What We’re Looking Forward to at the Email Evolution Conference in Savannah

We’re just a few weeks before the Email Evolution Conference kicks off April 24, and the MessageGears team is excited to reunite with so many email industry experts in one place. EEC is an event we look forward to each year and, since it’s going to be in our home state of Georgia, we thought we should offer some of our thoughts and advice on how to enjoy the event.

Starting with the conference itself, there are so many great talks that it can be tough to decide which ones to attend, especially when you have to choose among three breakout options. Here are three sessions that we’re most looking forward to:

Bringing Your Work to Life: Do What You Love, and Love What You do
Daniel Lerner, Positive Psychologist, Instructor of NYU’s “The Science of Happiness”
Thursday, April 25, 9:05 a.m.

Do you love what you do at work? For many people, they pursue a job that they love and that’s fulfilling for them, but hitting that sweet spot can be elusive. Our own research suggests it can be challenging for email marketers as well. Daniel will offer a compelling vision for how you can pursue that dream, define success, and make the most of your time in the workplace.

How Technology & Customer-Centricity Saved Our Email Channel
Holly Moreland (Director, Personalization) and Kathy Profio (Director, Email Marketing), Hilton
Thursday, April 25, 10:15 a.m.

You might expect a huge global company like Hilton to struggle to make big changes to their email strategy, but Holly and Kathy will talk through how they transformed the company’s email channel by getting more personalized and fine tuned with targeting in order to greatly improve efficiency and engagement.

Getting Executive Buy-In on Email Best Practices
Kait Creamer, Email Marketing Manager, Scaled Agile, Inc.\
Friday, April 26, 10:20 a.m.

Kait is passionate about email, and here she’ll discuss how to get the decision makers on board with important changes you know need to happen with your email strategy. The key is getting the right data on your side, and she’ll look at what kind of information you can gather to help get the higher-ups to the “Yes” you need to make needed improvements.

A trip to EEC this year won’t be all business, though. Savannah is one of our state’s most historic cities, and it’s a great place to visit in the spring. There’s so much going on, and you’ll have a few days to see what all the downtown area has to offer. And, since we’re fellow Georgians, we wanted to provide a little primer on what to expect, and some things you might want to see (and eat) while you’re in town.

Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia and is currently the fifth-largest city in the state. It’s home to the second busiest port in the country and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the largest art schools in the country.

Some may not know that the State of Georgia has invested a lot into film in the past couple years, Savannah was the filming location of many iconic movies, such as Forrest Gump, The Last Song, and Magic Mike XXL. The square that Tom Hanks sat in while waiting for the bus is Chippewa Square; the bench has been moved to the Savannah History Museum.

Historic Savannah

Historic Savannah is split into three main areas that are easily walkable from the conference center hotel: River Street, Broughton Street, and City Market.

River Street

Housed in one-time cotton warehouses, there are more than 75 boutiques, galleries, artists’ studios, restaurants and pubs located on Savannah’s River Street.

Things to note: River Street is the most touristy part of Savannah; the restaurants can be very hit or miss due to that. Also, it’s a cobblestone street, so comfortable shoes are ideal.

Popular Attractions:

• The Waving Girl Statue – Florence Martus took it upon herself to be the unofficial greeter of all ships that entered and left the Port of Savannah between 1887 and 1931. According to legend, not a ship was missed in her 44 years on watch. They built a statue on the river to honor her.
• Savannah’s Candy Kitchen – Stan “The Candy Man” Strickland operates Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, the largest candy store in the South since 1990.
• Savannah Riverboat Cruises – The riverboat tours use an old-fashioned ferry boat to take patrons out on the Savannah River; they have multiple options from tours with catering to ones with drinks. You do have to pay for it but, if you want to do something fun out on the water, it’s a good option.

Popular Restaurants:

• Rhett – Modern American cuisine
• Vic’s on the River – Seafood, Southern cuisine
• The Cotton Exchange – Traditional American, Southern, Seafood
• Treylor Park – New American, Southern cuisine. Also has a nice outdoor bar area.

Broughton Street

Broughton Street is the shopping area of Historic Savannah. Filled with stores and boutiques, there are options for everyone. You will often see this area filled with the students from SCAD.

Popular Attractions:

• Leopold’s Ice cream – It was founded in 1919 by George, Peter, and Basil Leopold, three immigrant brothers from Greece. It has been rated as one of the best ice cream shops in Georgia.
• Paris Market – This is one of the coolest places to shop in Savannah. It’s owned by Paula Danyluk, who travels the world with her husband, Taras, in search of the latest treasures and décor from around the world. You can find pieces from India, Cairo, Milan, etc.
• The Lucas Theatre – The Lucas Theatre was designed by Arthur Lucas and architect C.K. Howell in December 1921. With a partnership with the Savannah College of Art and Design, the theater thrives as The Lucas Theatre for the Arts, screening films, operas, plays, and concerts.

Popular Restaurants:

• Flying Monk Noodle Bar – Vietnamese, Noodles
• Circa 1875 – French with cool décor
• The Ordinary Pub – Gastropub with a great breakfast/brunch
• Tequila’s Town – Tex-Mex

City Market

City Market has been heart of Savannah since the 1700s. The Market thrived even after two fires, survived the Civil War and weathered Savannah’s great 1896 hurricane. Today, City Market is home to some of the Historic District’s most popular restaurants, art galleries and other shops.

Popular Attractions:

• Byrds Cookies – The Byrd Cookie Company was founded in 1924. They are known for their crunchy cookies coming in an array of flavors. They are always adding new flavors, and you are able to sample any flavor you would like in their City Market store.
• American Prohibition Museum & Speakeasy – The American Prohibition Museum is a new, interactive museum experience located in City Market. The museum is 6,000 square feet of exhibition space that holds 13 galleries, vintage cars, live actors and a fully functioning 1920s-themed speakeasy.
• The City Market Square – Just enjoy the area. It’s usually filled with live music, horse-drawn carriages, and plenty of places to sit to people watch or just enjoy the weather.

Popular Restaurants:

• Vinny Van Go-Go’s – Pizza. Cash Only. It’s a Savannah staple.
• Garibaldi Café – Italian. Beautiful inside; food is pretty good.
• A.Lure – Contemporary Seafood restaurant
• Mabel’s Cupcake Emporium – Desserts, NY Times-winning cupcake recipe. Macarons, and sometimes they have freshly made fruit pops.