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Deciding which conferences to attend has always come down to the event itself: investment focus, metro area, format, date. What's been missing is the other half of that decision, who's actually going to be there.
In this article, we'll walk through how the new Conference Speakers sub-tab in Dakota Marketplace surfaces that information directly, and how to use it to prioritize events and outreach around the people speaking, not just the conference name.
What the Conference Speakers Sub-Tab Actually Shows You
Marketplace now shows who's speaking at each conference, not just what the conference is. The Conference Speakers sub-tab is searchable and filterable by Speaker Name, Title, Account, Conference, Date, Metro Area, Investment Focus, Email, and LinkedIn, with toggles for Upcoming and Past speakers. Today, that's 1,000+ total Conference Speakers tracked, split between 830+ upcoming and 170+ past, with coverage spanning conferences across London, NYC, LA, Toronto, Houston, Dubai, and dozens of other metro areas worldwide.
3 Use Cases for the Conference Speakers Sub-Tab in Dakota Marketplace
Use It to Reach Out Before the Event
Knowing who's on a speaker list ahead of a conference turns a general "we'll be there" plan into targeted outreach. One general partner asked for a custom report pulling every firm and contact tied to a specific conference's speaker list, with contacts flagged as speakers, specifically so she could email them directly before the event and identify other targets at those same firms. Pulling that list before a conference gives you a concrete set of people to reach out to instead of hoping for a good conversation in a hallway.
Use It to Decide Which Events Are Worth the Trip
Not every fundraiser prioritizes conferences the same way. Some book travel and decide which events to attend based on who's speaking, not necessarily the conference's investment focus or other factors. Marketplace now supports both approaches: the Conferences tab for those who prioritize the event itself, and the Speakers sub-tab for those who prioritize who's actually going to be there. Checking the speaker list before committing to travel is a fast way to confirm an event is actually worth the budget for your specific coverage.
Use It to Follow Up After an Event Too
The value of speaker data doesn't end when the conference does. Past Speakers exist specifically because fundraisers wanted to follow up after the fact, one team flagged conference speakers from an event they'd already attended that weren't yet in the database, so they could still reach out. Another reached out after an event asking for the speaker list because they wanted to follow up with a specific contact but couldn't track down the original agenda. Checking Past Speakers after an event you attended is a way to close that loop instead of losing the thread once the agenda disappears.
Build Your Conference Calendar Around Who's Going to Be There
A conference agenda tells you the topics being covered. A speaker list tells you the actual people you could be meeting. Use both together, filtering by investment focus, metro area, or account type, to decide which events are worth your time and who to reach out to before you even book the trip.
Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to see Conference Speakers for the events on your radar.
FAQs
What can I filter Conference Speakers by? Speaker Name, Title, Account, Conference, Date, Metro Area, Investment Focus, Email, and LinkedIn.
Can I see speakers from past conferences, not just upcoming ones? Yes. The sub-tab includes a toggle for both Upcoming and Past speakers.
How many speakers does Dakota Marketplace track? 1,000+ total, spanning conferences across London, NYC, LA, Toronto, Houston, Dubai, and other major metro areas.
