1-year MKE DMC Update

One year ago, MKE DMC started with a simple idea: create a space for Milwaukee’s digital marketing community to connect, learn, and grow together—in person. A year later, that idea has transformed into something bigger than any of us imagined.

Milestones and Highlights

The past year has been a journey of growth, impact, and shared success. Here’s what we’ve accomplished together:

• Engaged Attendance: Our events consistently drew ~50 attendees each month. This was done by organic marketing and word of mouth. Our highest attendance was near 100 people in October.
• Growing Awareness: Brand searches on Google climbed from zero in January to 150 in July, then to 300 in November. Our email list grew to over 300 subscribers, with a 78% average open rate and 3 all-timeunsubscribes.
• Community Impact: Over 95% of survey respondents described MKE DMC as “important,” “insightful,” and “a great resource.”

Quotes from people who took the open survey help us understand the value of the space and community we’re building:

• “MKE DMC is a welcoming community of people, putting on diverse programming in a laid-back atmosphere.”
• “Being new to the DM space, it’s incredibly motivating hearing all these speakers and where they have been and where they are now.”
• “MKE DMC is an invaluable resource for the REAL DM community.”

This work matters!

Foundation of Support

Early fundraising efforts secured around just enough money to allow us to offer free membership in 2024 and 2025. This decision opened doors for people who might not have otherwise had access to this kind of education and connection. Leaders from other nonprofits have shared how critical accessibility is for creating an inclusive and impactful organization.

The support of sponsors like McDill has been awesome. We are able to provide high-quality programming and a welcoming space for everyone because of them.

Key Insights and Opportunities

As we look back on the year, we’ve gathered important insights that will guide our future efforts:

• MKE DMC brings together a mix of agency, client-side, and in-house professionals, with 55% working in agencies and 45% in-house roles.
• Over 95% of attendees rate programming as the most valuable aspect of MKE DMC.
• Our most dedicated members had a 70% repeat attendance rate across the first ten events.

Looking Ahead

As we enter 2025, we remain focused on continuing to provide value and expand the reach of MKE DMC. Some priorities for the coming year include:

• Exploring ways to build connections during events, things like icebreakers or interest-based meetups.
• Maintaining the high-quality content that attendees have come to expect.
• Securing 2025 resources to keep membership free and accessible for all.

A Space That Matters

MKE DMC is  a safe space where Milwaukee’s marketers can come together, share their experiences, and grow personally and professionally. From the feedback we’ve received to the connections we’ve witnessed, it’s clear that what we’re building has a lasting impact.

To everyone who has been part of this journey—whether by attending an event, offering feedback, or supporting the organization—thank you. Be proud of what we’ve achieved together in one year.

Here’s to another year of connection, collaboration, and growth in 2025.

Tyler