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

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 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 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 “Services 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 Tracey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceymoon/

What’s happening Behind Closed Doors with the Government Buyer?
A critical step in identifying your customer’s journey is by knowing what is happening behind their closed doors each quarter of their 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/

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. Learn more at https://www.gmarku.com/connect/government-marketing-awards/
(Nominations are now closed. We look forward to announcing this year’s 2019 GAINer Award winners!)

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/

Video Killed the Federal Media Marketplace Star
The Dos and Don’ts of TV appearances for the business of government

Government Matters has had a lot of freedom experimenting with what works — and what doesn’t — when covering the business of government on television. This session will cover topics like choosing an appropriate guest for the TV medium, preparing your guest for taping day, getting the most out of an interview once it airs, and increasing the likelihood that your guest earns a repeat appearance.

GMarkU Professor – George Jackson, Creator & Executive Producer, Government Matters on WJLA-TV

George joined WJLA-TV in 2012 to produce Capital Insider, which won him an Emmy award. One year later, he developed and recorded the pilot episode of Government Matters – initially a niche program about the federal information technology (IT) marketplace. It debuted as a weekly show on Sunday, August 4th of 2013. Three years later, George re-launched Government Matters as a daily show and broadened its focus to include tech, security, defense, workforce, acquisition, and industry issues. In 2019, he produced Government Matters’ first feature-length documentary: The Dawn of Generation AI.

Connect with George by mobile phone or email: 703-357-5895 or georgejackson@sbgtv.com

Not all Media is Created Equal
Which media tools and vehicles deliver the best results, based on solid research

Every day federal government decision-makers are inundated with marketing. From car radios to inboxes, B2G marketers have numerous channels through which they can reach their target customer. However, not all media is created equal. Recent results from the 2019 Federal Media and Marketing Study combined with the latest data on the best content formats and channels to reach public sector customers will provide attendees with a better understanding of which media tools and vehicles will deliver the best results, based on solid research.

GMarkU Professor – Aaron Heffron, President, Market Connections, Inc.

Aaron Heffron has over 20 years of experience in research and analysis in various industries and sectors, including federal government, trade associations, technology, television and radio, and telecommunications. Prior to joining Market Connections, Aaron worked with The NPD Group, Inc. connecting NPD’s syndicated consumer data with federal, state and local government agencies. He founded some of the first public/private partnerships with the U.S. Department of Commerce to improve economic indicators and data gathering practices. Aaron’s professional history is rooted in both the public sector and the technology and telecommunications industries, including past positions with Market Connections, Inc.; the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), a trade association that represented the interests of America’s 357 public television stations; and Independent Sector (IS), a coalition of 700 national nonprofit organizations, foundations and corporate giving programs.

Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aheffron/

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.

Professor – Allan Rubin, CMO, ORock Technologies

Allan Rubin is Chief Marketing Officer at ORock Technologies, an early-stage infrastructure and cloud service provider serving government and highly regulated commercial industries. His career spans 25+ years in B2B and B2G marketing with companies of all sizes, from startups and mid-size firms to Fortune 150 corporations. This includes more than a decade of senior leadership experience in the public sector and commercial IT channels as Vice President of Marketing for immixGroup and Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions North America.Allan’s marketing background also includes positions in digital and print media, training, and distribution with companies such as AOL, ESI International, Phillips Business Information, and Kraft General Foods. His expertise covers multiple areas of marketing strategy and execution, including channel marketing, demand generation, marketing communications, digital marketing, content marketing, market intelligence,marketing operations, product marketing, events, and sales support. Allan earned a B.A. in Government from Franklin and Marshall College and was selected as a 2017 Channel Chief by The Channel Company/Computer Reseller News.

Connect with Allan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanrubin/

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