There are many ways to become a better marketer.

1. You can read a number of books.
2. You can attend College or a  University.
3. You can blow piles of cash on newspapers, radio advertising,  television commercials, or just hope for the best.

But I’ve got a better suggestion. If you live in Ontario (or even Detroit/Buffalo), you’re in luck. On March 2nd, 2010, there’s going to be a very special event held in Toronto called “The Art of Marketing”. This is, without a doubt, an all-star jam-packed conference that you can’t afford to miss.

And I’m especially calling on all the businesses in my area – the Windsor/Essex County area.  Get in your cars, grab a Timmies, crack the stereo and hit the 401. This is a BIG event that packs some serious thunder. It will pay back in major dividends for you and your business.

Sure, you can go and buy a pile of books, spend a few days reading about social media tactics online, or maybe even hire someone awesome like this guy to come in and whip your business into shape….

Or – you can attend this event and learn WAY more and spend a lot less. I’d still hire this guy though.

Here’s who will be speaking at this jam-packed event.

Seth Godin on Leadership & Creativity – If you’ve been to my blog more than once you know I’m a Seth Godin nut. I think eight of my last 10 posts have included the name “Seth Godin.” Seriously. Seth Godin is by far, one of the (if not THE)  top marketing gurus of our time. He’s written many best-selling books and has been called one of the top 21 greatest speakers of the 21st  century.

If I can give you just ONE reason why this event is worth your time or money, this is it. I’m guessing Godin will be presenting concepts from latest book Linchpin. I wrote down my thoughts about Linchpin here.

That would be enough for most people. If Godin was coming to Toronto on his own to give a talk on leadership and creativity, you could bet the lineup would stretch down the road and wrap around the corner. But the organizers thought “we can make this event even better,” and they did.

What you will learn: (source: theartofmarketing.ca)

• Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
• Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers
• The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World
• Is Your Marketing out of Sync?
• Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change
• Are You Indispensable?

Mitch Joel on Digital Marketing & Social Media – Mitch just released his book Six Pixels of Seperation and will be talking about social media. Thank goodness for that. Everyone and their sister is using social media. But only a handful of businesses are actually getting it. This is your chance to learn how to properly use social media and stand out in a very crowded room.

What you will learn: (source: theartofmarketing.ca)

• How to “burn the ships” and rethink marketing in a connected world
• Mind-blowing stats about the online world and what people are doing/saying about your brand
• How to thrive in a world where anyone can (and is) saying whatever they want about your brands, products,  and services
• Why “why?” is a much more important question to ask your teams than “what?”
• How to understand what “control” means in a digital world
• Why traditional advertising is making us all more irresponsible than ever before
• The theory behind “Digital Darwinism” and how your business will evolve in the next 24 months

Sally Hogshead on Persuasion and Influence – Sally says that the average consumer’s attention span is nine seconds. Count em. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9. If you haven’t captured your audience in those nine seconds, you’ve lost them. I can’t be bothered to read your ad or check your storefront window as I walk by. Why? Because my buddy is IM’ing me; I’ve got 16 texts coming in; I just got invited to seven events on Facebook; and 11 people just re-tweeted my awesome tweet.

How the heck can you break through all of  this?

Sally will show you.

What you will learn: (source: theartofmarketing.ca)

• Seven  triggers to persuasion and captivation: Power, Lust, Mystique, Prestige, Alarm, Vice, and Trust.
• How marketing has changed and what you can do about it
• How to fascinate your audience; leave them wanting more!
• Learn the decision making process and how to implement it into the marketing mix

James Othmer on Advertising & Branding – I don’t know much about James Othmer, but here’s what the event organizers tell us we can learn from James:

What you will learn: (source: theartofmarketing.ca)

• Technological and cultural triggers in the evolution of branding, from persuasion through engagement, through advertising yet to come.
• Why some brands are winning and some are losing the critical battle for authenticity.
• Why advertising is a tension between art, commerce, and ethics.
• Pros and cons of consumer-driven, immersive, imbedded utility,  and now trans-media based branding approaches.
• The roots, triggers, and implications of the coming revolution in narrative branding.
• Discover via case studies from around the world, how understanding this profound shift in the way we create, share, and combine story and technology may prove to be one of the most vital skills of the 21st century marketing.

