From Funnels to Frontlines: Mark Kilens on Why People-First GTM Wins the Long Game
You’ve seen the funnels. You’ve read the whitepapers. But this episode of Event About It flips the go-to-market script. Mark Kilens-creator of the People First GTM framework and VP of Marketing at EasyLlama-joins us to unpack why traditional GTM models are missing the mark, how AI is about to shake the event tech space, and what it actually means to build experiences around people, not products.
From event-led growth to AI-powered networking to the marketing buzzword he’d like to cancel, this episode is a tactical, thought-provoking masterclass for anyone in B2B marketing, events, or sales.
Key Themes and Takeaways
1. The Future of GTM Is Personal, Not Programmatic
Description: Mark breaks down why the old-school tactics of marketing and sales don’t resonate in today’s experience-driven, AI-powered world.
“Social is about the person. What people are gonna remember and connect with are other people.”
Key Takeaway: The best go-to-market strategies center on human connection, not brand-centric messaging. If you’re not building GTM motions around people, you’re already behind.
2. Most Teams Fail at the “Who”
Description: You can’t build a strategy without knowing who it’s for. Mark shares why companies spend too much time on what and how-and not enough on who.
“Not enough people spend enough time really confirming and uniting around the ‘who’ in GTM strategy.”
Key Takeaway: Audience obsession isn’t optional. Define your buyer deeply, align your team around them, and build from there.
3. AI Isn’t a Trend-It’s the Toolkit
Description: From real-time networking agents to frictionless onsite experiences, Mark explains how AI will completely transform both the attendee journey and event logistics.
“Every attendee should have their own event assistant for the pre-event, during the event, and post-event.”
Key Takeaway: Start looking at AI not as a tactic but as a foundational part of your attendee experience. This shift is coming fast-and companies who ignore it will be left behind.
4. Ditch the App, Design the Experience
Description: Most event tech is too clunky, too siloed, and too focused on features instead of flow. Mark lays out a vision for what modern event platforms should look like.
“Why doesn’t anyone just use Apple or Google’s native ticketing apps for events? Stop with the apps.”
Key Takeaway: Fewer platforms. More intelligence. The next generation of event systems will focus on integration, simplicity, and automation-not just checkboxes.
5. United > Aligned
Description: “Alignment” sounds good in theory, but in practice? It’s not enough. Mark challenges us to aim higher.
“You’ve got to unite your teams, not just align them. Alignment isn’t good enough.”
Key Takeaway: Alignment is passive. Unity is active. If your marketing, sales, product, and events teams aren’t working from one strategy with one set of KPIs, you’re spinning wheels.
6. Customers Belong in the Strategy Room
Description: Mark argues that your event strategy isn’t complete unless your customers helped shape it.
“If your event strategy doesn’t involve your customers in the planning and execution, you’ll continue to struggle.”
Key Takeaway: Customer-led growth is your unfair advantage. Bring your most engaged users into the planning process and let them co-create the experience.
7. Storytelling Isn’t a Nice-to-Have
Description: Mark’s go-to hill to die on? Storytelling. And for good reason-it’s the one element that separates a forgettable brand from a legendary one.
“What are you trying to get people to remember, feel, and talk about after this event?”
Key Takeaway: Every campaign, product launch, and event needs a cohesive story arc. Without one, your audience will forget you before they close the browser tab.
Final Word
If you’re planning events, launching campaigns, or building GTM strategies in a vacuum, it’s time to rethink. Mark Kilens makes the case that success starts not with alignment, not with automation, but with people. And if your events and strategies don’t reflect that now, they’ll be irrelevant tomorrow.
🎧 Where to Listen and Learn More
Catch the full episode and After Show with Mark Kilens at EventAboutItPodcast.com, Youtube or wherever you listen to podcasts.