GAIN 2019 | The Premier Government Marketing Conference

2019 Conference
November 12, 2019 | Fairview Park Marriott | Falls Church, VA

About GAIN 2019

GAIN 2019 is the premier government marketing conference for industry and government marketers. Plan to join marketers who are responsible for business-to-government, government-to-government and government-to-citizen marketing campaigns as we come together to share best practices.

What could be better than networking with your government marketing peers while ensuring you are up-to-speed with the latest and greatest tools for marketing success?

GAIN 2019 is where you should be on Tuesday, November 12th as we spend the day on “The Customer Journey”. Our agenda is forward-thinking, relevant and highly-interactive. We’ll also announce our GAINer Awards to highlight the creative work of government marketers.

GAIN 2019 attendance is open to Federal, State & Local and Education Marketers. We welcome and encourage Industry Vendors to attend GAIN 2019 as a sponsor.

Full Conference Pricing: $595 per ticket
Group discounts are available. Contact info@gmarku.com for more information.

All attendees receive government marketing training certificates.

Back by Popular Demand!!!

We are bringing back Roundtables at GAIN 2019 where GAINer’s will have an opportunity to brainstorm on marketing topics as well as share best practices.

Top 10 Reasons to Attend GAIN 2019

Still need a bit more motivation to hit that register button? Besides FOMO (fear of missing out) and a full day dedicated to what you love – GOVERNMENT MARKETING – check out our Top 10 Reasons Why You Can’t Miss GAIN 2019!

Download PDF

1. Kickstart your Government Marketing planning

Attending this collaborative and informative event will grow your government marketing knowledge while helping you to accelerate and innovate your 2020 government marketing planning.

2. High quality Government Marketing content

An action-packed agenda full of leading-edge thinking on how to better connect with government customers and engage your sales team to achieve your goals of measurable ROI on your marketing campaigns.

3. Meet our GMarkU Ambassadors, who are all former Federal CIOs and IT Executives

GAIN will empower you with greater insight and knowledge on how to market to the government by hearing straight from our Ambassadors on where government decision makers go to obtain IT knowledge when procuring vendor products, solutions or services.

4. Professional development

Whether you are a government marketing rookie or pro, there is something for you at GAIN. Expanding your skillset is always a constant and evolving process. Our carefully crafted training workshops speak to marketers at all phases of their career.

5. Government Marketing certification

Welcome to Government Marketing University! After attending our training workshops at GAIN, you will receive an official certificate of completion. Our certification program provides a tangible way to enhance your marketing skills, as well as highlight your accomplishments.

6. Interact and network with your Government Marketing peers

GAIN provides an invaluable opportunity for knowledge building, mentoring and networking with your peers.

7. Interact with Government Marketing vendors and service providers

Learn about their latest offerings for brand awareness, lead generation, social media and much more through GAIN Power Talks, Vendor Networking and tabletop displays.

8. Every trend in one event

Many of us are a single person show, so who has time to attend multiple events to gather information needed to create your Marketing plan? You’ll hear the latest and greatest government marketing trends all in one place. GAIN is the only place you need to go to prepare your FY20 Marketing plan.

9. Use those continuing education dollars that your company offers

They are there for your benefit, so don’t let that opportunity go to waste. The content prepared for GAIN is specific to the Government Marketer and will make the most of your annual company allocated education dollars.

10. Uninterrupted time

Do you ever feel like you just can’t get a minute to properly focus? We’ve all faced that challenge – constant interruptions. At GAIN, you can expect a full day focused on Government Marketing and Government Marketing only. We hope you leave feeling inspired, refreshed and ready to rock FY20.

GAIN 2019 Event Details

Location and Hotel Accommodations:

Fairview Park Marriott
3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, Virginia, 22042
Get Directions
Room Rate: $89/night
Book your group rate for Government Marketing University GAIN Conference
To make your reservation by phone, please call 1-800-228-9290 and provide the city, state, name of the hotel, arrival date, and ask for the ‘Government Marketing University GAIN Conference’.

Local Airports:

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA)
Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI)

Dress Code:

Smart casual

For more information about GAIN 2019 please call Lou Anne Brossman at 703-408-4311 or email us at info@GMarkU.com.

