NTCA members representing all corners of the country - from Alaska, Texas, Vermont and everywhere in between - gathered in Fort Lauderdale this week for the first in-person NTCA Marketing + Sales Conference since 2019. There was no shortage of conversation during the packed two and a half days, as NTCA members met to learn and strategize for the biggest broadband moment in a generation.
The week started out strong with networking and a Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) fundraiser benefiting the Tim Owens Memorial Fund. Owens, a noted lover of the arts, was instrumental in launching FRS, and the fund will allow students who join the FRS Youth Tour to participate in a cultural event every year.
On Monday, after some early birds came out to sunrise yoga on the beach, attendees heard from marketing professor Jonah Berger, who spoke about ways members can get customers to pay attention. He told the audience, "If something is top of mind, it’s more likely to be tip of tongue.” Attendees then heard from Kaleigh Cox with Fiber Homes and Taylor Telecom's Amanda Hofer about ways to connect fiber communities with real estate agents and attract new residents to small towns. Hofer said, "Just because we're rural doesn't mean we're worse off than the city."
Following lively roundtables based on company size, attendees learned the winners of the Marketing eXcellence Awards and broke out for further sessions on topics like digital marketing and e-sports. On Tuesday, attendees broke out into "curbside consultations" to discuss hot topics in the industry and get advice from each other on projects. The conference closed with NTCA's Josh Seidemann leading a panel in new opportunities for broadband funding and how marketing and public relations will play a key role.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Florida. See you next year in Austin, Tex.!