16 Best CMO Communities (Free & Paid) to Join in 2024
For Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) looking for a third space, one that doubles as a learning and networking space, joining the right CMO community is a great strategy. You'll meet folks like yourself who have firsthand experience solving some of the problems that keep you up at night.
Plus, conversing with fellow marketing leaders within these marketing communities also does wonders for your mental health. Because you go like, 'I'm not insane after all to assume that branding management approach could be better.'
So without further ado, here are the biggest and best CMO communities to join - some online, some in-person. You choose which works best for you.
Best CMO Communities Shortlist
Here's a shortlist of the best CMO communities I think are worth joining in 2024:
- CMO Alliance — For collaboration and strategy sharing among CMOs
- Global CMO Community — For high-level marketing discussions and insights
- The Next CMO — For next-generation marketing leadership training
- CMO Collaborative - For connection, collaboration, and support among CMOs
- CMO Huddles - For peer support and insights for B2B marketing leaders
- Marketers That Matter - For connecting top marketers and recognizing innovation
- CMO Collective - For networking and development of senior marketing executives
- Pavilion - For career development and community for revenue leaders
- Apex Assembly CMO Community — For senior marketing leaders in technology-driven industries
- The CMO Club — For peer-based learning and exclusive marketing events
- CMOtalk — For sharing practical marketing strategies and tactics
- CMO Peer Talks — For peer-to-peer learning and networking
- CMO Crowd — For discussions on current marketing trends and challenges
- BrightTalk CMO Council — For thought leadership and global marketing advocacy
- Growth Hackers — For learning and implementing growth hacking techniques
- Fractional CMO Community — For interim CMOs seeking engagements and networking
Find more details about each community below.
The 16 Best CMO Communities
Whether you’re the CMO at a spunky startup or leading dozens of teams at an enterprise, here are the top CMO communities to consider:
1. CMO Alliance — For collaboration and strategy sharing among CMOs
The CMO Alliance is a global collective of CMOs launched in January 2021. It is dedicated to empowering marketing leaders to achieve excellence in their roles.
- Audience: CMOs worldwide
- Membership Cost: Free
- Platform: Slack
Why Join:
The CMO Alliance is a valuable community for Chief Marketing Officers at all career stages. Whether you're experienced, new, or aiming for the C-suite, it offers spaces to share and discuss questions about modern CMO roles. Get startup advice, leadership guidance, growth strategies, and more to help you excel.
2. Global CMO Community — For high-level marketing discussions and insights
The Global CMO Community, hosted by HotTopics, is a premier network connecting over 18,000 CMOs and marketing leaders worldwide. It aims to inspire and drive innovative marketing practices.
- Audience: Marketing leaders and CMOs
- Size: 18,000+ members
Why Join:
The Global CMO Community is a top network for marketing leaders who want to succeed in today's fast-changing industry. Members get to network with leading CMOs, access the latest industry insights, and attend inspiring events. The community's high-level awards and collaborative opportunities make it a great place to stay ahead in marketing.
3. The Next CMO — For next-generation marketing leadership training
The Next CMO community focuses on CMO issues like vision, strategy, planning, budget management, ROI measurement, and team building.
- Audience: Current and aspiring Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs)
- Size: 3,000+ members
- Membership Cost: Free
- Platform: Circle
Why Join:
The Next CMO community helps marketing leaders adapt to new digital standards and offers a learning space for aspiring CMOs. By joining the community, you get a free copy of "The Next CMO: A Guide to Operational Excellence, 2nd Edition."
Additionally, joining also means you benefit from free marketing resources and tools like the Operational Marketing Funnel Builder, marketing plan templates, virtual events, workshops, and job postings.
4. CMO Collaborative - For connection, collaboration, and support among CMOs
CMO Collaborative is a community created by CMOs for CMOs that aims to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for marketing leaders.
