The Quick Version
The Client
TechBBQ is one of the largest tech conferences in the Nordics. When I joined as Head of Marketing in January 2021, they didn't know if they'd even have an event. The pandemic had nearly killed them. Sponsors were pulling out, last year's agreements were on hold, and they had zero budget.
"Judit joined us during uncertain times due to the 2020 global Covid-19 pandemic. We did not know if we would be able to have our main TechBBQ summit and she was quite innovative in her approach to help the organization succeed."
Benjamin Rej Notlev, COO and CIO at TechBBQ
The Problem
- ×Post-pandemic uncertainty with sponsors threatening to walk, venue at risk
- ×Completely broken website that nobody could access or modify
- ×Brand looked like it was designed by interns (outdated, inconsistent, unprofessional)
- ×Had to sell out the venue to recover from previous year's losses
- ×Zero marketing budget until one month before the event
What I Did
- ✓Rebuilt entire brand identity from scratch to create the clean "tech" vibe they still use today
- ✓Built new website at zero cost (WordPress + Elementor) to showcase all events and sub-brands
- ✓Set up sales strategy and conversion funnels to drive B2B partnerships and ticket sales
- ✓Ran 100% organic campaign using only TechBBQ partners to maximize reach without ad spend
- ✓Hands-on execution: did everything with some interns and volunteers
The Results
Timeline: All achieved in under 6 months
All done with zero marketing budget until one month before the event.
Key Takeaway
You don't need money to build momentum. You need strategy, scrappy execution, and the ability to move fast. TechBBQ went from nearly dead to record-breaking revenue with organic distribution and smart partnerships.
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