Top Adobe Summit Sessions to Attend for Target
It’s that time of year again. It’s February and the Adobe Summit is right around the corner. Digital marketers and optimization fanatics across the country are braving the bitter cold in anticipation of the warm glow of Las Vegas. The holidays are over, new company goals are set, and it’s time to start executing. For newcomers and repeat attendees alike, we are all thinking: What new tools and enhancements will be unveiled at Summit? What new tricks will we learn?
The Adobe Summit contains a daunting array of sessions, labs, training, speakers, and vendor demos and it’s simply impossible to take it all in at once. I have been attending Summit for several years and I can tell you not all sessions are created equal and some are definitely more valuable than others considering the intended audience.
Now that sessions are open for registration, it’s time to figure out which ones will be most valuable to you. Since there so many choices available, here are my top five picks for sessions focused on optimization and personalization with Adobe Target:
S402 – Top Optimization Hacks You Can Do with Adobe Target
Why should you attend?
If you are new to Target, feel you aren’t using it enough, or would just like to get more out of your investment in the product, then this is the session for you. At first glance this session may seem too general or beginner, but don’t be so quick to overlook it. The “Top Hacks” types of sessions are consistently helpful, especially for first time attendees to Adobe Summit. You will definitely leave this session with ideas you will want to implement as soon as possible, perhaps even during the session itself. The speaker Gil Jimenez is a rock star Multi-Solution Architect with a wealth of knowledge and experience, so be prepared to take notes on any material that isn’t in the presentation slides.
S401 – Personalization All-Stars: Tales from the Trenches
Why should you attend?
It’s nice to hear about features and enhancements from the Adobe product teams but learning how other Adobe customers use the tools is always eye-opening. This session focus on real examples and real results from real clients. You will get an inside look at what worked well and what didn’t with several other clients and learn from their experiences. As long as you don’t duck out early from this session to go gambling at the casino, you will certainly leave this session with some creative personalization ideas.
S127 – Adobe Analytics and Adobe Target: Personalize with Precision
Why should you attend?
Do you use both Adobe Target and Analytics? If so, are you using A4T? If you answered “No” to using A4T or don’t know what that is, then this is a must-attend session. You will learn how Analytics for Target (A4T) works under the hood and how it can be used to break the data silos between the two products. If you are already using A4T you should probably attend this session anyways to learn about the implementation missteps, particularly in SPAs. I am personally looking forward to see what’s in store for the product roadmap (I’m hoping for support with Auto-Allocation and Automated Personalization activities).
L733 – Adobe Target Everywhere – Implement server side or in the IOT
Why should you attend?
Many of us may only be familiar with using Target for client-side JavaScript-driven A/B testing and personalization. However, Target is much more powerful than you may realize with its server-side capabilities and APIs. Expect to get into the weeds with some great examples and integration options that you could use to unlock new opportunities. This lab is definitely for advanced audiences, but if you think you can keep up, I highly recommend it. The speaker, Vadym Ustymenko, is an Adobe Senior Technology Consultant behind some of the most creative and complex Adobe Target implementations.
S411 – Adobe Target Essentials: How to Ensure That You’re Set Up for Success
Why should you attend?
I find the sessions that focus on a single client case study to be a bit underwhelming, but this one stood out in the session catalog for two reasons: 1) It’s another session with Gil Jimenez, and 2) It’s strategic. This session focuses on establishing, scaling, and overcoming organizational challenges around a Personalization Practice. This session is bound to spark an engaging discussion of both the business and technical aspects. Full disclosure, I am not affiliated with Sprint – I am an AT&T customer for better or worse. However, I have personally worked through similar Digital Transformations with executives and practice leads so I can assure you that the information in this session will be valuable if you are trying to reach the next level.
So what are you waiting for? Crack open the Session Catalog and register. If you see me in one of these sessions above or just wandering around picking up free vendor swag, feel free to stop and chat.
