PPC Ian

Digital marketing is the career path that never gets boring. This past week, I had the honor and pleasure of attending Google’s exclusive AdWords Performance Forum (APF) 2014. For those who have been reading PPC Ian for a while, you may remember that I blogged about AdWords Performance Forum 2013 last year. Last year’s APF was truly amazing, at the W Hotel in San Francisco. This year, in my opinion, Google outdid themselves. They pulled out all stops and delivered a conference that was the best I have experienced in my career. Today, I’m thrilled to share my personal experience at APF 2014. I’m also thrilled to share many photos throughout this post taken at the event!

Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay: An Incomparable Setting

It all starts with the setting. This year Google decided to host the event at the incomparable Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. As someone based out of the Silicon Valley, I have experienced the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay before, and it’s one of my favorite hotels. This time, however, I experienced it like never before. Google placed me in an ocean front suite, provided amazing food and beverages, set up some of the coolest networking events ever, and made it a true pleasure. I especially appreciated the fact that I could walk right outside of my hotel room and go for a morning jog along the beautiful beach. (Side note: 2014 is the year that PPC Ian truly integrates exercise into his daily routine, no matter what!) Google truly appreciates their largest advertisers, and the choice in venue made that incredibly apparent. It was so easy for me since the drive to/from the Ritz was beautiful and scenic, especially with my convertible top down. This is the good life.

AdWords Performance Forum: Google Pulled Out All Stops

Have you ever been to a conference where 20+ new Google products are released? Have you ever been to a conference where the seating is so comfortable that you never get tired of the event? (I could not believe the comfort. Google had us sitting in leather chairs/sofas that each had their own little swiveling table with power cords to any device you’d want to charge.) Have you ever been to a conference where everyone who attends gets a free Android tablet, and not the cheap one either, the 32 GB model? Have you ever been to an event where the networking feels like the "who’s who" of digital marketing? I could go on and on, Google pulled out all stops. I literally could not stop sharing my business card and writing notes the entire time. When you look at the networking benefits, the planning/roadmap benefits, and the simple fact that I went away energized and motivated, you really cannot beat this opportunity.

My Personal Highlight: PPC Ian is Featured at APF 2014

I’m not going to get in to the specifics of my particular lessons at this event. A lot of it was NDA-only so I’m unfortunately not able to share. That said, if you have a Google Account Management team, make sure to stay in close contact. Ask them about the AdWords Performance Forum. See if they’re able to share the roadmap and product announcements. Google has always been such an amazing partner who "gets it". Ask and you very well may receive! Even if you don’t have a dedicated team, follow the Google blogs closely. There is some truly amazing stuff on the way.

Now, one thing I am able to share is the fact that PPC Ian got featured! I really couldn’t believe this. My team and I had worked with Google on a really cool case study, all about the brand impact of Display Advertising. In one of their sessions about Display, Google featured our case. Additionally, they had a screenshot of PPC Ian on the big screen and even gave me a shout out. I was humbled and in a state of disbelief. How cool is that? PPC Ian has really made the big time now. Google actually used my blog to make a point. The very man who has branded himself as PPC Ian (PPC stands for "pay per click") is now an incredible fan of Display Advertising, so much of a fan that he’s doing case studies with Google. This makes a point or two about the current state of Display Advertising on Google and how amazing it is. It’s Brad Bender (Director, Product Management at Google) that put me on the big screen, and I truly thank you Brad!

Matt Lawson: The Industry Leader and Guru Behind The Event

Matt Lawson and Ian Lopuch

Who’s been reading PPC Ian for 4+ years? For those long time supporters, you may recall that I did an interview with Matt Lawson a few years back. Matt is now the Director, Search Ads Marketing at Google and was responsible for AdWords Performance Forum 2014.