Max Lenderman on Branding & Experimental Marketing - If there are two words when combined that get me excited, they are “Experimental marketing.” Want to learn the newest and most radical marketing techniques being used around the globe? Max will show and tell you how to start using them in your own business.

What you will learn: (source: theartofmarketing.ca)

• Learn how oligarchs are using radical advertising and marketing tactics to launch brands and reinvent products.
• Dive into the multi-billion-dollar racket of brand fakery at Silk Street, the epicentre of piracy and counterfeiting in China, and learn how pirates are reshaping brands around the world, and what brands are doing to combat and co-opt them.
• Learn the secrets of success to marketing and advertising to four billion poor people in this world by examining how brands and products reach the hinterland of India, which has the world’s largest poor population.
• Find out the strategies and ethos that are driving the future of marketing and advertising in the global marketplace.

Dan Heath on Strategy & Communications - Dan, along with his brother Chip, wrote Made to Stick. This is an amazing book about why some ideas survive and others die. This book will transform the way you think about communicating and sharing your ideas. If you haven’t read it, buy it. But then again, why not just come and listen to Dan speak?

This is going to be a great presentation It’s no surprise the organizers have left this event for the last one of the day.

What can you expect to learn from Dan? (source: theartofmarketing.ca)

• Simplicity: Simplify your message. Simplicity isn’t about dumbing down, it’s about prioritizing
• Demand before Supply: Before your message can stick, your audience must appreciate it
• Credibility: How to create credibility in an untrusting market place
• Emotion: How to enter the emotional realm, emotions lead to actions
• Stories: Driving action through the power of stories

So after all is said and done, you’re looking at this and thinking “Holy Schmoly – That’s a pretty awesome event Noah!” But deep down you’re probably assuming the event costs thousands and thousands of dollars.

And why wouldn’t it?

People would easily pay that and more to hear Seth Godin speak. People HAVE paid that and more! You can’t blame them either. By just applying a few of the right techniques, or making a few changes to the current way you do business; you could easily make a lot more moola!

So what’s it all going to cost you?

Well, I hope someone is near you when you read this because you may just keel over and have a heart attack.

You might end up spitting coffee all over your computer monitor.

You might dance around like a nut for a few minutes.

Because the event is only $399 bucks. (keep reading)

But, let’s just say you enjoy the finer things in life. Like special access doors or being so close to the action that the speakers saliva might hit your forehead.

You want to wine-and-dine enjoying a 3-course meal while I’m outside stuffing my face with  street-vendor Hot Dogs. You can do that too. VIP pricing is only $499 bucks. (keep reading)

Still alive?

Good.

Because you might not be after I drop the next bomb. I persuaded the organizers to do even better. Things are in rough shape in Windsor/Essex county! Give us a break I shouted! And they responded.

If you use the code  CN25, you’ll be able to take $50 bucks off your ticket. This means you can get in for only $349 or you can be a high falootin VIP for only $449! The choice is yours!

REGISTER HERE

Folks, this is a no-brainer. If you want to find me at the event, look for the guy outside keeping the Hot Dog stands in business.

Don’t want to go yourself?

Pony up and send your marketing employee.You know who I’m talking about. The one you keep locked up in the office with no windows. The person, or  highly specialized person, you’ve hired to engage in everything your organization calls “marketing.” Send her.

She will thank you, not just for a day out of the office, but  by showing you the new ways to grow your business. At first it will be hard for you to accept your employee’s recommendations. That’s normal. She’ll explain that there’s more to life than your yellow pages advertisement or the coupon in the local newspaper. She might even show you why,  just because you have a Facebook & Twitter account, that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything even close to social media marketing.

Do it. I hope to see you there.