In this new session from Jono Bacon, he will share the key lessons he has learned in driving tangible engagement from working with over 200+ companies across a broad variety of industries across his 27 year career. This will cover topics such as community design, content, video, incentives/rewards, breaking through corporate silos, and more.
This will be packaged up into a practical set of lessons, principles, and stories that CMX attendees can apply right away, and Jono will share stories, examples, and more to bring these career-spanning learnings to life.
Hot Takes Sessions are bold, fast-paced deep dives where speakers share unfiltered, controversial, or under-discussed insights on community building in just 7 minutes. Expect rapid-fire wisdom and actionable takeaways-no fluff, just straight-to-the-point expertise.
What if you stopped measuring community engagement for measurement's sake? What if your members weren't prompted, notified, and pinged to all hell to remind them to engage...engage...ENGAGE!
Join Gianna Whitver, CEO & co-founder of thriving 3,600-member community the Cybersecurity Marketing Society for a quick, blunt, and potentially controversial speed session on engagement metrics. In 7 quick minutes, she'll share exactly what the Society measures and the metrics they choose to leave behind - and, most importantly, WHY.
Because...nothing will kill your community faster than making engaging a full-time job for your members!
Speaker: Gianna Whitver
A future built by only a few can never serve all. This session will take a look at the emerging field of product equity and what practical steps the tech industry can take to ensure more meaningful engagement of marginalized communities at every step of the innovation lifecycle, from problem formation to data collection to post-deployment. The session will draw from real world examples of how companies changed the way they built products and offer recommendations for how communities themselves can advocate for better engagement.
Speaker: Zaki Barzinji
In this hands-on masterclass, you’ll tackle real-world community challenges using proven frameworks and techniques from FeverBee. Through interactive case studies and group collaboration, you’ll learn how to analyze problems, design better community experiences, and make strategic decisions with confidence.
This session will equip you with the tools to identify core challenges, weigh trade-offs, and develop actionable solutions that drive engagement and growth. Whether you're scaling a new initiative, securing executive buy-in, or revamping your community experience, this session will give you the strategic playbook you need to succeed. Expect a fast-paced, high-impact workshop designed to challenge your thinking and level up your approach.
Burning Man Project is a global non-profit arts organization dedicated to bringing people together to foster a more creative, connected and thriving society. It has a 25+ year volunteer regional network that spans 34 countries, which has grown organically with the help of ten guiding principles. Join a founding organizer of its Regional Network for a look back and to the future. What began as an experiment in temporary community has become a year-round, globally distributed network and a community of many communities. What lessons can you learn and what questions can you ask yourself about your network?
After a full day of learning and inspiration, it’s time to unwind! Join us for Happy Hour—drinks and snacks are on us. Mingle with fellow attendees, chat with our amazing sponsors, and swing by their booths to snag some swag.
Plus! Don’t miss your chance to meet Kat Vellos and get your copy of We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships signed in person.
Dinner plans? This isn’t an official CMX activity—you’re on your own to make it happen—but we highly encourage you to mix it up and grab a few people you haven’t met yet for a bite. While you're out, snap a pic, post it, and tag CMX + your new dinner crew. We’ll pick one photo at random—and everyone in it gets a free ticket to CMX Summit 2026. Eat well, connect deeply, and you just might win big.
We’re throwing an exclusive bash for speakers, sponsors, Connect Directors, and CMX VIPs—and you’re invited (if you’re in the know 😉). Join us at Club Fox for a night of connection, celebration, and good vibes.
Want in? Upgrade your conference ticket for $150 and get access to the room where it happens. Email Beth to ask how (beth@bevy.com).
Hot Takes Sessions are bold, fast-paced deep dives where speakers share unfiltered, controversial, or under-discussed insights on community building in just 7 minutes. Expect rapid-fire wisdom and actionable takeaways—no fluff, just straight-to-the-point expertise.
In a world filled with distractions and surface-level interactions, how can we design experiences that truly bring people together? Christina Hug, Founder of BoardingPass, introduces the AWE Framework—Anchor, Weave, and Elevate—a powerful approach to fostering deep, meaningful connections within communities. Drawing from over 15 years of experience building global communities in the tech and creative industries, Christina will share how to Anchor experiences in purpose, Weave awe into design, and Elevate connections beyond small talk. This session will provide actionable strategies to create transformative moments that leave participants with a sense of belonging and trust. Attendees will walk away with a clear framework for designing awe-inspired experiences that drive authentic engagement and lasting relationships.
Speaker: Christina Hug
This session will cover the essentials and mindset needed for a Community leader to communicate the value to executives across the organization. Understanding how to measure Community value in the context of the business you're in and knowing your audience are critical success factors for any Community leader. Attendees will walk away with a deeper understanding of how to break down complex valuation models into simple statements. This will enable better preparation for communicating value for the executive at hand whether you are speaking to Head of Support, Education, Marketing, Customer Success, Sales or Engineering.
Speaker: Dani Weinstein
Join us for an insightful session led by The Community Community (TCC) Board Members, Jocelyn Hsu (Co-Lead) and Nikki Thibodeau (Founder), as they dive into what makes TCC unique.
Get a peek behind the curtain to understand the considerations around applications: How can you be exclusive while being inclusive? How do you ensure less bias during application reviews?
Then, through the lens of their onboarding process, they'll showcase what sets TCC apart, including the 90-day deactivation policy and the emphasis on context-rich posts.
Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned community professional, this session will provide valuable insights and practical tips to help you build intentionally and apply these principles to your own community. Come learn, engage, and take away actionable strategies to enhance your community-building efforts.
Join us as we announce the winners of this year’s awards LIVE on stage!
