A Really Good Emails Production
RSVP Now - $285This ain’t your mama’s corporate conference. RGE’s founders have spoken all over the world about email and we’ve made UNSPAM for those who are looking for something...
Uncrowded
We hate being herded like cattle, getting terrible seats, and being talked to as an anonymous audience instead of an known individual. We’ve limited the number of attendees to under 250 to keep it intimate and friendly.
Uncensored
We hate getting to a conference session, only to find out it is washed down because a PR team or legal team changed the presentation or removed all the juicy details. We are working with all speakers to ensure that they say what they want AND what you want to hear.
UNsolicited
We hate when we pay for a conference only to be peddled by companies on the stage. We’ve instituted a no-sales-pitch policy for all speakers.
Unprofessional
We hate the words “business attire” so we’ve made UNSPAM a wear-what-you-want gathering. Get cold and want to wear a snuggie throughout? Go for it. Kind of person that wears socks with their sandals? We don’t care. Just keep your private parts covered so people can focus and you don’t get arrested.
Unattractive
We hate when conferences post brands’ logos to attract you to come. We’ve got people from companies you may recognize, but the reason you should come is the experience, the people, and what you get out of it - not because some boring person from popular Company X will be there. RGE’s founders are pretty unattractive too.
Unconventional
We hate standard formats of sitting all day, so we are shaking it up with speakers, groups, competitions, awards, and more.
Anticipated Qs
Who the hell should attend UNSPAM?
Most events like this want anyone with a pulse and a wallet to attend. Not us. This isn’t for everyone - and we are going to be upfront about that. The content is going to be tailored to a specific kind of person. Here is who we think will get the most out of it:
- People who send over 1,000,000 emails per year AND more than an email per week
- People who have had more than a year or two in email
- People who know at least a little bit of HTML (i.e. changing text, images, links, etc without a WYSIWYG editor)
- People who aren’t uptight or think they know everything
- People who are focusing on metrics other than open rates (or trying to)
- People who are looking at ways to generate new ideas from others
- People who are open to meeting new people and work in groups
- People who know what RGE is and aren’t offended easily
Why the hell is UNSPAM in Greenville?
You may think it is because of the famously talented people, such as Nobel-prize winners, Billboard-topping musicians, professional athletes, civil rights leaders, or notable designers. Or because it is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA and named 3rd Best Small City to visit in America by Condé Nast Traveller last year.
But you’d be wrong. The real reason is because we’re lazy. Even though the RGE team is remote, a few of us live in Greenville already or nearby and it is easier to plan something like this on our home turf. Sorry if you live somewhere far away. Maybe we’ll come closer to you next year.
Are there discounts for UNSPAM?
Nope. This thing is priced for us to break even - even with the limited amount of sponsorship we’ve lined up. It is also way cheaper than other email conferences.
Did you guys know that the dates are on a weekend?
Yep. We know what a calendar looks like too. Unfortunately, for us to secure a space big enough for UNSPAM between February and May, only weekends were available. I guess it is one of the downsides of doing the conference in a cool place. We hope your mean bosses won’t mind giving you a day or two off work before or after which you can use to explore more of Greenville if you wish.
Can the event managers call my boss and convince him/her/them/it to let me come?
We sure can. But first, download this document that walks you through some pointers on what to tell your superiors and how to justify your trip. If you don’t have any luck, we may be able to win them over and hopefully not get you demoted.
Can anyone do whatever they want at this thing?
We want you to have a great time, but not at the expense of being a jerk or doing dumb stuff. If you want to know what that means, we've got a specific Code of Conduct that everyone agrees to by coming.
What's the Agenda?
We’re still ironing out the details, but here’s what we’ve worked out so far:
April 6th
10AM - Noon
Onsite Check-in
12:30 PM
Kick-off Welcome, Details & RGE Keynote
1:30 PM
COMMUNICATING LIKE A FRIEND, NOT A SERIAL KILLER
A Ph.D in writing and rhetoric will walk you through the right ways to show off your personality and build deeper relationships with your readers - in a non-boring, non-creepy way.
2:00 PM
THE STATE OF THE EMAIL INDUSTRY & WHERE YOU FIT IN
Using the most recent commissioned surveys regarding people in email, we’ll dive deep into the data and highlight what email geeks find to be the most important, what makes them tick, how they work, and where the industry is headed.
2:30 PM
PANEL: LEVELING UP YOUR CAREER IN EMAIL
Following our industry session, a diverse group of individuals will explore how they got into email and give out nuggets of wisdom to up your game back in the office.
3:00 PM
TRENDS IN EMAIL DESIGN (ANALYSIS, NOT FLUFFY STUFF)
Opinions are one thing, but the proof is in the pudding. In this session, an expert designer uses actual data from RGE’s website to cover the current trends - and steer you away from ideas that may have you following the crowd into harmful design territories.
3:45 PM
Break
4:15 PM
Group Activity
With a partner or two, we’ll assign you to complete some email tasks and have you learn from those around you. Get ready for some fun.
5:00 PM
Break for Dinner
Get your food and drink consumption on to fuel yourself for the evening. (Sponsored by Braze)
7:30 PM
Group Activity(optional)
If you are up for it, grab your partner(s) and compete to remake emails into the best-looking emails of the year. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.
April 7th
10:00 AM
WELCOME BACK / LIGHT BREAKFAST
11:00 AM
THE JOURNEY: TIMING & STRATEGY FOR POST-ACTION TRIGGERS
Driving a car is so much easier with autopilot - and so is your email program. But a set-it-and-forget-it attitude can have damaging effects if you aren’t constantly updating it (which you’ll learn what to do in this session, of course).
11:30 AM
MAKING YOUR EMAIL PROGRAM THE PRIZED POSSESSION
How do you take your email strategy and build it into a massively successful component of the company? Get all the juicy details from a fellow email geek who has done it multiple times and contributed tens of millions of dollars to their company in doing so.
12:00 PM
FUTURE THINKING IN EMAIL
You can’t go from simple email pushes to full-blown marketing automation without a plan or resources. And lucky you: we’re bringing in someone whose job has been figuring that out and helping teams prep for success.
12:40 PM
Lunch Break
2:00 PM
WHY PERSONALITY MATTERS
Behavioral science is a growing field with lots of impressive findings on personality types. Not only does it affect you in understanding how you communicate, but also those who are receiving the messages and what they decide to do with them.
2:30 PM
A/B TESTING AND OVERCOMING CONFIRMATION BIAS
Sometimes you do things because your gut tells you to. Other times, you do them because you need to know if your gut is wrong, The latter option is what we’ll be learning about and how to avoid tests that don’t give you much actionable data.
3:00 PM
Live Feedback Friday
Okay, we know it isn’t Friday but we’ll be reviewing emails live on stage with a special guest or two.
4:00 PM
RGE Awards
No need for a tuxedo or black gown - RGE will be handing out the awards for the best emails of 2018 and also awards for the day prior’s competition.
5:00 PM
Ending Remarks
Can I sponsor Unspam?
Probably not since we’ve already lined up some sponsors who are totally cool. But if you want to get in touch, we’ll be open to a conversation.
