Conferences

If you are a business user , most conferences focused on your business function include some CRM content, so check them first. The advantage of going to a functional conference is that the contents should be tailored to your specific functional needs. There are also CRM-specific events listed below. When selecting a conference, see whether it will include the type of information that you need, specifically :

• Presentations and demos from vendors , including the ones you are specifically interested in if you've already started looking.

• Information about business best practices, if they are of interest.

• Presentations by potential integrators.

• Case studies from similar businesses (so if you are a medium-size company, examples from very large organizations may not be as useful to you, and vice-versa; if you sell to consumers a B2B example is not as relevant, etc.).

• Networking with peers (business or IT owners ) that have gone through or are going through similar decisions.

Here is a list of regular CRM-focused events. To find the current schedule, use your web search function to locate the appropriate web site:

• CRM Conference

• CRM Leadership Summit (DCI). Held in various venues throughout the U.S. and Europe. Targeted towards both business and IT owners.

• Gartner CRM Summit