"I hope you'll get value from my story about how we created this successful country-level partner marketing event -which we adapted from the Cisco Live! Marketing Velocity session in Melbourne. It has helped us build an even stronger partner community on the ground."

-Marthe Carlsen, Cisco Partner Marketing Manager, Norway

As I said in a recent blog, I appreciate how partners have embraced the "future-proof marketer" ideas we shared in Marketing Velocity regional events this year. Many of you are already applying them to your business strategies. And your feedback tells me that this thought leadership platform is resonating with you in different ways, region by region, country by country.

In that spirit, I'd like to spotlight a Marketing Velocity adaptation in Norway, and share some insights from the team members involved to let you in on their thinking. This inspired learning event was organized by our Partner Marketing Manager, Marthe Carlsen, with active participation from local partners.

Here's what Marthe considered foremost in her planning: "All countries are different; each has a different reality. I needed to seek feedback from my partners. In informal conversations throughout the months prior to the event, I dug for their opinions, needs and wishes. These clear and honest conversations with partners illuminated what was top-of-mind for them when talking about marketing for the future."

What did the partners have to say?

"Great event, really inspirational. This is something I would like to see more of."

-Kristin Madsen, Visolit

"Great inspiration and input. One of the highlights was to meet Adrain from CompEdge Consulting, who talked about the importance of video marketing, feelings and being real!"

-Isabel Vartdal, Consicia

The local Partner Marketing team used the momentum from this successful event to create a vibrant "Partner Community Cisco Norge"!  But the story doesn't end there. The Finland-Baltics team has been replicating the Norway initiative, beginning with a virtual Marketing Velocity event held for partners in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This year, be on the lookout for more country-level initiatives that augment our regional events.

"The feedback from the partners has been excellent! They want to see more of this going forward. The comments they've made, the questions they asked, the conversations they had with each other, and the experiences we shared show how committed they are. My team and I are grateful for the inspiration from Boon's presentation. We have now paid forward to our ecosystem of partners in Norway."

-Marthe Carlsen

I could go on, but I want you to experience the Norway story first-hand because it not just a case study but a great guide for localizing this kind of experience. This story is a keeper, so don't just check it out -read it and save it.

And please join us when you receive an invite to our next Marketing Velocity event in your region or country!

I'd especially like your feedback on this blog. Please share your thoughts below.