What is the most unforgettable experience you have?
Hello! I’m Han Yumin, and I’ve taken over the baton. I completed my three-month probationary period on May 23. On the day of the conference, I moved around the venue to connect the speakers on stage with the attendees. To put it simply, my role was to provide the “on-the-ground experience” for the conference.
So, if you’re wondering, “What exactly is that ‘on-site experience’?!”, I was in charge of devising and executing the “finishing touches” for the conference. From the finer details of creating a “must-visit” guide for [B2B Roadmap 2025] to managing speaker logistics to ensure the most critical sessions ran smoothly, I handled it all. I’d like to share my experience on how we designed and brought to life the “finishing touches” of Elephant’s B2B Roadmap 2025.
What kind of experience should the B2B Roadmap 2025 provide?
Right before the event, I helped draft and compile the cue cards. I planned everything while visualizing the event venue in my mind, writing down the messages that Hyojeong—who would be hosting the event with her sweet, melodious voice—and Yeji, the moderator, needed to convey.
Participants entering the B2B conference —some came as part of a group organized by their company, while others likely traveled a long way on their own to network or gain insights.
What participants want most is to gain "insights they can’t find anywhere else" and "methodologies they can hear today and put into practice tomorrow" through the sessions, as well as to meet and network with industry professionals.
On the way home, I find myself thinking about a conference I’d love to attend again tomorrow —my notebook is filled with the information I really wanted to hear, my Remember app is full of business cards from people I just met, and I’m already looking forward to the next day’s content, all of which was thoughtfully curated with the attendees in mind.
Even though it was just a day trip, I figured that since you paid nearly 400,000 won over two days, your expectations would be high. So I made a firm resolution to ensure that participants would get what they came for and that the event would be well worth the money.
Paying close attention to the details to make it feel just a little different
When I think back on events that received high satisfaction ratings from participants, I often find that when people feel truly valued, they develop a fondness not only for the event itself but also for the brands involved. Drawing on that experience, we designed this event with that special touch in mind.
Providing a "list of recommended restaurants" tailored to the participants' demographics
Looking around the conference hall, I noticed the attendees were divided into those who came as part of a team, those who came alone, and those in a professional capacity. Since meals weren’t provided at this year’s B2B Roadmap 2025, it occurred to me that finding a place to eat might be a bit tricky.
A last-minute thread on the day of the event.real
So, I used Naver Maps to compile a list of great restaurants. From rice soup spots perfect for dining with your boss, to solo dining hotspots for those coming alone, to restaurants ideal for groups of 20–30-somethings. I also included both budget-friendly chain cafes and highly-rated local cafes so you can grab a coffee for dessert. I curated about 30 spots, all within a 5-minute walk from the event venue and priced under 20,000 won. Participants recognized this as “content” as well, leaving reviews on LinkedIn saying, “I was impressed by the thoughtful planning.” 😊
Just a 5-minute walk from the venue, we've gathered a selection of restaurants and coffee shops
It will also leave a lasting impression on the speakers as "an event unlike any other"
The aspect the Elephant team put the most effort into for this B2B Roadmap 2025 event was ‘speaker selection.’ Our goal was to bring together professionals from diverse roles—including marketing, sales, and strategic planning—so they could gain unique insights. Since this was the inaugural B2B Roadmap event, we needed to ensure that the speakers we worked so hard to secure would feel motivated to return next year.
So, we sent personalized emails to the speakers before their arrival, and on the day of the event, we helped guide them to their seats and did our best to ensure they could prepare for their sessions as comfortably as possible. After setting up water and refreshments in the speakers’ lounge, I felt something was missing, so I also placed hand cream and hand sanitizer there. I figured that if their hands felt comfortable, they’d be able to deliver their presentations with ease (!). In fact, one speaker who saw the hand sanitizer and hand cream commented, “This is the first event I’ve ever seen that provided these kinds of amenities.”
