
Behind the Scenes of Drive 2025 with Anna Vermillion and Allison Saxon
The Dave Gerhardt Show
Using Feedback to Iterate: Lessons from Year One
Anna and Dave describe NPS feedback, keeping the vibe, and improving Drive without overchanging what attendees loved.
#294 Event Strategy | First time podcast guest alert! I invited Allison and Anna from the Exit Five team on for a conversation post Drive 2025 - to talk about lessons learned and behind the scenes from our annual marketing conference in Vermont. Snag your tickets for next year now exitfive.com/drive
Timestamps
- (00:00) - – Intro
- (02:51) - – Why events are making a comeback in B2B marketing
- (06:51) - – What Drive is and how it started
- (11:51) - – Why every event should start with the landing page
- (14:51) - – Lessons from year one and how feedback shaped Drive 2025
- (19:51) - – Treating events like products, not projects
- (21:51) - – Building connection through “third spaces” and excursions
- (26:51) - – Why community is the real ROI of in-person events
- (33:42) - – The biggest Drive mishap (and what it taught us)
- (38:42) - – Post-event strategy: why the event isn’t over when it ends
- (48:42) - – Favorite moments, lessons, and shoutouts from Drive 2025
Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.com
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