Mental Health Marketing Conference 2024: Is It Worth It?

October 1st through 3rd marked the 8th annual Mental Health Marketing Conference, held this year at The Factory at Franklin in Franklin, TN.

The conference, which started as a mental health awareness event in 2016, has since evolved into one of the only marketing events in the country to focus on trends and outcomes in the behavioral health space. But at $750 a ticket, is this niche conference worth its price tag?

Our take: YES!

Sessions at the MHMC were held in three main venues across the expansive Factory at Franklin facility. The conference agenda booklet, given to all attendees upon check-in, included a chronological list of sessions with symbols indicating their relevance to clinicians, executives, marketers, and business development representatives.

Event Themes and Topics

Topics and panel discussions covering everything from AI technology to content strategy to top industry trends driving revenue revealed a central truth: the human touch remains king in connecting with your audience. Whether through targeted content, adaptive digital tools, or empathetic communication, consumers increasingly expect tailored experiences that resonate with their unique challenges. With this conference’s wide variety of topics, attendees gain valuable insight into the key elements that make a modern marketing strategy successful.

Speakers and Presentations

During the 3-day conference, over 100 speakers took the stage to share current trends, offer how-to crash courses, and participate in interactive panel discussions. Some of our personal favorites included Simply Psych owner Dr. Brian Dixon’s talk on marketing versus operations cost, Co-founder and CEO of Beacon Media + Marketing Adrienne Wilkerson’s presentation on current industry research, and psychologist-turned-video-podcaster Melvin Varghese’s easy-to-follow guide on producing high-quality video assets and content flywheels.

And this year, we did more than just attend the conference. Recovery Unplugged’s Chief Growth Officer, Riley Osborne, led a panel on recruitment and retention. He was joined by Ben Swisher, owner of Psych Alliance, Jordan Young of Jordan and Associates Consulting, and Todd Dixon, CEO of TTF Healthcare Search and Staffing. Together, they discussed company culture, generational differences, and new technologies helping recruiters find top talent.

Steve Turney, the owner and executive director of MHM and the face of the Mental Health Marketing Conference, sat down with our team to give his perspective on the value of the event and where he wants to see it go next:

During Covid, the demand for mental healthcare just exploded, and a lot of mom-and-pop therapy practices found themselves looking for new efficiencies in their business model that could help them keep up with the demand for accessible and high-quality care. Since then, we’ve been riding this tidal wave of desire for new information in this industry, and as new tech comes in, new money comes in, and better marketers come in, we’re just trying to provide content that informs those different pockets of people. Right now, we’re looking at doing a road tour, taking our podcast, The Boost, out to 10-12 different cities, and giving a platform to the mental health speakers and experts we run into all year. We’re really excited about that.

~ Steve Turney, Owner and Executive Director of MHM

Memorable Experiences

Because it would be pretty gauche of a marketing conference catering to mental health professionals not to consider the mental wellness of their attendees, Steve and his team organized a series of experiences designed to relax and excite conference-goers. Morning Tai Chi classes, an interactive art mural, a puppy park, and hot air balloon rides – made possible by Cardinal Digital Marketing – were just some of the offerings that helped set this conference apart.

Should I Attend?

The answer really depends on what you’re hoping to get out of it. If you’re a marketing professional or business owner looking for fresh industry insights and great new contacts, look no further. However, business development representatives be warned: This event differs from other mental health conferences you may have attended. While there is a small exhibitor space at the event, most booths advertise marketing and technology solutions for mental health providers rather than promoting the providers themselves. Still, there were a handful of sessions relevant to business development and sales, and it’s a great opportunity for sales leaders – the industry’s equivalent of Golden Retrievers – to see what their black-cat marketing team actually gets up to while they’re busy playing pickleball and slamming energy drinks in the parking lot at 8 am.

Key Takeaways

Our team’s main takeaways from this event were overwhelmingly positive. The conference is growing yearly, with 420 people attending in 2024; this makes the conference big enough to attract ample interest from speakers and subject matter experts while remaining so intimate that many presenters could meet with attendees after their sessions to answer further questions and make new acquaintances. The Factory at Franklin was a unique venue to host in, and due to the location of the session rooms, had us running from one side of the property to the other more than once over the course of the conference. Still, local restaurants and shops provided conference-goers with easy, convenient refreshment options throughout the day. Though we can’t speak for everyone on our team, our Lead Editor must’ve spent a small fortune at Honest Coffee Roasters.

Follow Mental Health Marketing on Instagram and LinkedIn to keep up with everything they’re doing. We’re excited to see what 2025 holds for this mighty little conference and hope we get to be a part of it!

Still not sure? MHMC just announced special pricing on in-person and virtual registration! Get a 50% discount on tickets before November 1st, 2024.