October 19th, 2022 was a milestone date for the Utah Digital Marketing Collective.
Not only was it a day when we had yet another great in-person educational event, but it was also our eleventh birthday.
At the beginning of this month's event, I shared the following slides, and I figure it would be quite fitting to share them with everyone here on our blog as well, with some additional context.
Let's dive in...
October 19, 2011 - When It All Began - The Kickoff Event
11 years ago, to the day of our Oct 19, 2022 event, was the very first gathering at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, where SLC|SEM (Salt Lake City Search Engine Marketing) kicked off our very first event.
As the SLC|SEM name suggests, our events were primarily focused on all things SEO.
Organic marketing, all the time. So, our name made sense back then.
But, over the next few years, we began to have events and speakers that focussed on other topics such as PPC (Paid Advertising), content marketing, video, branding, sales, marketing automation, and more. We even had our very first conference in 2015!
As our attendance and the digital marketing landscape grew, so did the monthly topics we covered.
Side Note: I was at this first event. Were you? If so, tell me below in. the comments. 👇
Since 2011 - We've Been Busy - You've Been Learning - Let's Recap
Over the course of 11 years, Utah DMC has become Utah's Largest Digital Marketing Community. This is something we, as an organization, are very proud of.
I quickly glossed over these bullet points at our event, so in this post, I wanted to add some additional context.
Allow me to start with...
The Rebrand:
We decided it was time to rebrand SLC|SEM in early 2018. So we got to work on names and logos. We wanted a name to encompass all things digital marketing, not just be siloed into the SEO/PPC space. We had been covering many other digital marketing topics each month anyway, so it just made sense.
Also, we wanted our new name to reflect who we were as a group. But more importantly who we, as an organization, and as a non-profit, served.
Sure, it's awesome that we put on a lot of great events, but the best part is you.
You showed up to learn, network, help each other with common issues and even help others in career advancements. Some of you even took the stage to teach those in the crowd. How awesome is that?
I guess one could call us a community. But we were more than just that. We were a collective. A collective of some of the best and brightest minds in the digital marketing industry, right here in Utah!
We announced the rebrand of SLC|SEM to Utah Digital Marketing Collective in August 2018!
Next up...
Events, Education, Speakers, Oh My!
Prior to our October 2022 event, I spent some time digging through all of our event & CRM data.
In my mind, I had an idea of what had transpired over the years, but researching it thoroughly, and adding the data to slides, set the record in stone.
I was amazed at how far Utah DMC has come over the years.
I mean, this little non-profit, with a volunteer board, and an amazing community, did all of this?
I mean. WOW! There has been some serious IMPACT!
Since October 19, 2011, we have had:
- 101 In-Person Monthly Events. October 19, 2022, was actually 101!
- Well over 200 different presenters/speakers have been on our monthly event stage
- 5 Conferences in the books
- 41 Online Events (during the pandemic to current)
- and finally, we have had over 6,500 people in attendance across all of our events
Those stats are amazing!
It's amazing to see how the Utah Digital Marketing Collective has impacted our local digital marketing community over the years.
A Simple Thank You Is Not Enough
On behalf of the Utah DMC board of directors, I want to express the gratitude we have for our entire community. Our members, attendees, sponsors, and speakers.
To our paid members: Thank you for believing in us and our mission. Thank you for attending so many of our events, and continuing to be a part of our ever-growing community of great minds who are willing to learn, teach and grow together. Whether you are a student, individual, or corporate member, YOU are the reason we do this.
To our sponsors: From our humble beginnings in 2011, when a few organizations stepped up to help fund the organization in the early days, to the sponsors we've had to help make our conferences and monthly events a success, thank you all for joining us on this journey.
To our speakers: WOW, we have had a lot of speakers over the years. 320+ according to the numbers above. With that said, thank you for believing in our mission, and in almost every case, donating your time and expertise. You came out and stood on one of our DMC stages and helped our collective learn and grow. I know for a fact, from what attendees have shared with me over the years, that many of you have inspired a lot of people to go on and do great things in digital marketing. The value and experiences you brought, along with your willingness to share and teach, are appreciated more than you know.
To all attendees: Look, I know membership may not make sense for everyone who comes out one time to Utah DMC events, but, at the end of the day, you decided to give us a chance on one or more occasions. How freaking cool is that? I am so thankful to all of you who trusted us to help you along your digital marketing journey. Also, I hope we see you again.
Not on the slides I presented, but I wanted to add additional thanks here.
To all DMC hosts: So many local companies have hosted us over the years. Companies like Adobe, Divvy, Lucid, SolutionReach, Pluralsight, ZAGG, and Instructure. Thank you for the space, as well as for having your staff be so generous with their time and hanging out with us as our event hosts.
To all DMC volunteers: DMC would not be where it is today without all of our current and past volunteers. Whether you helped out at a monthly event, a conference, on a committee, or on the board of directors, thank you for all you have done and continue to do.
Speaking of the board of directors...
To all board members, past and present: SLC|SEM / Utah DMC would 1000% not be where it is today without all of you. It takes a village to run DMC, and I could not do a proper thank you without dropping some names here. (I hope I didn't miss anyone)
- Founding members: Elisabeth Osmeloski, Ryan Nadu, Ryan Hutchings, Dustin Engel, and David Mink
- Past Leadership: Jesse Nuttall, Jake Hoopes, Bryant Garvin, Bryan Phelps. Kevin Phelps. Tiffany Rhodes
- Current leadership: April Nuttall, David Malmborg, AJ Wilcox, Alisa Gammon & Paxton Gray
Personally, I can not thank all of you enough, for not only starting SLC|SEM in the first place but for everyone continuing to support Utah Digital Marketing Collective to this day.
It has been an honor and a pleasure serving with all of you over the years.
This leads me to finally say...
Happy 11th Birthday Utah DMC - The Journey Continues
Wrapping up... It's been an amazing 11 years.
I have been officially involved with Utah DMC, on the board of directors, since 2014. So 8 years now. Add to that, as I mentioned earlier, I was at that very first event in 2011 as an attendee. I'm trying to rack my brain as I write this and think if there was ever an event I missed. To be honest, I don't recall missing any. Kind of crazy to think about!
I believe the future is bright for Utah DMC. So much is changing in the digital marketing landscape, and I hope that Utah DMC will continue to be here to fulfill its mission to educate, engage, and elevate digital marketing professionals here in Utah, and beyond.
Here is to another 11 years!
🎂 Happy birthday Utah DMC! 🎉
Cheers,
Doc
President | Utah DMC
PS: I'd love to hear from you in the comments. How has Utah DMC impacted you over the past 11 years? Feel free to comment below! 👇