The basics: INBOUND, the annual conference for marketing and sales professionals hosted by HubSpot, continues to grow its attendance year after year with thoughtful strategies designed to engage and captivate its audience. Case in point: This year’s event, held Sept. 18-20 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), saw a little over 12,500 registrations and an on-site attendance of approximately 12,000—an increase from the previous year’s 11,000.
“Since COVID, we’ve seen a steady rise in attendee numbers—not just in registrations but also in show rate,” explained Katherine Tooley, HubSpot’s vice president of global events and experiential marketing, noting that INBOUND typically sits between an impressive 88% and 95% show rate in certain attendee categories. 
One of the most talked-about features of INBOUND is its colorful expo floor. "Many of us on the event team came from festival backgrounds, and from live music or media," Tooley pointed out. "Even though it's a B2B event, there’s still a human running that business. And humans want a lot of the same experiences—they want to learn, but they also want to play, network, and eat great food. We try to blend those elements together."Photo: Courtesy of HubSpot
A reimagined ticketing plan: HubSpot has made significant post-COVID changes to its ticketing model, which Tooley noted has boosted both engagement and show rates. "Before, we gave away a lot of free tickets for the expo experience and sponsor visits, but we noticed that the engagement and show rate for those free tickets were lowering year after year," she explained.
In response, the team has shifted away from free passes in favor of selling more tickets. In Tooley’s view, this change has led to a more invested audience. "When people purchase tickets, they’re more likely to show up, engage with the content, network, and fully experience the event—whereas with a free ticket, you might drop in for a session or two and then leave," she said. This shift has helped transform INBOUND from a drop-in event to a fully immersive four-day experience, she added. 
There were more than 200 breakout sessions to choose from, focused on topics ranging from email marketing and content development to leadership and advertising.Photo: Halo Creative
To address this, the team launched HubSpot Academy Labs this year as a beta test. The 90-minute, think tank-style sessions were led by HubSpot Academy professors; a maximum of 45 attendees brought their laptops and actively used the HubSpot product during the session. “The sessions were really highly rated, and it was definitely what we would call our graduate-level sessions for more of the regular HubSpot users,” Tooley said. “They got a lot of really good traction.”
HubSpot also introduced a new live debate format called "Takedowns." "Attendees loved it because they got to ask questions and challenge the panelists at the end," she noted, adding that the format generated a lot of interaction and engagement. 
This year’s lineup featured the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Serena Williams—along with more localized and practical content. “It’s really important for us to strike that balance between the entertainment and thought leadership programming and the hands-on training,” said Tooley, adding that the team curates a mix of “edutainment”—where attendees have fun but also learn—and practical sessions that help solve specific problems.Photo: Courtest of INBOUND
Strategy-focused logistics: "September is an optimal month for B2B conferences and thought leadership events," Tooley pointed out, noting that INBOUND takes place just before the start of Q4—a critical planning period for the SaaS industry. "There’s a lot of excitement about future business planning and how HubSpot can influence that." Additionally, the timing of the event aligns with what Tooley describes as “that 'school spirit' energy of being in Boston,” which only adds to the buzz and engagement.
INBOUND's location at the BCEC in the Seaport, a vibrant neighborhood in Boston, plays a significant role in its success. “We’ve shifted from wanting to control every space in the Seaport to embracing a SXSW-like model,” Tooley said. Rather than monopolizing venues, HubSpot encourages partners, sponsors, and even attendees to host their own events throughout the neighborhood.
This strategy creates a more dynamic experience, allowing attendees to move seamlessly from breakfast meetings to the main conference and onto networking events in the evening, Tooley noted. "The entire Seaport lights up during INBOUND," she added, resulting in what feels almost like a 24-hour event.
The power of technology: Networking is a key component of any successful conference, and INBOUND makes it as simple as possible with badge technology provided by Klik. “It makes connecting with people so easy—you just tap badges, and this year, we integrated it with Connect.com, which is HubSpot’s community platform," explained Tooley. "Every time attendees connected on site, they automatically connected in the digital community as well, so they could continue their conversations after the event."
