11:00-11:30 AM
Registration & Networking

11:30 AM-12:40 PM
Welcome & Lunch

12:40-1:15 PM
Opening Session: Inside Events at Intel
Speaker: Alyson Griffin, VP of Marketing, Intel
Learn how events and brand activations can actively shape the conversation for your brand’s perception. Alyson will discuss strategies to move beyond awareness and achieve true brand relevance in unique ways that appeal to multiple personas at a single event.

1:15-1:45 PM
Fireside Chat: Shawn Silverman, SVP, Brand Marketing and Events, Comedy Central/Paramount Network/TV Land
Shawn will share insights on how experiential strategies drive brand affinity. Topics will include immersive storytelling; the pros and cons of stunt marketing, using marketing to both reward “fans” and attract and engage “non-fans,” and the intersection between advertising, paid social, and events. Interviewed by Kim Kopetz, EVP Strategy & Marketing at Opus Agency.

1:45-2:15 PM
Panel: Storytelling Through Experiences
Event marketers are constantly balancing the goal of connecting on an emotional and relevant level with their audience, while also driving results with their spend. There is also the challenge of having too many stories to tell and how to justify or measure the impact. Hear the unique perspectives from our panel, which includes Josh Arnold, Experiential Marketing Manager at General Mills, Erin Mcelroy, Program Director, Marketing Innovation at IBM, and Zachary Papale, Global Head of Experiential Marketing & Brand Partnerships at YouTube. Moderated by Justin Boone, VP of Creative Strategy at MAS Event + Design.

2:15-2:30 PM
Break

2:30-3:00 PM
Panel: One Event, Many Personas
Many marketers today are challenged with how to connect across many different audiences at one event or activation. Listen to some of the world’s most valued brands as they share how they define their audiences, attendee journeys, and create “find your tribe” strategies. This panel features Alessandra Sapiz, VP Global Events at Cisco, Jamey Sunshine, Experiential Marketing Team Leader at Nestle, and Nicola Kastner, Head of Global Event Strategy at SAP. Moderated by Leasa Mayer, Executive Vice President, Opus Agency.

3:00-3:30 PM
Table Topics: Dissect the day’s content through Interactive discussions with your tablemates, covering hot topics and trends including audience segmentation, social strategy, and portfolio development.

3:30-3:45 PM
Break

3:45-4:15 PM
Afternoon Session: Adapting Event Strategy for a Modern Audience
Speaker: Bob Bejan, General Manager, Global Events for Microsoft
Bob will share the transformative journey Microsoft has been on over the past few years to build a comprehensive, theme-based portfolio that delivers results. Bob will discuss his approach to addressing increasingly sophisticated audiences, as well as their strategy around attendee journeys and content delivery.

4:15-4:45 PM
Closing Session: Insights from the Apparel World: Building a Brand through Events
Speaker: Beth Malafa, Head of Global Events, Under Armour
With a thriving portfolio of experiential marketing activations, Under Armour strives to build brand loyalty through consumer events. Get insights from past UA events that have proven to build brand and consumer loyalty. Learn how integration of activations can increase not only your investments and assets but also your visibility through multiple multi-media channels. Get first-hand accounts through these poignant examples on how cross-category collaboration can lead to successful events to help elevate any brand.

4:45-5:30 PM
Executive Forum Post-Event Reception
Join us for a drink and continued connections with your peers.