Marketing Leadership Retreat
100 marketing executives. Two days out of the office at a beautiful resort.
Designed to connect top B2B marketing executives IRL.
Reserve your spotBrought to you by:
100 CMOs and VPs in Attendance
Two Goals: Education and Connection
01
Workshops Led By Your Peers
Get Into the Tactics with Marketing Executives
You’ll break out into smaller, peer-led sessions to dive deep into real tactics, frameworks, and playbooks you can use as soon as you’re back at work. Five marketing experts. Five deep dives. You choose the topics that matter most to your leadership and walk away with tangible playbooks.
Workshops will range in topics from personal branding for execs, structuring your marketing org for success, to how leaders are actually using AI in their work, and more.
Workshops will range in topics from personal branding for execs, structuring your marketing org for success, to how leaders are actually using AI in their work, and more.
02
Breakout Sessions
Marketing Therapy
This has become one of the most popular things we do in our community: connect you to vent with your peers. How often are you around a room of people doing the same job you are? We want to help you take advantage of that to trade notes and get unstuck on challenges inside your company. Plus it just feels good to talk to people who get what you do for a living.
Each day you’ll huddle up with a small group of marketing executives, people in similar roles, company sizes, and team structures, to dig into the realities of leading modern marketing. These are guided conversations designed to spark ideas, share what’s working, and build relationships that last long after the retreat.
Each day you’ll huddle up with a small group of marketing executives, people in similar roles, company sizes, and team structures, to dig into the realities of leading modern marketing. These are guided conversations designed to spark ideas, share what’s working, and build relationships that last long after the retreat.
03
Keynotes
Conversations with Dave Kellogg and Kim Storin
Two powerhouse marketing executives. One goal: help you leave thinking bigger about your role, your team, and the kind of marketing executive you want to become. We’ll kick off with Dave Kellogg, former CEO, CMO, and board member for companies from zero to over $1B in revenue, and his session How to Become the CMO That Everyone Wants to Work With. Plus join Exit Five Founder Dave Gerhardt for a fireside chat with Zoom CMO Kim Storin.
04
Networking
Build Relationships that Outlast the Event
This entire retreat is designed to connect you with people you’ll keep in your circle long after it’s over. The kind of peers you can text mid-meeting for a sanity check, call to talk strategy, or grab dinner with next time you’re in their city. Maybe they’ll become a mentor. Maybe a future colleague. Maybe a new friend.
We’ve built connection into every part of the experience, with shared meals, cocktail hours, wellness activities, and one structured speed networking session to help you meet as many people as possible early on. After that, you’ll have two full days to go deeper and build the kind of relationships that turn into real professional allies (and maybe a few friends).
Because let’s be real, the best part of any event often isn’t just the sessions, it’s the people. And the people you meet here are the ones who’ll help you solve your next big problem, land your next role, or just remind you you’re not doing this alone.
We’ve built connection into every part of the experience, with shared meals, cocktail hours, wellness activities, and one structured speed networking session to help you meet as many people as possible early on. After that, you’ll have two full days to go deeper and build the kind of relationships that turn into real professional allies (and maybe a few friends).
Because let’s be real, the best part of any event often isn’t just the sessions, it’s the people. And the people you meet here are the ones who’ll help you solve your next big problem, land your next role, or just remind you you’re not doing this alone.
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05
Activities
Connect and Recharge Outside the Conference Room
Beyond the sessions, you’ll have time built into the agenda to unwind and take advantage of everything the resort has to offer. We’ll handle coordinating the activities for you, whether that’s an in-room massage, playing a round of golf, or getting outside to reset, so you can recharge, move your body, and connect with fellow marketers in a setting that’s a little less formal and a lot more fun.
Agenda
2PM-5PM
ARRIVAL AND CHECK-IN
Welcome to Mountain Shadows, a modern desert hideaway tucked beneath Camelback Mountain. Unpack, recharge, and ease into the Scottsdale sun. We’ll handle the details, your only job is to settle in and switch gears.
5PM-8PM
SPEED NETWORKING, DINNER, AND COCKTAILS
We open with connection. A fast-paced round of speed networking led by Dave to meet your peers. Then unwind over an open-air dinner and cocktails under the desert sky.
8AM-9AM
BREAKFAST
Fuel up with a chef-prepared breakfast and unbeatable views of Camelback Mountain. Grab coffee, find a table, and start the day with great food and even better company.
9AM-10AM
Dave Kellogg: How to become the CMO that everyone wants to work with
We’ll start the day with Dave Kellogg, a former CEO, CMO, and board member who’s spent his career scaling B2B SaaS companies. He’ll share what exec teams really expect from marketing, where CMOs go wrong, and how to build lasting influence inside your company.
11AM-12PM
Breakout Session: AI in Marketing
Join a small group of marketing executives to dig into how AI is reshaping strategy, org design, and day-to-day execution. You can expert guided prompts, candid discussion, and space to swap ideas with peers in similar roles and companies to you.
12PM-1PM
LUNCH & CONNECTION
Sit with new faces, swap stories, and recharge over a great meal (and view).
1PM-2:30PM
PEER-LED WORKSHOPS
Choose from five expert-led sessions, each focused on actionable frameworks and leadership playbooks. You’ll go deep, take notes, and leave with tools you can use right away.
