Presented by HubSpot
INBOUND, HubSpot’s flagship conference for marketing, sales, and customer service professionals, is headed to the west coast for the first time September 3-5, 2025. Over three days, attendees can expect bold insights, meaningful connections, and breakthrough content spanning marketing, sales, customer experience, and AI innovation — all designed to blend the familiar with the surprising, says Courtney Dagher, global events senior team manager, marketing & programming.
“At INBOUND, it’s all about tackling trending topics through unexpected pairings and delivering insights you won’t find anywhere else,” Dagher says.
This year that means INBOUND is putting AI pioneer Dario Amodei on the same stage as Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn, because innovation doesn’t live in silos, says Kat Tooley, VP, global events and experiential marketing.
“When you see a world-class chef talking customer experience alongside a tech visionary, that’s when the real breakthroughs happen,” Tooley explains. “For our business leaders who attend INBOUND, it’s proof that game-changing ideas come from connecting dots others miss.”
The aim is to highlight creative leadership alongside technical innovation, since both are essential to achieving excellence at scale. Future-ready companies and leaders approach challenges holistically, through both creative and technical lenses. INBOUND aims to instill that mindset from day one, recognizing it as a critical driver of long-term success,
“Here’s the thing — every unicorn company figured out that creativity and tech aren’t separate departments, they’re dance partners,” Dagher says. “Look at Anthropic’s collaboration with Rick Rubin —The Way of the Code — on vibe coding. That’s exactly what we mean. The startups getting funded and the companies scaling aren’t just technically sound or just creative — they’re both.”
VentureBeat readers get 10% off General Admission to INBOUND with code VB10 (Valid through 7/31).
Transformative AI technologies taking center stage
Today AI isn’t just leveling the playing field, it’s completely rebuilding it. It’s become a co-pilot for selling smarter, marketing faster, and building better. A solo founder can now do customer research that used to take a team of ten. Sales reps can focus on building relationships instead of digging through data. Marketing can be personal at scale, not just spray and pray.
“For entrepreneurs, this is your moment. The tools that used to be enterprise-only are now in your pocket,” Tooley says. “The question isn’t whether AI will change your game, it’s whether you’ll use it to win.”
INBOUND is designed to equip attendees with the knowledge they need to hit the ground running, she adds. From frameworks and roadmaps to real-world processes, INBOUND’s content puts attendees in the driver’s seat, delivered by leaders actively using AI to build and scale businesses today. The Innovation Zone offers early access to what’s coming next, and every session is built to send attendees home with something they can implement Monday morning.
In fact, AI is woven throughout the INBOUND experiences. The opening HubSpot Spotlight on Wednesday digs into the latest HubSpot perspective on what this AI transformation will look like. New this year, the Creators Corner offers hands-on opportunities to engage with top content creators, watch them in action, and explore live demos and pop-up showcases. Over at HubSpot HQ, attendees can drop in for a lightning-fast demo of the newest Breeze features or dive deeper in a one-on-one conversation with a product expert.
Immersive learning at the core
This year 1:1 and 1:few hands-on learning experiences will be featured at the Product Spotlight Demo Stage, the brand new Tech Stack Showcase Stage, and various immersive co-learning and experiential labs. That includes bringing back and expanding last year’s popular HubSpot Academy Labs for hands-on HubSpot product learning. Braindate has been newly added this year to allow even more chances for attendee-led immersive learning, connection and discussion.
“This was a big piece of feedback we acted on from 2024,” Dagher said. “Our attendees want more guided opportunities to meet, greet, and learn from their peers through communities of practice and identity.”
They’re continuing to test live and immersive session formats, and crafting “lightning in a bottle” memorable moments through a unique combination of experts, attendees, and innovative formats that you can’t find elsewhere, like the popular INBOUND Debates and Teardowns, plus live Builder sessions.
“Our programming philosophy is the future of live event content is all about attendee input and engagement,” she said. “We strive to take a bottom-up approach for how we program. We always start with “what does our customer want to learn and hear?” and build from there.”
Real-world knowledge for real-world results
The agenda is now live, featuring a carefully curated lineup of thought leaders and experts who are also active practitioners — giving attendees the chance to learn from people who not only impart knowledge, but also understand what it takes to get the job done, Tooley says.
“Simply put, we only work with people who’ve actually done the work, not just talked about it,” she explains.
Take Jay Schwedelson, who doesn’t just teach email marketing, he runs 15,000+-person virtual events multiple times a year and knows how to drive looks and engagement. Brandon Greer from HubSpot’s investment team is leading a “how-to” conversation this year on getting a business venture capital–ready, with a panel full of active VCs and thought leaders: Veronica Juarez (Managing Partner of Dahlia VC), Christian McKenzie (Director, Lofty Ventures) and Genever Oppong (CEO, Co-Founder, Black Women Investors Network).
A playbook for year-round success
“We want every attendee to walk away with one thing: conviction,” Dagher says. “Conviction that they can grow — faster, smarter, more human. It starts with mindset. AI isn’t replacing us — it’s unlocking us. Let’s shift from fear to focus. From overwhelm to opportunity. They should leave INBOUND thinking: I’ve got the tools. I’ve got the people. I’ve got the playbook. Now it’s time to execute.”
But more importantly, she says, “We want them to feel expanded. Energized. Like they just stepped into the next era of growth and they’re excited for what’s ahead.”
Don’t miss your chance to attend INBOUND: VentureBeat readers get 10% off General Admission with code VB10 (Valid through 7/31).
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