Customer Journey & Government Marketing

**Why driving authentic connections is now part of the NEW government marketing mix**

Join the “Customer Journey” conversation at GAIN 2019.

At the core of your government marketing campaigns should be the all-encompassing consideration of your customer. Customer behaviors — and their outcomes — are evolving faster than ever before due to evolving digital tools. Customers are more empowered and expect frictionless experiences and more transparency, interaction, and authenticity from vendors and agencies. Marketers should interact with their customers across multiple channels – online, offline, social media, print, events and other marketing related initiatives. Mapping out the Customer Journey at GAIN 2019 will enable GAINER’s to put your customers at the center of your marketing strategy.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

What the critical points are in your customer’s journey, and how you can make sure their experience at these points is a positive one.
How to understand and map to your customer’s end-to-end journey.
What’s working, what’s new, and what’s next in government marketing.

We also have many other exciting learning opportunities at GAIN 2019:

Hear case studies from your government marketing peers on innovative and successful marketing campaigns.
Be the first to meet the finalists and winners of the 2019 GAINER Awards.
Network with government marketers in Roundtable discussions on:
- Customer Journey
- The Art of Presenting to Executives
- How to Fight for Marketing Budgets
- Out-of-the-Box Marketing Best Practices

Attend our 4^th Annual GAIN 2019 Conference to learn from current and former government buyers, CMO’s, Government Marketers and other thought leaders who are all coming together to share their knowledge and expertise to ensure GAINER’s leave with your brains full of new cool marketing stuff.

REGISTER NOW for GAIN 2019 if you have a keen readiness to learn new ways to market and put Customer Journey into your marketing mix.

“Marketers who put the customer at the center of their marketing strategy and focus on improving the customer experience through omni-channel marketing engagements will be Superstars and we’ll teach you how at GAIN 2019”.
Lou Anne Brossman
CEO and Founder
Government Marketing University

“Companies that focus on their customer journey reap more than a 50 percent greater return on marketing investment than those that don’t.”
Aberdeen Group

“GAIN is the must attend event for public sector marketers and those who serve the market. It is the only independent educational and networking event where you can learn best practices and innovations from your peers and industry experts. Based on what I learned at GAIN, we were able to publish our first federal government case study”.
Cathy Cromley
Public Sector Marketing Lead
SailPoint

“GAIN is a must-attend conference for government marketers. The networking and curriculum are unmatched, and you could apply lessons learned the next day. Most importantly, the content is crafted by the government community – ABM was the topic of 2017 and GAIN covered it in all its functionalities.”
LaRel Rogers
Vertical Marketing Manager
FLIR Systems, Inc.

“By 2020, more than 50% of organizations will redirect their investments to customer experience innovations”.
Gartner

GAIN 2019 Agenda

You told us and we listened! In our GAIN 2018 Survey, 81% of GAINer’s told us that one of your favorite parts of GAIN is the networking opportunities with other government marketers and our Sponsors from our vendor community. We’ve increased the networking time with extended breaks during GAIN 2019 to ensure GAINer’s have plenty of time to talk with old friends, meet new friends and see all the cool offerings from our fabulous Sponsors.

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Registration

Tell us you’re here, grab some coffee and snacks and mingle with your government marketing peers and vendors.

8:00 – 11:45 a.m.

GAIN 2019 Morning Learning Sessions

KEYNOTE: Customer Experience Is the New Marketing
Getting ahead often requires stepping back for a comprehensive view

The complexity of dealing with customers, channels and competitors is only growing. Get a jumpstart on your 2020 marketing by focusing on the Customer Journey where you’ll learn how to be effective marketers before their journey begins thru the lifetime of engagement. Whether it’s a trade show, digital, email, direct mail, 1:1 meeting, phone call, chat, etc. no marketing experience happens in a vacuum. There’s a physical, mental, and emotional context that shapes the customer’s experience whether you plan for it or not. Martha Dorris will share her extensive knowledge and experience for government-to-government and industry-to-government customer-centric marketing. GAINer roundtable discussions included.

