Salt Lake City buzzed with excitement as it hosted The Silicon Slopes Summit last week, Utah's cornerstone tech event.
The summit delivered a whirlwind of innovation, insights, and connections featuring a variety of speakers from brands like Backcountry.com, Volcanic Retail, and more. This year's event included a melting pot of entrepreneurs, investors, and tech enthusiasts, all eager to explore the ever-evolving landscape of technology and its impact on various industries: from the future of AI in retail to the shifting dynamics of tech investment.
Here’s a recap of the most relevant trends for comms folks:
All in on Influencer Marketing
The summit highlighted the growing importance of influencer marketing, particularly the effectiveness of micro-influencers (those with under 5,000 followers). Sessions emphasized aligning influencers with your sales funnel and building authentic relationships for maximum impact. Influencer marketing is becoming increasingly effective for both B2C and B2B brands.
Prioritizing Telling Authentic Brand Stories
In an era of digital noise, authentic brand storytelling has become paramount. Speakers encouraged attendees to embrace their brand's unique personality and "be open to why not," fostering genuine connections with their audience.
AI Continues to Steal the Show
The summit highlighted several important tech sectors including healthtech, edtech, and sustainability. The potential of AI in healthcare and vertical AI opportunities were discussed, including how healthcare disparities in underserved communities can be addressed through innovative technologies, such as those used in cancer screening.
Retail Tech Innovations
Some of the most insightful panels featured leaders from various retail brands discussing how new technologies continue to transform not only consumer behavior – like when and where audiences shop – but also the opportunities for brands when it comes to content creation and storytelling. New technologies are also making sustainability within retail more accessible.
It was a great experience to attend an event focused on technology and community. It’s interesting to see the innovation coming from tech hubs outside the usual players. The Salt Lake City tech scene, also known as Silicon Slopes, has grown rapidly over the past two decades. It has become a thriving hub for startups and established tech companies, leading the Wall Street Journal to recognize it as a top job market. I’m looking forward to seeing Salt Lake own more opportunities in the tech space in the future!
- Kyle Murray, Account Director