Don't Miss These Chicago Area Marketing Events in April!

Spring is finally here in Chicago, but even though the weather is slowly warming up and we're ready to get outside more often, there's still plenty going on for marketers to check out. Every month, we offer a roundup of classes, workshops, and networking events taking place in the area. Here's what's happening in April 2017:

Madison HUG

While it's outside the Chicago area, area marketers might still consider making the trip to Madison, Wisconsin for this month's meeting of the Madison HubSpot User Group. We always get great value from attending HUG meetings, so we highly recommend going if you have the chance!

Conferences

Brand Smart 2017

This one day branding conference presented by the Chicago AMA will take place on Thursday, April 27. Attendees will be able to take master classes in the categories of Brand Strategy, Brand Expression, Brand Activation, or Brand Equities, and there will be plenty of opportunities to network with other marketing professionals. Tickets are $395, or $275 for AMA members.

#TellaStory

Kellstadt Marketing Group's 9th annual marketing symposium will take place on Saturday, April 29. It will feature several speakers and panel discussions looking at how marketers can use storytelling to build relevance for their target audience. Tickets start at $65.

Classes and Workshops

• Thursday, April 6, 5:30-8:00 PM: Understanding End-To-End Marketing Technology Enablement - This meeting of the Chicago AMA's MarTech Shared Interest Group (SIG) will be the first of a four part series that looks at how to get the most out of digital marketing technologies. Tickets are $25, or free forAMA members.
• Wednesday, April 12, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM: You Can't Manage Social Media Unless You Manage Analytics - During this luncheon presented by the Publicity Club of Chicago, panelists will discuss the importance of using analytics to measure the effectiveness of PR campaigns on social media. Tickets start at $55, or $40 for PCC members.
• Wednesday, April 12, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Dynamic World of Digital Marketing Workshop - This workshop, presented by the Illinois Tech Alliance, will look at the latest trends in SEO, PPC, SEM, social media, and analytics. Tickets are $100, or $50 for ITA members.
• Wednesday, April 19, 6:00-8:00 PM: Influencers As Content Creators - This roundtable discussion will look at how brands can leverage the influencer community to amplify their message. Tickets start at $30.
• Thursday, April 20, 1:00-4:00 PM: How to Create Profitable Events for Your Business - This training session will look at how to plan and execute events that generate revenue for your business. Tickets are $197.
• Wednesday, April 26, 12:00-1:30 PM: Grow Your Business With Email and Social Media - This free event presented by the Illinois Small Business Development Center will help small business owners learn the basics of digital marketing and how to create successful campaigns.

Networking

• Tuesday, April 18, 5:30-7:30 PM: Chicago Founders' Stories @1871 - This taping of the Chicago Founders TV series will feature a conversation with Scott Dorsey of ExactTarget, along with a chance to meet with members of Chicago's startup community. Tickets to the event are free.
• Tuesday, April 18, 5:30-8:00 PM: Chicago Innovation Awards 2017 Past Winners Showcase - This event will feature several speakers, including Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, looking at companies who are driving innovation in the area. Tickets to this event start at $35.
• Wednesday, April 19, 5:30-8:00 PM: Chicago CreativeConnects Swing Into Spring Networking - This free mixer is a great chance to connect with other members of Chicago's creative community, and it will feature a Q&A with communication subject matter expert Holly Flontek.
• Saturday, April 22, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM: LaunchU Digital Marketing Competition - In this free event taking place in Naperville, high school and college students will compete to create Google AdWords campaigns for local nonprofits. It offers a great chance for marketing professionals to network with each other and meet the next generation of marketers.
• Thursday, April 27, 6:00-8:00 PM: Marketing Executives Leadership Exchange - At this free event, presented by the Illinois Tech Alliance, marketing executives from growth-stage technology companies will be able to meet and discuss marketing technologies and ideas.

We're excited about all these great events, and we hope you are too! If you're planning to attend any of these events, or if you have an event of your own that you would like us to mention, please let us know in the comments below. See you next month!