GMarkU Professor – Martha Dorris, Founder, DCI Consulting
Martha has 34 years of government experience in acquisition, technical and program management all leading to the customer experience. Martha has run many government organizations that build and deliver agency and citizen facing programs to deliver government services anytime, anywhere and on any device. Martha spearheaded one of the first customer experience programs in the federal government in GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies which is driving many initiatives government-wide and GSA and portions being adopted across government. Today Martha leads DCI, a woman-owned small business that leverages her extensive CX knowledge and experience to meet her promise to the government IT market to leverage her passion, network and resources to help government agencies and industry improve the way they deliver their products and services. Martha is a sought-out speaker on Customer Experience best practices and was the founder of “Service to the Citizens Award”.

Connect with Martha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-dorris-798b3b7/

The Customer Journey (Hands on Training)
Gain a competitive edge by seeing the world through your customer’s eyes

If you strive for a customer-centric culture, you must understand your customer’s journey—every step of the way. Customer Journey mapping in collaboration with research-based personas bring your customers and their journeys to life and it is a powerful way to find opportunities in your marketing quest for new and expanded customers. Learn the critical points in your customer’s journey and how you can make sure their experience is a positive one. This course will include examples, templates, blueprints and tips to connect the customer journey dots that reflect each of the customer’s touchpoints with your company or agency. GAINER roundtable discussions included.

Learning Objectives:

A deep dive into leveraging Customer Journey Maps to create innovative, differentiated marketing experiences that will distinguish your offerings/solutions in a crowded marketplace.
Provide GAINers with a resource to plan their entire Customer Journey program and create maps that reflect each of the customer’s touchpoints.
This hands-on training will provide you with the knowledge and experience you’ll need to launch successful Customer Journey mapping initiatives within your own organization.

GMarkU Professor – Tracey Moon, Chief Marketing Officer, Verodin
Tracey helps companies understand marketing and leverage it to drive the impact they seek. Whether that is increased lead flow, internal alignment, influencer engagement, sales enablement, or a combination of objectives, she works to make sure goals are achieved. Over the years, Tracey has developed a process and system that helps increase the revenue impact from marketing for companies. Tracey is passionate about her work and the people she gets to meet and work with along the way. She is a compassionate and communicative leader. Tracey enjoys helping marketers leverage their strengths, understand each other’s strengths, and work together so that everyone reaps the rewards. Tracey is well known for her customer journey expertise and authored the Customer Journey’s training course in 2018.

Connect with Martha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceymoon/

Federal Government Fiscal Year – October 1st through September 30th
A critical step in identifying your customer’s journey is by knowing what is happening behind their closed doors each quarter of the federal government fiscal year

The most important fiscal year for government marketers is the federal government’s fiscal year. It defines the U.S. government’s budget. During this enlightening session GAINers will learn what is happening during each quarter to assist you in your Customer Journey mapping. Hear which quarters federal buyers focus on budget, acquisition, performance planning, tactical planning, funded projects, end-of-year sweeps and more. You’ll come away from this session with real-world insight into who, what and why as you build your organization’s customer journey map.

GMarkU Ambassador – Kimberly Hancher, Former Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is now a consultant with Deep Water Point

Kimberly Hancher is a tech-savvy executive with an impressive record leading government IT organizations. As an Ambassador with Government Marketing University, she enlists former Government executives to provide insights and understanding of the “Government Voice” to the marketing community. She was the Chief Information Officer at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (US EEOC) and Deputy CIO at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Known for strategic sourcing, risk based decision making and progressive IT leadership, Kimberly is a trusted technical strategist for government to government data exchange, online digital services, software-as-a-service cloud systems, agile software development processes, and innovative “bring-your-own-device” technologies, policies, and programs. After retiring from Federal service in 2016, Kimberly began a new career as a consultant with Deep Water Point helping IT product, service and solution companies navigate the federal market.

Connect with Kimberly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyhancher/

Government Marketing Case Study
Innovative and Successful Government Marketing Campaign

Hear from a GMarkU Mentor and 2018 GAINER Award Winner as she shares the steps needed for a proven government marketing campaign. Liz will share with GAINer’s a campaign she and her team launched jointly with Government Executive.