Write detailed reviews and convey the on-site atmosphere to the speaker immediately after the session
Customer feedback is a valuable resource in the field. As a marketer in a B2B in-house team, I was truly grateful to everyone who took the time to participate in user interviews to provide that feedback. Since the user base is smaller than in B2C and the target audience is relatively clear, customer interviews were extremely helpful in refining our service and marketing strategies.
So, to share some “feedback from the audience” with the speakers, I took a look around the venue. I noted which slides drew the most photos from attendees and what messages were being conveyed at the moments when the most people were focused on the screen. After the presentation ended, I interpreted those moments when the audience’s attention was most engaged and conveyed my gratitude to the speakers.
“Event participants have these characteristics” – 1-page handout for final review
Reflecting on the speakers’ curiosity about the audience’s reaction on the first day, I considered what additional information might be helpful to provide. I put myself in the speakers’ shoes for a moment and designed a one-page document to address their questions.
What sets this event apart from the ones I’ve attended so far? What are the characteristics of the audience who will be listening to my presentation? What message should I convey to make my presentation memorable? Where and how are the presentation materials set up? Will a clicker be provided?
Here’s some reading material for the speakers who have joined us!
Information Sheet for Speakers
One of the speakers who received the materials said this before starting their presentation: “Today, I’ll need to focus more on practical action and include plenty of specific figures.”
I believe that details are the “variables that drive people to action.” And truly valuable insights can only be conveyed when everyone is looking at the same picture. Only when planners, speakers, and attendees share the same “frame of reference” can they interpret each other’s words more accurately. That’s why I see this one-page document not merely as a reference, but as a final checklist to help us all align on the same rhythm and direction.
Thanks to that, things flowed more smoothly on-site than we had anticipated. The speaker knew exactly who they were addressing, and the attendees were able to grasp the context of the moment. Meanwhile, the production team carefully coordinated between the two, anticipating exactly what kind of support would be needed at any given moment.
I believe the reason the B2B Roadmap event went off without a hitch was not because of a flawless system, but because these “small alignments” were scattered throughout the process.
And this is just my personal opinion, but I think a successful event isn’t the result of any one person doing a great job; rather, it comes together when everyone fulfills their role properly within a well-coordinated rhythm that ensures no one feels overwhelmed. Whether that role is “on stage,” “behind the scenes,” or “in the audience.”
[Appendix] Now that it’s over, let me just say this... The tougher it gets, the more you should work through it with your team.
This is Ahn Eun-jeong, who worked on Part 1 of "A to Z." Haha. I was going to leave a bunch of comments on the detailed event content that Yumin put together so carefully… but I’ll just add this last paragraph instead. 🙂
While preparing for the conference, I personally experienced a major setback. It was the moment, just four weeks before the event, when we had only managed to secure about 10% of the expected attendees. That’s when I realized just how limited my existing network and experience really were. Just as I was about to resign myself to the fact that some things simply can’t be done no matter how hard you try—and that this was the lesson I was meant to learn—our team became a tremendous source of strength. No, actually, I felt a strange kind of momentum, as if we were grabbing each other by the collar (?) and pulling together.
We shared news of the event across dozens of communities and scoured for contacts to send cold emails to every day ; no one could have imagined the event failing, and we did our best to create opportunities given the circumstances.
To be honest, early on in the event, we tried collaborating with outside experts because we wanted someone to lean on, but it didn’t go well. In the end, the time we spent working through thick and thin with our team—who always find a way to get things done—cumulatively forged a strong sense of unity that really solidified over those 48 hours on-site.
While the event—from venue booking to on-site setup—was executed without cutting corners on costs, so it couldn’t be considered a success based solely on ticket sales, the experience of overcoming trial and error with the team, along with the subsequent opportunities for external collaboration, made it far from a minor achievement. I think this kind of behind-the-scenes effort, where putting your heart into everything eventually pays off, is exactly what B2B is all about.
The Elephant Team is now gearing up for the second half of the year! As the year draws to a close, we’re reminded of the wonderful connections we’ve made this year—and we might just be revising our B2B Roadmap 2026. Please subscribe to our newsletter using the form on the right! We’ll be sure to keep you updated. We look forward to seeing you again soon 🤗