- Audience: CMOs and Fractional CMOs from both B2B and B2C sectors
- Membership Cost: $2500/year
- Platform: Slack
Why Join:
The CMO Collaborative is a community for CMOs to connect, collaborate, and share experiences. It focuses on discussing vendors, strategies, and solutions to marketing challenges while offering local chapter gatherings, coaching + mentorship, and a social mission to support professional growth and industry impact.
5. CMO Huddles - For peer support and insights for B2B marketing leaders
CMO Huddles is a dynamic community of B2B marketing leaders that fosters confidence, connections, and public relations opportunities.
- Audience: CMOs, executive marketers, fractional CMOs, and aspiring CMOs
- Size: 300+ members
Membership Cost:- Huddles Starter: Free
- Huddles Leader Monthly: $350
- Huddles Leader Annually: $3,500
- Platform: Virtual Huddles and Slack
Why Join:
The CMO Huddles community is a unique platform for marketing leaders to exchange ideas and tackle common challenges in today's dynamic marketing environment. Through huddles, recaps, and coaching sessions, you can gain insights to make better decisions while building a solid peer network via 1:1s, monthly roundtables, and in-person events.
6. Marketers That Matter - For connecting top marketers and recognizing innovation
Marketers That Matter, in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, is a community of top marketing executives and companies focused on shaping the future of marketing.
- Audience: Marketing executives like marketing directors and heads of marketing
- Platform: Virtual and in-person meetings
Why Join:
Marketers That Matter is a premier community that connects top marketing executives with their peers and industry leaders. This community offers unique benefits, including marketing leadership conferences that are great chances to learn and network. By joining, members gain access to real-time experiences and solutions to current marketing challenges.
7. CMO Collective - For networking and development of senior marketing executives
CMO Collective is an exclusive, invitation-only community for CMOs and senior marketing executives, offering free membership for qualified members.
- Audience: CMOs and senior marketing executives
- Membership Cost: Free for qualified members
- Platform: Slack
Why Join:
CMO Collective is a community for CMOs and senior marketing executives to share insights, network, and receive career advice. This community stands out due to its exclusive access to top industry leaders and the collaborative environment it fosters. Membership is free, and contributing to the community requires only a few hours of your time regularly.
8. Pavilion - For career development and community for revenue leaders
Pavilion is a global community for sales, marketing, customer success, and RevOps leaders from the world's fastest-growing companies.
- Audience: Sales, marketing, customer success, and RevOps leaders
- Size: 10,000+ members
- Membership Cost:
- Associate Membership - $1200/year
- Executive Membership - $2500/year
- Platform: Slack
Why Join:
Pavilion is a community-powered learning solution for go-to-market executives and their teams. This community ensures that your entire team is aligned on approach and messaging, leading to a seamless customer experience. Pavilion supports your B2B SaaS career at every stage, partnering with you to make a significant impact.
9. Apex Assembly CMO Community — For senior marketing leaders in technology-driven industries
Apex Assembly CMO Community organizes exclusive, invitation-only events and summits for senior executives, including CMOs, to foster networking, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing.
- Audience: CMOs and senior-level marketing executives
- Platform: Invitation-only platform
Why Join:
The Apex Assembly community offers unparalleled opportunities for marketing leaders at infotech companies to connect and grow through exclusive, invitation-only assemblies and summits. Apex provides a secure environment to develop lasting relationships, learn from top educators and industry experts, and discuss innovative solutions to drive your business forward.
10. The CMO Club — For peer-based learning and exclusive marketing events
The CMO Club is the most innovative and engaged community of senior marketing leaders worldwide. It was founded by Pete Krainik in 2008.
- Audience: Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and senior marketing executives
- Size: 27,000+ LinkedIn followers
- Membership Cost: Free
Why Join:
The CMO Club is a community of CMOs from B2B and B2C brands, with chapters in over 30 cities globally. Fueled by dynamic peer-to-peer problem-solving, inspirational events, and insights into the latest marketing trends and innovations, The CMO Club is the go-to place for the world’s top marketing executives.