GMarkU Mentor: Liz Anthony, Senior Vice President Marketing, ViON
Connect with Liz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyliz/

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

2019 GAINER Awards Luncheon

Government Marketing GAINER Awards
Celebrating the best in government marketing across the U.S. Public Sector

Government Marketing Campaigns that have raised the bar with Growth, Acceleration, Innovation and Networking will be recognized and awarded the 2019 GAINER Award. We are excited to have our government marketing community come together at GAIN 2019 to recognize government marketing superstars from across government and industry.
(Nominations open through September 20th – www.governmentmarketingawards.com)

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

GAIN 2019 Afternoon Learning Sessions

Parallels between Government Marketing and Courtroom Litigators
Target your audience and get the positive verdict you want

The choices that our government customers make matter greatly to the IT community that we serve. So do the choices that we make when planning our marketing messaging and campaigns. In this enlightening and engaging session, you’ll hear the parallels between the best courtroom litigators and we as expert government marketers – specifically how those litigators build cases to their target audience to get a winning verdict. You will learn how to make your case to your target audience and get the positive verdict you want.

GMarkU Professor – Jeffrey Wolinsky, Director, Federal Sales, WTOP and Federal News Network

Born into media, Jeffrey Wolinsky grew up in a family owned and operated full-service advertising agency where marketing and advertising were literally part of the menu at the dinner table. For the past 16 years he has worked with hundreds of local and national companies on creative media concepts and execution. Jeffrey currently is the Director of Federal and National Sales for WTOP and FederalNewsNetwork.com. In addition, Jeffrey has extensive sports marketing experience…including current relationships with the Washington Nationals, Capitals and Wizards. He is a certified facilitator of the Creative Problem-Solving Process and is a five-time finalist and 2013 Winner of the National Sales Manager of the year award presented by Radio Ink, a leading industry trade publication.

Connect with Jeffrey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-wolinsky-59961/

Leveraging Social Selling Tactics to Influence the Procurement Process
The social GPS to guide you through the Customer Journey

Several studies have shown that social selling and content marketing can influence the procurement process, a critical step in the Customer Journey from the identification of a problem area through the development of the RFP to award. But few have mapped the process to get on the radar of the influencers inside government who will shape that procurement, from senior executives, program managers and contracting officers.
This session will provide you the social GPS to guide you through this process.

Professor – Mark Amtower, consultant, speaker, business best-selling author, columnist, adjunct graduate professor, and radio host.

Mark Amtower has advised over three thousand large, medium and small companies on all aspects of marketing to the federal government since starting Amtower & Company in 1985. He was selected by BtoB Magazine as one of the Top 100 Business Marketers in the United States 2008 and his LinkedIn profile was selected as one of the seven best (out of 50 million) in the 2009 contest, Rock the World with Your Online Presence. In November of 2018, he was awarded the inaugural Government Marketing University Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Government Marketing. Amtower is recognized as one of the top LinkedIn trainers in the world and the only trainer focused on the U.S. federal market. He specializes in helping companies develop thought leadership positions in a defined niche and leverages social media to gain targeted visibility in the government contracting market. His books, Government Marketing Best Practices (2005) and Amazon best seller Selling to the Government (2011) are industry standards. He has been quoted in over 250 publications worldwide and speaks at 20+ industry events each year. His radio show, Amtower Off Center, is in its twelfth year on Federal News Radio and was the first radio show in the country to address issues impacting the government contracting community. Amtower is the founding partner of the government market advisory firm Amtower & Company, of Columbia, Maryland. He founded the company in January 1985. He is widely known for all black attire, dry wit and candor in his articles, books, consulting, radio interviews, presentations and keynotes.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markamtower

Taming Leadership: A Marketers Guide to selling a marketing program to your leadership team
Crack the code on your other customer – leadership

In many organizations, the marketing department can sometimes have a dysfunctional relationship with their leadership team. These teams tend to operate in siloes, each with their own set of priorities and thought processes, resulting in an internal clash. It is clear how crucial marketing and leadership alignment is for driving successful marketing campaigns. When all teams are in sync, it dramatically improves marketing ROI, overall productivity and ultimately, creates success.

4:00 p.m. – whenever

GAINers Happy Hour

We had a blast at our happy hour last year and it’s back by popular demand!

Government Marketing University ensures we are always teaching the latest and greatest in government marketing. One way we do this is by working with a senior team of government marketers to ensure we have their insight and expertise in everything we do. Many of them are also Mentors for GMarkU’s Mentor/Protégé program enabling government marketers to move beyond who they are right now to whom they can become in the future.