I had the true pleasure of spending time with my old friend and witnessing first hand his masterpiece: Strategizing and executing upon the best digital marketing event I have ever attended. Matt is a true leader in our industry and I wanted to take this opportunity to personally say "thank you". It was my honor to attend. It was my honor to do the case study with your team. I look forward to many more future events like this one, and am always here to help in any way I can. Google has hired the best-of-the-best with industry veteran and leader, Matt Lawson.

I’m Officially Energized and Motivated Thanks To Google

Do you get a rush from public speaking? AdWords Performance Forum certainly provided that opportunity with the ability to ask questions to Product Managers and leaders at Google, in front of an audience of hundreds. I got a few fun questions in there. Combining this amazing opportunity with everything discussed above, I left the conference energized and more motivated than ever before. Our industry is going places, and Google is leading the way. Thanks, Google, for an amazing experience and I hope to see you again at AdWords Performance Forum 2015!

Images in this post © PPCIan.com

What a busy and exciting two weeks! After speaking at the MediaPost Search Insider Summit at Amelia Island, FL last week, I attended the Google AdWords Performance Forum in San Francisco this week. The world of digital marketing is truly 24/7. These have been two weeks of balancing a full workload with the extra responsibility and fun times of great events! Today, I wanted to share some exciting photos from the APF 2013, and my fun experience.

Steve Kroll (Rocket Clicks), Tom Wolf (Rocket Clicks), Ian Lopuch (Me)

It all started on Monday at the W Hotel San Francisco. As soon as I arrived, Googlers greeted me in the lobby and directed me to the third floor. On the third floor, Google had a special VIP check-in area, complete with Google Micro Kitchen. Google thought of every possible detail, they made all of their guests feel like royalty.

After checking in, I went up to my room and was truly impressed. The rooms were outstanding, I could not be happier with the experience. The workstation, view, and overall feel of the room made me feel right at home. This was perfect since I had to get a full week’s worth of work done while attending the conference. The workstation and pleasant experience made that super easy.

Monday night, Google had an amazing kick off party. They had delicious food, amazing displays (see the Jelly Fish and Google Earth pictures below), and awesome company. My words cannot fully do the event justice, you must see the pictures below. I bumped into several Googlers I know and a variety of friends from the industry. I was especially happy to bump into my friends Steve Kroll and Tom Wolf from Rocket Clicks, PPC, SEO, and UX agency. After the Google party, Steve and Tom were kind enough to treat me to a fantastic dinner at Ame Restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel. We chatted about online marketing, business, and life. If you are looking for an agency, I highly recommend checking out Rocket Clicks. They are truly amazing. They are not only one of the best when it comes to knowledge and results, but are truly honest, great people. It is my honor to call Steve, Tom, and Rocket Clicks my friends.

After dinner, I headed back to my room to catch some sleep. Day two (Tuesday) was awesome. It was a day full of learning. I especially enjoyed the session about Enhanced Campaigns. I’m truly pumped up about Enhanced Campaigns and learned a lot of great ideas, directly from other leading advertisers and Googlers. After this conference, I feel incredibly prepared to take full advantage of the new Enhanced Campaign paradigm. Another highlight of day two: The opportunity to have lunch with Google product managers, providing feedback about the platform. I’m always thrilled to share ideas/feedback with Google and truly enjoyed the collaborative working session lunch. After a long day of sessions, day two ended with yet another party. It is very clear that Google invested a ton of time and money in preparing this conference. It showed through in every single detail. I had a lot of fun on day two, and bumped into my friend Sean Marshall from PPC Associates. Sean is an amazing guy and works at an amazing company, we had a ton of fun catching up.

Day three (Wednesday) was a half day of more great sessions. Google packed in so much valuable content, networking, fine dining, and partying. They truly care about their advertisers and are vested in their success. Thank you, Google, for an amazing AdWords Performance Forum. It was my honor to attend!

Pictures From The AdWords Performance Forum

AdWords Performance Forum Party Google Jelly Fish

AdWords Performance Forum Party Google Earth

AdWords Performance Forum Google Micro Kitchen

W Hotel San Francisco Room, Great Workstation

View From My Room, W Hotel San Francisco