Members enjoy exclusive access to a wealth of resources, including private networking opportunities, cutting-edge research, and tailored career development programs.
11. CMOtalk — For sharing practical marketing strategies and tactics
CMOtalk is a prominent community for Chief Marketing Officers in the Netherlands, focusing on fostering collaboration and learning among top marketing professionals.
- Audience: Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and senior marketing professionals in the Netherlands
- Size: 100+ members
- Membership Cost: $1,080/year
- Platform: Proprietary portal and Whatsapp community
Why Join:
The CMOtalk Community is the hub for CMOs looking to connect and excel in their industry. With exclusive events featuring top industry experts, members gain insights into the latest trends and real-world marketing excellence. You can enjoy access to exclusive content, white papers, research materials, and the must-attend CMOtalk dinner.
12. CMO Peer Talks — For peer-to-peer learning and networking
The CMO Peer Talks Community is a group for marketing leaders to connect, learn, and grow. It offers roundtables, expert talks, virtual events, networking opportunities, and exclusive perks.
- Audience: Franchise marketers
- Size: 3,000+ members
- Platform: LinkedIn group
Why Join:
The CMO Peer Talks Community is perfect for marketing leaders to connect and grow. Members receive invites to roundtables and expert talks, get access to exclusive virtual CMO events and networking opportunities, and enjoy a subscription to the monthly newsletter. You’ll also receive a free invitation to a private LinkedIn group and special perks like swag, gift cards, and in-person gatherings.
13. CMO Crowd — For discussions on current marketing trends and challenges
CMO Crowd is an interactive community led by marketing and business leaders. It hosts at least four annual panel debates on topics chosen by the audience and community members.
- Audience: Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and senior marketing leaders
- Platform: LinkedIn
Why Join:
CMO Crowd is a community for CMOs and senior marketers looking to learn more about B2B marketing. It offers members a unique networking, learning, and collaboration platform. Unlike other conferences, CMO Crowd features engaging panel debates, interactive community discussions, and exclusive events that provide valuable insights and innovative marketing strategies.
14. BrightTalk CMO Council — For thought leadership and global marketing advocacy
BrightTalk CMO Council is a platform that hosts webinars and virtual events for professionals in various industries, offering a channel for marketing and sales insights.
- Audience: CMOs and senior marketing leaders
- Size: 20,000+ members
- Platform: Brighttalk
Why Join:
BrightTalk CMO Council is a premier platform offering continuous access to live and on-demand webinars, providing unparalleled insights from industry leaders. With a vast library of content and interactive sessions, members benefit from real-time engagement and up-to-date knowledge of the latest trends and challenges.
15. GrowthHackers — For learning and implementing growth hacking techniques
GrowthHackers, founded by Sean Ellis and his team, is the largest community for CMOs looking to learn growth marketing. It connects professionals to collaborate and learn, focusing on sustainable growth challenges.
- Audience: CMOs looking to upskill their growth marketing skills
- Size: 150,000 members
- Membership Cost: Free
- Platform: Proprietary invite-only portal
Why Join:
GrowthHackers Community is an invite-only platform with exclusive content for members. Carefully selecting applicants ensures high-quality content and genuine connections, helps members learn growth hacking basics, develop growth initiatives, and access valuable case studies and resources.
16. Fractional CMO Community — For interim CMOs seeking engagements and networking
The Fractional CMO Community is a Facebook group where Fractional Chief Marketing Officers connect to share knowledge, discuss industry trends, and support each other, fostering growth and collaboration.
- Audience: Fractional Chief Marketing Officers and marketing professionals
- Size: 5,800+ members
- Membership Cost: Free
- Platform: Facebook
Why Join:
The Fractional CMO Community is a great place for marketing leaders who work part-time with multiple clients. A Fractional CMO provides part-time strategic leadership and marketing expertise, working closely with existing teams or overseeing outsourced functions. They create and implement strategies, optimize campaigns, and track results to ensure marketing efforts meet business goals.
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