnacle Media and Arch Automotive for their support” said Hilary Cahill, VP of Marketing for Cayman Enterprise City.
The next major Internet Marketing Association event on the horizon is the annual IMPACT conference in Las Vegas set for Sept. 28-30, 2017. For information on that event and the association, visit www.imanetwork.org.