The 9 Biggest and Best Moments of C3

During the non-stop excitement and craziness of C3, we barely had a minute to stop and appreciate our favorite moments of the conference.

Now that the final Searchie Award has been given out, and the final ounce of organic marketing genius was squeezed out of our speakers (metaphorically of course), we are looking back on the unforgettable moments of this year’s C3.

If you missed C3 or you want to relive the experience, check out Virtual C3, April 12.

1. The Only Algorithm That Matters

Coming right out the gate, our fearless leader and CEO, Seth Besmertnik, gave a kick-ass keynote that empowered us to take control of our SEO budgets. After all, the only algorithm that matters is the hearts and minds of our customers.

There's only one algorithm that matters, the heart of your customer @Besmertnik #C3NY @Conductor pic.twitter.com/Z5927HH3MV

— Julie Fouque (@julie_fouque) March 1, 2017

2. If You Weren’t There, Would The Market Even Notice?

We may have had minor existential crises when Joanna Lord (CMO of ClassPass) asked, “If you weren’t there, would the market even notice?” But she didn’t leave us hanging. She had simple steps for driving growth and establishing your place in the market during her inspirational breakout session.

.@JoannaLord Don't obsess over tactics, no one silver bullet, revenue>growth, & stick to the roots #c3ny pic.twitter.com/LsbfDkJoDd

— Richard (@rich83) March 2, 2017

Her solution: Create value. Get it in front of as many people as possible. Get it in front of them as often as possible.

3. Legend (Wait For It) Certified.

This year, a whopping 43 people earned their Legend Certification in Conductor Searchlight, along with 13 MVP and 27 All Star Certifications.

At the #C3NY conference on March 1st, PV’s entire #SEO team got Conductor-certified at the Legend level. https://t.co/XS4Kc9IgEi @Conductor pic.twitter.com/WVe70hkZlK

— Wpromote (New York) (@PrimeVisibility) March 3, 2017

And that test is NO JOKE. Wear those medals with pride, SEO superstars. You deserve it.

4. Wil Reynolds Blew Our Minds

As always, Wil Reynolds had the crowd entranced during his morning keynote on Day 2. He schooled us in psychology and explained to us why we search the way we do.

https://twitter.com/mattparkerfl/status/837310413431779328

Needless to say, he may understand us (or at least our search habits) better than we understand ourselves.

Soak up more of Wil Reynolds’ genius in this exclusive interview.

5. “I Create Remarkable Experiences.”

For those of us in the audience of Robert Rose’s keynote on Day 2, there was a palpable feeling in the air: we felt understood.

'I create remarkable experiences' What do you do? Great keynote by @Robert_Rose @ #C3NY @PrimeVisibility pic.twitter.com/hJ2loBvLHy

— Jwaz (@Jwaz89) March 2, 2017

One part content revolutionary and one part stand-up comedian, Robert Rose addressed those concerns we all have about how to craft a content strategy that both drives return and engages our audience.

In between fits of laughter, we learned the strategic steps we should take to “create an experience that, itself, demands an audience.”

https://twitter.com/garthobrien/status/837339123102908418

Did you know we did an interview with him? Get more of Robert Rose here.

6. The Bloody Mary Bar

451 Marketing‘s Bloody Mary Bar certainly spiced up Day 2 of C3. But in fairness, we did warn you it would be the hottest organic marketing conference of the year.

@451Marketing really brought their A game to #C3NY thanks for the Bloody Mary's! pic.twitter.com/d84HHrdfAo

— Maggie Barr (@magzsbarr) March 2, 2017

Read about 451 Marketing and their recipe for reporting success in this profile.

7. “This is Not a Joke…”

Even without any Moonlight/La La Land mix-ups, this year’s Searchie Awards were our most exciting yet. We honored 11 of the best and brightest marketers and brands in their fields during our award ceremony.

This year’s winners included:

Most Innovative – Acronym Media

Best Global SEO – Citi

Excellence in Team Enablement – Johns Hopkins Health Systems

Conductor Searchlight Power User – Jeffrey Dreiblatt, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Best in Class Agency – Amsive Digital

Best in Class Brand – Ancestry.com

Small Team, Big Return – Advance Auto Parts

Industry Rising-Star – Ernie Menold, 451 Marketing

Industry MVP – Josepf Haslam, Education Dynamics

Conductor Rookie of the Year – Shutterstock

Content Powerhouse – Char-Broil

Honored by @Conductor w/ #C3NY Searchie for "Industry MVP" @EdDynamics nominated for 3 Awards for our #HigherEd #SEO practices! Thank you! pic.twitter.com/JbSda6aLhU

— Josepf Haslam (@Josepf) March 3, 2017

This year's #Searchie for the Industry Rising-Star goes to Ernie Menold! #C3NY #451Marketing pic.twitter.com/FUb6kQ6g1p

— 451 Agency (@451_agency) March 1, 2017

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRHEer6lKT_/?taken-by=path_interactive

8. #PuppetSquad

Since the stage was set at the New World Stages (home of Avenue Q), we were blessed with the Puppet Squad aka the official welcoming crew to C3 and our hardest working volunteers.

Can't lose when puppets welcome you to a conference #C3NY #avenueQ

— db (@chutneylix) March 1, 2017

After all, nothing goes hand in hand quite like organic marketing and puppets!

9. The Post-It Wall

Each year, we’re consistently reminded that the best part of C3 is that it brings us all together. This year, our post-it wall did just that, and allowed us to share the marketing challenges we’re facing. After all, we are not alone.

One of my favorites from #C3NY #wearenotalone pic.twitter.com/qM7qREs9N6

— Matt McKinley (@mckinley28) March 2, 2017

What were your favorite moments from C3? Share them with us!

And make sure to register for Virtual C3 on April 12th, where you can watch videos, see presentations, and relive the excitement of C3.