Inbox Expo Austin… What an experience! I just got back from an incredible week in Texas, where I had the absolute privilege of presenting Training Your Emails Like a Puppy. (For anyone who missed it, there’s a summary right here.)
Standing in front of a room full of email experts at Inbox Expo Austin was both nerve-wracking and thrilling. I was originally worried I wouldn’t have enough to say, but time flew by so fast I felt like I was a YouTube video on x2 speed as I rushed to cover the last slides! The audience was fantastic and got rewarded with chocolate treats for their great questions and engagement.
What really made the event special was the personal connection. So many people came up to share stories about their dogs, their furry family. Some were joyful, some heartbreaking. At the evening mixer, I found myself in tears more than once, moved by the love and memories everyone carried. It’s amazing how emails and dogs have more in common than you’d think!
The core message I wanted to leave everyone with? Just like dogs, emails need proper ID tags (sending from a verified domain with DMARC), and a squeaky-clean breed reputation, meaning keeping your domain and sending IP pristine. It’s also crucial to make saying goodbye an easy and painless process. If you love them, let them unsubscribe.
Inbox Expo Austin itself was… well, big!
The calibre of speakers blew me away, especially Evan Diaz’s talk on Why Your Customers HATE AI and Why YOU Should Tread Cautiously. It was a much-needed reminder that human-centred support still rules in a world flooded by AI hype (which is why I love that this is our focus at SMTP2GO!) The Deliverability Panel was a highlight too, and the QR scavenger hunt run by Customer.io kept us busy for ages!
About Austin: It was my first time visiting the US (I’m Irish but live in Spain!) so I was honestly dazzled from the moment I stepped out of the airport and saw people rocking cowboy hats and boots unironically. I was playing “American Bingo” all week, snapping photos on firetrucks, yellow school buses, Tesla Cybertrucks, and even a few raccoons and squirrels. Of course, I had to hit Walmart, Target, and PetSmart (to play with the rescue kitties) to complete my “authentic American experience.”
It was my first time meeting my colleague Jenn from Spokane (although we’ve worked together for six years!) and I can honestly say that I’ve made a friend for life. This is what I love about events like this, the opportunity to meet our coworkers and to make a connection. Working remotely has its benefits, but meeting in-person is so necessary too. Jenn was the best tour guide ever, and really helped me to get my head around tipping culture!
Food was a nonstop BBQ and Tex Mex feast (with queso and tacos that I’m still dreaming about!)
We tried to take in as many as the sights as we could (think Museum of Weird, bats, ghost tours and creepy portraits, driverless cars and food-delivery robots!). Keep Austin Weird!
Travel was mostly smooth except for losing my glasses and headphones on the flight to Atlanta (rookie mistake!) Jetlag still has me in its grip, but being in Austin meant 4am starts that were surprisingly productive. Packing tip: double-check your suitcase allowance because I thought I had 35kg but only had 23kg, so fitting all my souvenirs on the way home was a fun challenge.
I was lucky enough to spend a full week there, balancing work and exploring the city. When not speaking or networking, I built epic pillow forts in the super-comfy beds at CitizenM hotel, we chilled by the pool, and soaked up as much local flavour as possible.
The whole trip flew by.
It was a real reminder of how fast time passes when you’re doing what you love and having a blast. If I had to sum it up in one emoji? 🌮
And my advice for anyone thinking about speaking at Inbox Expo or any big event? Don’t hesitate: just sign up and go for it. You won’t regret it.
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