You already know that when you attend CMX Summit, you're going to hear from some mind-blowing leaders in the community field. You know you'll learn from people who have built community at NASA, Airbnb, Burning Man, Product Hunt, Polyvore, Startup Weekend, and more.

But there are other amazing things that will come out of your time at CMX Summit, whether you attend for the full-day conference or the conference and workshops together.CMX Summit is pretty unique in that, as community builders, we all actually love building real relationships beyond just canvasing people with our business cards. So what are some of the amazing effects of attending CMX Summit that we haven't touched on yet?

1. Connecting with new people

Our guest list includes people across all types of industries, in various stages of their careers. Some are founders, some are community-focused marketers. Some are our sponsors. Some are just interested in seeing what this community thing is all about professionally. We all have one thing in common: we care about connection.

What does that really mean? It means you'll have the chance to establish common ground with people from all over who you otherwise would not have access to. You may feel a little awkward starting up conversations at first. After all, many of us are introverts. But it's important to remember that we've all got this in common. It's a great equalizer.

Armed with this knowledge, you're free to feel vulnerable, to lean into that vulnerability, and to connect with new people from all over. As an interesting byproduct, if you're new to CMX happenings, it will also allow you to remember what it's like to be new to a community. This will put you in your prospective community members' shoes.

If you're not new to CMX Summit, make an effort to meet a handful of fresh faces. That's how we keep this thing going, and that's how we spread the love of community and keep building up this role.

2. Honest conversations.

In the workplace, community builders often feel isolated. Community managers tend to be lone wolves or be on small teams, fighting the good fight on behalf of their communities. For once, you'll be in a room of hundreds of people who understand the struggle, and who want to help you through it. They've been there. They've established metrics for success. They've made their way up. Or maybe they haven't, and you're in the same boat. Or maybe you're the one who has found success, and now is your chance to talk honestly about how hard you've worked and to lend a helping hand.

You may form community partnerships. You may find or become a mentor. The sky is the limit. Walk into the summit knowing that, with an open mind.

You won't get access to these conversations outside of these conferences.

For your company, that means you'll come back with fresh ideas for how to solve real problems.

3. Finding inspiration and role models.

It's easy for us to get swept up in the day-to-day demands of our community and the demands of the businesses we represent. CMX Summit will give you a chance to step away from that for a moment to find new inspiration and think out of the box.

You'll see both the big picture and the little details of how others have done this work before you. You will also learn how to solve real problems that you're facing. Our speakers are the best in the industry, amazing leaders to look up to. You may walk away with a mentor or a role model who will help pace you in your career. That's invaluable.

4. Finding renewed energy for your work.

Taking a break to do something for yourself is priceless. Not only will this conference teach you a lot about community building, you'll come back with renewed energy to tackle the problems you may be facing and with tons of ideas to execute. Perhaps your team will ask you about takeaways and how the learnings apply to your business. You can forge ahead knowing you've got proven practices and role models in your back pocket to look to.

We hope to see you in less than a week at CMX Summit! There's nothing quite like the energy that erupts in a room when we get hundreds of community professionals together. Don't miss out.

‍If cost is an issue, reach out to us. We want to include everyone, and we'll find a way to do so and a way for you to give back.