EP 87: The B2B Buyer Journey Isn't Linear Anymore | Shauna Smith, Events & Growth Lead, Twilio

Shauna Smith leads events and growth for Twilio.org, Twilio's social impact arm, after roles at AWS, The Knot, and Elastic building demand generation and global events programs. On this episode she breaks down why the B2B buyer's journey has stopped being linear, why intimate, targeted events now outperform trade shows for pipeline, and how her team ran 100+ virtual immersion days at AWS during COVID without losing the premium feel of an in-person executive series. She also sharew why cutting through the noise is getting harder for every B2B brand, and where thought leadership and creator partnerships still have a real job to do in 2026. 00:00 Introduction 01:03 How B2B has changed over the last 5–10 years: events, AI, and the shift from experiment to infrastructure 04:44 The buyer's journey as a dynamic web, not a straight line 05:50 Targeted, intimate events vs. large trade shows: when each wins 08:13 What Twilio.org does, and where Shauna's remit sits inside it 10:40 What COVID taught the events industry about virtual formats 11:26 Building a white-glove executive series virtually during COVID 15:30 Virtual scale vs. in-person customization: the trade-offs 19:04 Thought leadership vs. the rise of B2B creators and partnerships 22:57 Vetting creator and brand partnerships for real alignment 25:51 Why data should be the backbone of fast decisions 27:54 Cutting through the noise: why it's getting harder, and what actually works 29:58 Generational differences in how buyers absorb information 33:40 Where to find Shauna, and close out Follow ⁠Shauna on LinkedIn⁠   / shaunasmithmarketer