GatherUp Presents

Back to School

A free virtual event designed for growth-minded digital agencies and local businesses

Back to School 2025 was a power-packed, no-fluff day that sharpened services, impressed clients, and boosted revenue. Built for agency leaders, SEO pros, freelancers, and multi-location business owners, the event gave growth-minded professionals the tools and insights they needed to scale smarter. Attendees:

  • Learned how to turn reputation into recurring revenue
  • Saw how their agencies stacked up with real benchmarks
  • Got smarter about packaging, pricing, and productizing review services
  • Joined a thriving network of forward-thinking peers

If you missed Back to School 2025, you can still get the insights that helped agencies sharpen services, scale smarter, and boost revenue. All sessions are available to watch on demand; don’t miss your chance to catch up. 👉 

Conference Schedule

10:00–10:30 AM ET
Opening Keynote – Future-Proofing Agencies: Winning in the Age of AI + Authenticity
Michael Yules
Consumer expectations are shifting fast, and agencies that fail to adapt will get left behind. Learn how AI, local SEO, and authentic reputation management are reshaping the landscape—and what you need to do today to stay indispensable.

10:45–11:15 AM ET
Session 1 – Rethinking the Agency Model: How AI Is Redefining Value in 2025
Nicholas Petroski
AI is changing how agencies operate, compete, and deliver value. Discover how top agencies are using AI to streamline operations, sharpen strategy, and reimagine client value.

11:30 AM–12:00 PM ET
Interactive Lab #1 – Reputation Rescue Workshop
Matt Saeger
Hands-on training to spot and flag review spam, draft compliant replies, and turn negative experiences into opportunities.

12:00–12:30 PM ET
Session 2 – Future-Proofing Your Google Business Profile: Strategies for 2026 and Beyond
Claire Carlile 
Explore a forward-looking GBP strategy that pairs always-on content, review recency, and strong data hygiene to keep clients visible and trusted.

12:45–1:15 PM ET
Break / GatherUp Office Hours
Matt Saeger / CX Team
Optional “ask-me-anything” on SGE/AI Overviews, zero-click realities, and measurable tactics for clients.

1:00–1:30 PM ET
The Next-Gen Agency Playbook: How Top Agencies Are Winning New Business in 2025
Tamara Biljman
What separates today’s fastest-growing agencies from the rest? In this panel, agency leaders share their playbooks for pitching, packaging, and winning in an increasingly competitive market. Learn how to evolve your services, stand out in sales conversations, and grow smarter.

1:45–2:15 PM ET
Product Keynote – Reviews, Listings & Stats—Oh My! Your One-Stop Autumn Tune-Up
Alexia Platenburg + Josh Sholder
First look at GatherUp’s newest release with live demos, an agency case study, and competitive edge takeaways.

2:15–2:45 PM ET
Interactive Lab #2 – Listings Sprint: 3 Optimizations You Can Scale Across Clients
Jonathan Raab
Bring a GBP or listing and leave with three repeatable optimizations—from categories to visuals—that scale across clients.

3:00–3:30 PM ET
Session 3 – Local Search in 2025: AI Overviews, Zero-Click & What Agencies Must Do Now
Tori Begg, Darren Shaw, and Celeste Gonzalez
Learn how to triage suspensions, duplicates, and disappearing reviews, assemble evidence for support, and communicate effectively to resolve issues fast.

4:00–4:30 PM ET
Session 4 – Navigating the Minefield: Advanced Google Business Profile Issue Resolution for Agencies
Brad Wetherall
Explore how AI-powered search, zero-click results, and evolving GBP updates are reshaping local SEO—and how agencies can adapt strategies to thrive.

We'll help you build a better business

Our goal is to help you connect with your customers to gain valuable insight on what’s important to them. While you happy customers will help your marketing, your unhappy customers will point out where you can improve and our system will help you communicate with them to keep them with you.

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