IIeX NA 2019 Conference Series – Forrest Sallee – Invoke

Welcome to the 2019 IIEX North America Conference Series. Recorded live in Austin, this series is bringing interviews straight to you from exhibitors and speakers at this year’s event. In this interview, host Jamin Brazil interviews Forrest Sallee, Sales Director at Invoke Contact Forrest Online: LinkedIn Invoke [00:00] Forrest with Invoke.  Invoke has built a unique, consumer-driven, decision-making platform.  I actually have never come across anything exactly like this before. It’s worth taking a look at their website.  You can find that information in the show notes. Forrest is a fantastic guest. We had some interesting back-and-forth regarding the new venue with IIEX and their U.S. location in Austin.  Hope you find this to be a fun, entertaining, and also educational episode. [00:30]   So, my guest today is Forrest, big qual decisions.  Invoke is the name of the company. Thank you so much for being on the Happy Market Research Podcast.   [00:41]   Thank you so much for having me. [00:42]   So, tell me a little bit about your experience at IIEX in Austin this year.   [00:46]   I love IIEX.  This is actually my second year.  I was here two years ago back in Atlanta, and so far it’s going great this year as well:  having some great conversations. I love the energy of this show in particular. I enjoy conferences in general but sort of the forward-looking, innovation aspect of IIEX is, I think, is really special, and you just got a lot of time to really have in-depth conversations with a lot of folks.   [01:06] Yeah.  Are you guys exhibiting? [01:07] We are. [01:08]    Where are you? [01:09] Over in the south gallery.  We are right by the coffee. [01:11]   Be honest.  What do you think about the new show floor, the exhibit floor? [01:18] I like it just fine.        [01:19] Yeah, good. [01:20] Yeah, yeah.  I only have one other show to compare it to in terms of IIEX, but I think it’s great.  I’m enjoying it. You have different levels and breakout rooms. It’s working for me.   [01:29] I actually really like it too.  So, I’ll tell you: it’s probably 50-50.  It feels like Coke versus Pepsi, right? Some of the complaints, I think, have been happening on the show floor with the narrowness of hallway, which kind of creates a little bit more of a cramped environment.  But what I really like about it is it has so much energy when you’re on that floor. Even when you’re in the halls, it’s just like a ton of activity. And I thought they were really smart about being tactical with coffee placement.  So, you got to go in those halls if you want caffeine or yummies or whatever, right? [02:07]   Exactly. [02:08] Throw-out question:  You’ve walked the floor?