The Marketer is a publication and podcast dedicated to marketing from an Australian and specifically west coast perspective founded by Clayton Smith and Carma Levene CPM.
They found there wasn’t a lot of places they could access marketing analysis of local campaigns (something they both loved to do), so they put competition aside to come together and create one.
The Grill The Marketer event was then born from conversations with marketing event attendees, who had been triggered to attend a marketing event by a particular challenge, and after sitting through a thinly veiled PowerPoint sales pitch, had missed out on the opportunity to ask that one burning question.
“What if we did an event that’s 100% Q&A?” asked Carma. “That’s crazy – let’s do it!” was Clayton’s response. The concept was born.
The Marketer has been running their Grill events since July 2019, and although they’ve outgrown two venues, the event remains true to its promise – no sales pitches, no PowerPoint presentations and no upsells.
The events run bi-monthly and incorporate a guest onto the panel from the wider marketing community to keep them fresh, but also to make sure the plethora of marketing talent in Perth can meet, collaborate and make the industry stronger while doing so.
Previous guests include agency heads, brand strategists, creatives and other senior marketers and the Grill The Marketer community has grown from strength to strength – with many introductions and collaborations launched from their spirit of collaboration and generosity of knowledge.
“It’s a safe space to ask questions, and we don’t claim to know all the answers, but we’ll share what we do, or point out people in the room who can shed some light on that particular topic” says Carma.
This is likely why the event has grown in a challenging time for event promotion. Everyone from students to senior marketers are welcome, and each event is driven by the audience’s questions, which makes each one unique.
“The opportunity to partner with the AMI has been very exciting for us” said Carma. “It legitimises the event – and means that even more marketers will have the opportunity to participate”
Clayton agrees and adds; “It’s an amazing opportunity to work together with the premier marketing association of both WA and Australia to continue bringing marketers together into a stronger, more supportive collective.”
The AMI partnership means that the AMI WA Emerging Marketers will receive a 15% discount to attend Grill The Marketer events to broaden their experience and deepen their connections with the industry as they launch their careers. We all know the importance of a strong network, and for the bright minds coming through, this is even more true.
For those who hold the Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) certification, attending Grill The Marketer events will allow you to collect PMP points towards maintaining your CPM status. You could even find your way onto the panel, as WA Committee Deputy Chair, Gabe Mach CPM did.
The Australian Marketing Institute and The Marketer look forward to a long and lasting relationship, championing marketing excellence in Western Australia.
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