Visibility gets you noticed. It doesn’t get you chosen. That gap is where most B2B marketing budgets quietly disappear
For the second year running, Attract & Engage was invited to speak, and BizzFest 2.0 was bigger and busier than the first.
Co-founder Richard Willis took the stage to deliver our talk, ‘Stop Marketing, Start Being Chosen’
Huge credit to organisers Andy Coleman and Shaun Pledger. A second edition that outdoes the first is hard to pull off, and they did it.
Why Visibility Isn’t Enough
The talk tackled a problem we see in almost every new client conversation. Businesses post regularly, run ads and attend events, yet the enquiries that matter still go to someone else.
The reason is simple. Being seen and being chosen are two different things. Most B2B buyers are not in the market on any given day, and when they are ready to buy, they tend to shortlist names they already know and trust. If your marketing only shows up when someone is actively searching, you are competing late, on price, against firms that earned their place on the list months earlier.
Richard walked the audience through what closes that gap:
- A clear position: what you want to be known for, and by whom
- Consistent presence with the buyers who matter, not just the ones searching today
- Proof that does the selling for you: case studies, results and credible voices
- Marketing and sales working from the same plan
It’s the same balance of brand and demand we build for clients across Essex and East London.
A Day Full of Ideas
Beyond our own slot, the day delivered. Jill’s personal highlight was Will Polston, whose book North Star Thinking helps founders get clear on their personal why. It’s not always easy for business owners to step back and do that, and Will makes it practical.
The Paddle investor stage was another standout, with a panel of John Holliday, Carmel Jane Saulbrey, Craig Hubert and Sam Malins.
The Fastest Lap Title
Our F1 racing sim was busy all day, and the leaderboard got competitive. Investor panellist Sam Malins casually set a 1:36 lap around Monza to take the fastest lap title and won the prize for a single seater drive in the F1000 IRL!! Sarah McKee-Harris posted the fastest time by a woman on the day.
It’s a simple idea, but it works. The sim gave people a reason to stop, have a go and start a conversation, which is exactly what a stand should do.
Thank You
BizzFest 2.0 brought together business owners and senior leaders from across Essex and beyond, with ideas flowing and new connections made all day. Thank you to Andy, Shaun and the whole BizzFest crew for having us back.
If you missed the talk and want to know how the ‘Start Being Chosen’ thinking applies to your business, drop us a line. info@attractandengage.co.uk
