Event Marketer Spring 2023 - 60

SHANLEY
Linda
CURRENT POSITION: VP-Events and Executive Briefing
Program, Palo Alto Networks
DREAM TEAM TITLE: VP-Global Events
WHY WE WANT HER: She's a firm believer in " global
excellence and cultural
relevance, " a viewpoint
that's coming to life in
a new international
roadshow she created.
At Palo Alto Networks, Shanley
is tasked with overseeing a
portfolio that includes internal
events, sales kickoffs, president's
club experiences, user conferences
and
third-party
trade
shows,
like Mobile World ConAs
one of the top cybersecurity vendors in the
world, Palo Alto Networks engages its global
community of customers with events and
appearances that answer, " Why Palo Alto Networks? "
For Linda Shanley, the company's vp of
events and executive-briefing program, being
crystal clear on what event is for whom and why
is critical to succeeding at a time when portfolios
and travel budgets are under scrutiny.
" We are challenging ourselves to think about
those big concentrated moments where you are
all together and you feel connected and part of a
community, and then balance those with a modular
approach where we can go to where the attendees
are, " she says. " It's a hub and spoke approach. "
60
EVENT MARKETER SPRING 2023
gress and RSA. Having joined the
company at the height of the pandemic,
she leveraged her 30 years
of global experience in marketing
and events to navigate the complex
world of virtual events and
remote work before setting her
sights on bringing the company's
flagship show, Ignite Conference,
back to an in-person event in
December 2022.
Ignite Conference, which celebrated
its 10th anniversary, gave several thousand
cybersecurity professionals access to more
than 100 breakout sessions, product training,
and certification opportunities. But in recognizing
the limitations global audiences still face
in the post-pandemic era, her team this March
piloted a modular, roadshow program-Ignite
on Tour-that targeted Frankfurt, Dubai, São
Paulo, Paris, and London, with daylong events
offering " highlights " from the flagship Ignite
Conference.
" We have to stop trying to make all events all
things for all people. There's a tendency to want
to have everybody there and a belief that we have
to say everything all at once, because we've got
this moment that we're paying for. And I think
you dilute the message, " Shanley says. " When
you're all things to all people, you're nothing to
everyone. So, if we nail that clarity, our audiences
will know what they're coming for, and they'll
know it's going to be an investment that's well
worth their time and budget. "
As a b-to-b marketer, Shanley believes in generating
moments down the line for audiences
that keep them coming back for more, like additional
education, a strategy she says helps boost
growth. " There's an ecosystem around our flagship
that is full funnel marketing, and it's how do
you create a flywheel between events that drive
them to executive briefing centers that drive
them online. It's not just an event in isolation. I
see it as a holistic marketing campaign, " she says.
A global thinker and worker, Shanley recognizes
that good ideas come from everywhere and
draws inspiration from the regional teams-a
" gold mine " of creativity, she says. And at a time
when budgets are tight, her team is embracing
thoughtfulness over lavishness to deliver what
attendees really want, like access to Palo Alto
Networks founder and cyber security industry
rock star, Nir Zuk.
Attendance numbers keep going up, and every
trade show the brand is attending is reporting
increases in numbers as well, which Shanley is
" thrilled " about. " I want to see this continued
proving-out of the model that had worked for a
really time long before the pandemic, " she says.
" It will still work. And I think collectively, we're
proving that. "
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Event Marketer Spring 2023

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