Why the Female Founders community should attend the Marketplace Conference
Our partners at Speedinvest are once again organising the global Marketplace Conference online on November 16th & 17th! This annual conference is about sharing key insights on all things related to network effects. The event will be a combination of keynote speakers and panel discussions focused on all topics connected to marketplaces: product, growth hacking, fundraising and more.
In addition to the keynotes and panel discussions, there will be plenty of opportunities to network with fellow entrepreneurs, operators and top VCs. If you are interested in network effects and marketplaces this event is for you!
At Female Founders we know that events happening in the startup ecosystem, such as the Marketplace Conference, are often attended by far more men than women. There are many reasons for this, but we want to use this blog post as a way to encourage more women who are involved in this space to attend the event by highlighting the most relevant opportunities for our community.
To help us do this we spoke directly with the Marketplace Conference (MPC) team. Together we talked about three main topics that we thought would be most helpful for our community to know about this year’s Marketplace Conference:
- Who should attend the conference?
- Which sessions should the entrepreneurial women of our community join?
- The importance of networking and tips for making connections online
1. Who should attend the conference?
The MPC Team explained to us that the conference is relevant for anyone who is doing something related to network effects and marketplaces. If you are a founder, CEO, product professional, marketer, growth hacker, operations executive or investor, this event is for you!
The conference provides attendees with:
- Deep insights and experience on the latest trends in marketplaces
- Masterclasses on different parts of the startup value chain whether it is on products, growth hacking, culture or even fundraising
- Exposure to potential investors who could support them with capital, knowledge and networks
We also want to highlight how important it is for the women who are involved in working on any of these topics to sign up and be present at major events such as the Marketplace Conference. Not only will attending the event directly benefit you and the venture you are working on, but it is will also have positive effects on other entrepreneurial women and the startup ecosystem as a whole. Diverse and Female-led ventures are 73% more likely to build impactful ventures. A strong impactful ecosystem that supports innovation and growth needs to include diverse perspectives and experiences.
2. Which sessions should the entrepreneurial women of our community join?
The Marketplace Conference has so many different sessions and talks for participants to attend. We thought it would be interesting to find out which sessions are a must-attend specifically for our community.
The MPC team shared that every item on the schedule is potentially relevant for the women in our community. Finding out which sessions are going to be most valuable and interesting for you depends on the type of startup you are building or would like to build. At the Marketplace Conference, there are three tracks this year: The Creator Track, Embedded Finance Track and Logistics Track. So depending on if you have a venture in a particular track, you may decide to take that one.
That being said, it is also important to attend sessions outside of your specific interests. In fact, the MPC team suggested that you attend as many as possible. Whether you are a female entrepreneur or leader – attendees get to meet and hear best practices from businesses in a variety of industries that might be very different to theirs, therefore you might be able to learn something new and apply it in your industry.
For those who would rather hear practical examples, the Masterclasses at the event offer hands-on knowledge and actionable insights that founders and operators can directly apply in their ventures. These sessions are perfect for participants who already have some knowledge on a certain topic but would like to get advice on how to apply it in real-life scenarios.
3. Why is networking an important part of the event and tips for connecting in an online format
Networking is a huge part of the Marketplace Conference, we asked the MPC team why they specifically think networking is so important and we have to say, the answer was pretty great:
“One word. Serendipity. If one does not show up, how can you “hope” to meet a cofounder, potential new hire that will join your mission, a strategic partner to enhance distribution or even an investor for your next round? Sometimes you make your own luck and this seems like low-hanging fruit to achieve this”.
From the Female Founders perspective, networking in a setting such as the Marketplace Conference is especially important for entrepreneurial women. Women frequently have different tendencies surrounding networking than men. For example, women often do not mix business and friendship and typically focus on forming deeper, longer-lasting connections. This results in women having smaller networks which limits their chances of being introduced to the right people or learning about different opportunities. Networking at events like the Marketplace Conference provides the perfect opportunity for women to expand their network in a professional setting.
During the two day conference, there are multiple opportunities and formats for networking such as:
- Sessions dedicated to meeting with VCs, which are earmarked in the program
- Attendees are welcome and encouraged to reach out to other participants during the event and connect directly either via chat or video call
- The “unconference” session where the audience will be driving conversations around marketplace related topics that are important to them. This creates a great avenue for VCs (and others) to also learn from others beyond their usual networks
Here are some tips from the MPC team to make the most out of these networking opportunities:
- Be professional but personable
- Think about what you can “give” to people you meet not just what you can take
- Listen, learn and contribute (even if it is to ask questions – just make sure you ask thoughtful ones)
- And most importantly, be yourself, be confident and have fun!
We hope that if you haven’t signed up already, this blog article has convinced you to take advantage of the awesome opportunities the Marketplace Conference has to offer!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
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