2:30PM-6PM
AFTERNOON EXCURSIONS
Have an in-room massage, play a round of golf, or unwind poolside. The goal is to get outside, recharge, and connect in a setting where real ideas and friendships form naturally.
6:30PM-9:30PM
DINNER AND COCKTAIL HOUR
Wrap up the day with great food, conversation, cocktails and a beautiful AZ sunset.
8AM-9AM
BREAKFAST
Start the morning with coffee and food, new conversations, and views that make it hard to leave. Rotate tables and connect by company stage or industry for practical takeaways.
9AM-10:30AM
Breakout Session: Marketing Org Design
Learn how top CMOs are structuring teams by stage, budget, and focus. Talk through hiring, ownership, and how to scale without the chaos.
10:30AM-11:30AM
Fireside Chat with Kim Storin & Dave Gerhardt
A forward-looking conversation on leadership, growth, and the modern CMO’s role at the table. Real lessons from one of the best in the business.
11:30AM-12PM
FAREWELL
You’ll leave with new friends, fresh ideas, and a network you’ll actually keep up with. Not a goodbye, just the start of a few great ongoing conversations.
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Marketing Leader's Club Member Ticket
For Exit Five Marketing Leader’s Club and CMO Council Members only. The same experience as General Admission, at a special member rate. Enjoy two days of programming, community, and connection with full lodging, meals, and excursions included.
$2,499
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General Admission Ticket
Join 100+ B2B marketing executives for an immersive, all-inclusive retreat designed to connect and inspire. Everything’s handled for you – from your room to your meals to your downtime.
Full access to all sessions and experiences
Two nights at Mountain Shadows Resort (standard room)
All meals included (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktail receptions)
Choice of excursion (golf or spa)
Access to evening networking events
$2,999
VIP Experience Ticket
Upgrade your stay and make it effortless from the moment you land in Arizona. Enjoy suite-level comfort, private airport transfers, and reserved seating at dinners.
Full access to all sessions and experiences
One-bedroom suite at Mountain Shadows Resort
Private black car transfers to and from the airport
Reserved dinner table selection
All meals included (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktail receptions)
Choice of excursion (golf or spa)
Purchase a VIP ticket
$4,499
A letter from Dave
A letter from Exit Five Founder Dave Gerhardt
Hey: Dave here (yes I really wrote this, not Chat GPT).
Writing this from chilly Vermont, I can’t wait for warmer weather in Arizona. Not the worst place to travel for work in March.
But that’s not the real reason I’m excited for this event.
The real reason I’m excited is because in-person ROCKS. And I am saying that with no hyperbole.
After years of running our marketing community exclusively online, we’ve shifted a bunch of energy around in-person because - well - they just hit different. We felt this first hand with our annual Drive event in Vermont, and we knew it was time to expand and do more events.
With the Marketing Leadership Retreat we’re designing a different type of event built exclusively for B2B marketing executives. There’s less content here on purpose. This event is about connection. We’ve taken everything we learned from Drive (where the NPS scores were 88 and 77 in the first two years respectively) and applied it here. Content is great, but there’s nothing like actually connecting and learning from your peers.
You spend all year running the marketing machine. The meetings. The politics. The pressure to grow faster, spend smarter, do more with less. You’re sprinting to hit this quarter’s number while trying to build something that lasts.
But how often do you sit across the table from someone who lives your world? Someone who’s leading the same kind of team, fighting the same battles, and asking the same questions you are?
If any of the things I wrote above got you nodding along, this event is going to be an awesome addition to your 2026 conference lineup. Two days. 100 of the best B2B CMOs and VPs. A chance to step out of your bubble and into a room full of peers who’ve been there.
I said conference but that’s wrong. This isn’t another conference. It’s a reset. Candid sessions. Peer-led workshops. Honest conversations over dinner, coffee, golf, or a cocktail by the fire. You’ll leave with pages of ideas, clarity on your next moves, and a few new friendships that’ll outlast any keynote.
It’s not about learning the basics. It’s about thinking bigger — by being around people who make you better.
See you in Arizona.
Your Retreat Experience Includes
More than you think. Don’t worry about bringing cash for tips or pulling out your card at dinner. Our all-inclusive experience is designed so you can connect deeply with peers, exchange ideas, and give yourself the space to think creatively outside of work, not about the check.
ROOMS
Modern, luxurious accommodations at Mountain Shadows are part of the package.
CULINARY
All meals, snacks, coffee, and alcoholic beverages are included. From breakfast to cocktail hour, everything’s covered.
PROGRAMING
Full access to daily sessions, including keynotes, workshops, and breakout discussions, all led by top operators and marketing leaders.
WELLNESS ACTIVITIES
Unwind your way. Enjoy full resort access, with options to hit the golf course or relax with a massage, designed for connection and recharge.
GRATUITIES
No tips needed, everything’s included.
TRANSPORTATION (VIP ONLY)
Private ground transportation from Sky Harbor Airport for a seamless arrival.
Reserved dinner table selection (VIP Only)
ROOM UPGRADE (VIP ONLY)
Enjoy an elevated stay with a premium one-bedroom suite at Mountain Shadows Resort.
