~ Contributed by Courtney Peters ~

Next week I’ll be attending DMA10 in San Francisco, and I hope to accomplish a couple things while I am there. As a marketing professional, I’m eager to network with others in my field from all types of industries and market segments. I also want to learn from the best and the brightest and hear what marketing thought leaders have to say about the future of my chosen field of work. Plus, I haven’t been to a big trade show in years, so I’m excited to see the booths on the trade show floor and what type of giveaways these companies are using to lure me into their booth. And you know my kids will love the tchotchkes I bring home to them.

I have to admit, I am also very eager to hear from Bret Michaels, one of the keynote speakers who will address “A New Marketing Mindset…..Bridging Entertainment, Technology, and Marketing.” No, I am not an 80’s hair-band lover. I am truly interested in how Michaels has been able re-invented himself as his own brand. I have always been fascinated by companies who can do this, so I’m sure the keynote address will be interesting.

I know I’ll be hitting the Monday night SAS Hospitality event to meet Chris Brogan in person and to mingle with my marketing peers.

So who else is going to DMA10 and what do you hope to learn? I'm planning to report back here after the event to tell you what I learned about marketing, social media and big-hair rebranding.