Agenda

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Registration

Scott Conference Center

9:00 – 9:10 a.m.

Welcome • Introduction

9:10 – 10:00 a.m.

Morning Keynote

Growth in the Eye of the Storm

Keni Thacker, Chief Creative Officer at 100 Roses from Concrete

Presented by Basis Technologies

Amid a global pandemic and racial superstorm, there is growth. Yet, agencies have proved they cannot solve the social inequalities and disparities they have created alone, especially on the eve of a pandemic. But, through creative entrepreneurship and street smarts, the 100 Roses turned the tide around not for fame or fortune but to set the table for an equal playing field for the future of advertising and related industries.

10:00 – 10:10 a.m.

Networking Break

10:10 – 11:00 a.m.

Morning Breakouts

#1 How to Prepare for the Future of Google and SEO

Drew Harden, President and Co-Founder at Blue Compass

With Google constantly changing, it can be difficult to decipher the best way to impact your target audience in search. This session will offer guidance, answers and predictions for what will impact your brand’s SEO beyond 2022, enabling you to gain more awareness and traffic in search.

#2
Podcasting with Purpose

Richard Lewis III and Marjorie Sturgeon, Webberized LLC

Share a story, discuss ideas or promote your business and start your podcast! In this introductory workshop, you’ll receive helpful resources for getting your podcast started. Topics include a brief overview of podcasting for brand building, how to develop your idea, recording and editing resources, hosting and RSS, and measuring success.

#3
Archetypes + Branding

Kelley Peterson, Vice President Non-Profit Creative Director at KidGlov

#4
Rebranding a Legacy: How to Balance History and Future Vision

Leanne Prewitt, President and Chief Creative Officer at Ervin & Smith 

Erin Gambaiana, Associate Creative Director at Ervin & Smith 

Amy Bailey, Director of Brand Marketing and Scoular

After nearly 130 years in agribusiness, Scoular was a mainstay in the industry. But as their services and product offerings began to evolve, they needed a modern brand, rooted in their distinguished history, to bring them into the future. They partnered with Ervin & Smith to develop thoughtful, authentic and colorful updates to the external and employer brand. 

 Scoular Director of Brand Marketing, Amy Bailey, and Ervin & Smith’s President and Chief Creative Officer, Leanne Prewitt, and Associate Creative Director, Erin Gambaiana, will share how they successfully led stakeholders through a once-in-a-lifetime transformation.

11:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Networking Break

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Lunch Keynote

Getting More Human with Data Driven Marketing

Abbey Buergler, CRM Director at Barkley

1:00 – 1:10 p.m.

Networking Break

1:10 – 2:00 p.m.

Afternoon Breakouts

#1
A Guide to Navigating the Complex World of Streaming

Amanda Boyer-Finelli, Digital Sales Manager at Cox Media
Susy Schwede, Director of Product Management at Cox Media

Presented by Cox Media

As streaming amongst consumers continues to grow, it is more important than ever for advertisers & companies to understand the landscape, navigate solutions and find the most effective ways to make it part of your marketing mix. We’ll walk through the current state of streaming, how consumers use it, ROI metrics and future trends.

#2
Crafting a Marketing Message that Moves Customer to Action

Zachary Nelson, Fractional Marketer at Wellspring Marketing

You’ve figured out your ideal customer, but now you’re embarking on a more difficult task: moving them to action. Fortunately, crafting a persuasive message can be accomplished using a straightforward, repeatable process. In this session, Zach breaks down the steps and techniques you can use to craft persuasive marketing messages.

#3
Start Here: Building a Brand through Community Engagement

John-Paul Gurnett, Director of Communications at BFF Omaha

The mission of BFF is to build community through arts engagement. That mission grew out of the efforts of a dedicated volunteer base who utilized fun, creative, and inclusive messaging to invite the Benson community to participate in Benson First Friday. Now a decade in, BFF continues to use unique branding and communication strategies to engage the local community. 

Communications and Creative Director, JP Gurnett, will share the secrets of BFF and how putting community first helped create a unique brand in alignment with a clear mission. 

#4
Winning with NIL: How Brands are Succeeding After Year One

Derek Peterson, Senior Vice President at OpenDorse

Name, image, and likeness have become a windfall for college athletes and marketers across the country. On July 1, 2021, college athletes could begin earning compensation for their NIL rights for the first time in collegiate sports history.

Marketing pros at every level – from global advertisers to local businesses – rushed to support student-athletes and innovate for their organization. But just getting started… was a challenge. Everyone had to understand: where do I go? What can I do? And how much does it cost?

Opendorse was ready to answer the call. Having facilitated marketing deals for professional athletes and brands for a decade, college athletes and interested supporters quickly looked to the turnkey technology and experienced team to guide them through this new environment. Today, more than 75,000 athletes and thousands of brands look to Opendorse to unlock NIL opportunities. Now one year into NIL in the college space, SVP of Operations Derek Peterson is ready to share insights on how marketers and athletes at every level have found NIL success together.

2:00 – 2:10 p.m.

Networking Break

2:10 – 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon Keynote

The Process of Finding your Niche

George Garrastegui Jr, Co-Chair of AIGA D+B Conf. ’21-22 / Design Educator, Host of Works in Process Podcast

There is much to be said about why creatives create. Is it self-expression, is it servicing clients’ objectives, or is it to influence others? It’s all of it, but when we build campaigns, media plans, or convey brand messages, too much relies on the external audience, and we tend to forget why we’re in the room in the first place. Our unique stances, insights, and intuitions are what solve problems creatively—design your own possibilities by understanding your perspective and why it matters.

3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Happy Hour & Networking

Sonny’s 

Presented by Sonny’s 

Join us to recap the day and grab a snack, a drink and conversation.

1905 S. 67th St. Omaha, NE 68106