Search Engine Land provides the original post.
40 presenters is really impressive for a local search field that is still (arguably) relatively new.
It’s cool to see that the SMX Conference targets ad agencies just as much or even more than search marketers and marketing managers.
It was just a few years ago that there was quite a debate between search marketers and ad agencies. Search marketers offered a cheaper and more of a “pull marketing” alternative to mainstream marketing and advertising, and ad agencies blew search marketing off as a fad or something useless. Now, both large and small agencies hire search marketers on a regular basis to broaden their services.
The SMX conference looks like they’re taking this a step further by offering local search strategies to these agencies. It does make sense. We often hear about the large, national agencies such as Fallon and Campbell Mithun, but there are plenty of small agencies around too that primarily have a local client base.
LocalMN Blog 
Paul, are you headed out to SMX mobile/local? I have a conflict otherwise I would love to be there. Seems like the best topic of the year to me. I’m sure you would agree.
Your right on with your big agency take. It was a “thats beneath us” attitude they had on many forms of Internet marketing besides display ads and micro sites. Oh how the times change. Now they are playing catch-up.
I won’t be there either. I hear it’s a great conference but I’d love to hit one of the Kelsey Groups local events instead… but that’s just me.
Your “that’s beneath us” take on the agencies is exactly what I was thinking. Kudos to the proactive ones who embraced it.