MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2023

MarketingProfs B2B Forum Recap: Closing Keynotes

Closing Keynote Speakers Ann Handley and Wendy MacNaughton

Picture it. It’s the final day of MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2024. 

You’ve done it all. You packed your days with sessions covering everything from storytelling to a eulogy for the marketing and sales funnel we once knew. 

In the evenings, you’ve hit up every shenanigan you could to let your shoulders relax down your back a bit and get to know your fellow B2B Besties more for who they are beyond what they do.

And now, in a whirlwind that feels like it’s come and gone far too fast, it’s time to put a bow on B2B Forum.

Ann Handley

Ann Handley yet again dances her way onto the stage in yet another epically patterned outfit. This time, she’s here to remind your busy brain of the rollercoaster you’ve been riding (hands up, of course) together.

This is the point in the event where Ann shares some special insights only she can truly do that we simply can’t spoil here. You just have to be in the room to get those.

But she again reminds you of those ideas she kicked off B2B Forum with just a day ago. (That can’t be right, can it? What sort of time warp is this?)

Ann recalls how this is the moment for the Great B2B Marketing Renaissance to shine where you need to let your personality come through your marketing in a way no one else can so you can make emotional connections with your audiences. How to do everything like only you can. 

She reminds the room that we’re all just doing our best, and that we’re stronger together. How that’s what these last few days have been all about. Joining in community to learn how to do things not just differently but better.

And then the last speaker of the event, Wendy MacNaughton, takes the stage to teach you the art of paying attention.

Wendy MacNaughton

Wendy immediately takes you all the way back to childhood (oofda!). But in a good way. She reminds you how you used to draw as a kid. With food, finger paints, crayons; whatever you could get your little hands on. 

Until a grown up spoiled it all by telling you how you were doing it “wrong” and likely gave you a complex about your drawing capabilities. But…turns out they were wrong! All you really need is to pay attention.

And then she makes you draw. 

The person next to you. 

Who you don’t know.

With RULES.

For TWO ENTIRE MINUTES. 

And then you have to show your partner their portrait. *gasp*

The room erupts with laughter around you because this exercise is completely ridiculous. By design.

But it’s also bold. And vulnerable. The secret sauces that create deep connection.

Wendy speaks to the doodlers in the room. She shows you how embracing an artistic mind can teach you how to slow down to notice the world and details around you. 

Through a series of her artwork, Wendy shares how she explored opening her mind to specific groups of people around her to connect drawing them to their own words and stories. People on the train. The guys who met up in the park to play chess. One very specific boot maker. And the pairing of these stories and images she’d connected had such power, they led to her becoming an author-illustrator and New York Times columnist.

Wendy challenges you to find new ways of looking. Noticing things around you. Maybe making eye contact with a stranger.

You listen to her talk about the strength of creativity through community as you DO creativity through community, drawing circle after circle, connecting them together as you connect to those around you as you all take a deep breath and doodle your little hearts out.

It’s more than a little bit mind-blowing, this emotion you feel through the simplicity of what Wendy’s showing you.

To slow down. 

To pay attention. 

To let go of expectations. 

And to see the world with fresh eyes.

And as you get ready to head home once you’re all packed up and have said your final “see you next year!” goodbyes, you realize…you still remember how to spell zhuzhing. 

Wendy lending her talents to the MarketingProfs booth wall

Takeaways for 2025

As this year kicks into high gear and you’re asked to do all of the things, make sure you make time to slow down where you can. 

Look into your audiences’ eyes (metaphorically, unless you get to see them on the regular). Maybe even make it a little bit weird—but only so you can get to the heart of those deeper connections (not just for fun). Those things that connect who we are to the stories that guide us through life. 

And then bring your self into your marketing to help bring your uniqueness into your marketing. And rock on!

Published Jan 14, 2025


MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2024 was our favorite yet. There was a buzz in the air that’s hard to explain. It’s like we all needed to be in those rooms together more than ever to combat the chaotic state of the world around us and how challenging B2B marketing has been really since coming out of the pandemic. 

If you missed it, you can’t go back to get that feeling. But there is still a chance to catch the keynotes and all other recorded sessions to get the amazing insights our speakers shared! Attendees who were there and our PRO members get access to all recordings! So if you’re PRO, simply log in and get to watching. Or, upgrade to a PRO membership today for access. Recordings are available through March 31, 2025.

And don’t miss out on MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2025. Registration is now open at our lowest current rate!

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