Last week we unveiled the agenda for our Digital Marketing Mixer, which takes place this October 22 and 23 near Phoenix. While the term "Mixer" might confuse some .... Attention, folks! This is not a singles party for marketers! .... the description actually is more literal: It refers to the "mix" of what we see as the Big Three, the triumvirate of any online marketer's tool shed: search, email and social media.


While I'm excited about the sessions (more about that here), I'm super excited about the keynotes for October, and my fingers can't help but tremble on the keyboard when I tell you that Arianna Huffington highlights Day 1, and Gary Vaynerchuk is all that on Day 2.
I'm trying hard to contain my delight, but it's not really working: I confess that I'm a huge fan of both Arianna and Gary, for very different reasons.
Arianna, as most of you probably know, is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of something like 47 books. (Actually, I just checked. She's written 11.) She is also co-host of Left, Right & Center, public radio's political roundtable program. (Given that our October event falls just prior to the general election, Arianna should offer some lively commentary indeed.)
Vaynerchuk may be less a household name than Huffington, but it will be. Six years ago, Gary took over his family's New Jersey liquor store and subsequently, after rebranding it as the Wine Library (and launching the highly addictive WineLibraryTV), transformed it from a corner store ringing roughly $4 million in annual sales to a $50 million business. Gary will talk about the tools he used to do so, as well as offer some thoughts on business, personal branding and tapping your passion.
I met Gary last month in Boston, and after watching him in action, I came to think of Gary as a cocktail: He's one part business entrepreneur, one part motivation speaker, and one part grappa. Shaken.
I hope you'll join us this fall. Both Arianna and Gary will have plenty to say to a room full of the likes of you (I hope!) in Phoenix. Read more about them here or, if you are convinced, what are you waiting for?
Hope to see you there!