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Learn how a new generation of creators is redefining what a story is, how it’s told and where it’s viewed. See how 2018 is playing out in the design world. Explore ways mergers and acquisitions among media companies may impact your job and the entertainment industry as a whole. And hone in on the technology of the future.
Those are just some of the topics the PromaxBDA Conference will address this year as marketers and creatives from across the industry gather for education, inspiration, networking and the celebration of excellence from June 11 - 14 at the Hilton Midtown in New York City.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect at this year’s the four-day annual summit:
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Popup F5 at PromaxBDA
Tuesday will kick off with something entirely new: PopUp F5 in partnership with Motionographer, which will feature some of the world’s most innovative creatives at the intersection of design, art and technology.
The one-day pop-up festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. will include digital artists, visual storytellers, filmmakers, scientists, comedians and visionaries—such as Dvein‘s Carlos Pardo and Teo Guillem, Berlin-based Extraweg, art director and designer Nadia Tzuo and Art of the Title Managing Editor Lola Landekic.
The activation is designed to bring together the thinkers and doers that are breaking ground and shaping new standards in media and design.
Attendance is free to registered attendees but space is currently booked. RSVP to get on the waitlist.
Top-Notch Speakers
The conference this year also features high-caliber speakers with connections to timely topics in entertainment news and today’s cultural landscape.
Tarana Burke, the activist who launched the groundbreaking #MeToo movement that continues to reshape how we talk about sexual abuse and gender equity will team up with Emmy- and four-time Golden Globe winner Laura Dern (Big Little Lies, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Twin Peaks) to speak about women’s empowerment, gender equality, and balancing the delicate scales of work, life, and family.
RELATED: ‘Big Little Lies’’ Laura Dern to Headline 2018 PromaxBDA Conference
CNE President, #MeToo Founder to Keynote PromaxBDA Conference
Joanne Lipman also wants to close the gender gap. The author of That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know [and Women Need to Tell Them] About Working Together, points out that we all know women make 80 cents on the dollar compared to men. But black women make just 63 cents on the dollar and Latina women only 54 cents on the dollar.
“There really is this inequity that multiplies if you belong to more than one underrepresented group,” she said. She hopes this resonates with conference attendees. “My hope is that we’re going to empower the people in the audience to be more creative and to be open to others whose voices are not always heard,” she said.
RELATED: Conference 2018: Joanne Lipman Wants to Close the Gender Gap
Meanwhile, Dawn Ostroff, president, Condé Nast Entertainment (CNE), will talk about building a digital video empire for the brand by tailoring content for different platforms to reach young viewers.
RELATED: Conference 2018: How Dawn Ostroff Drives CNE’s Digital Video Strategy
The wildly creative Simon Doonan, the force behind the window displays at Barneys New York from 1986-2010, may not see change coming, but he knows what sets something apart, and will talk about how he designed alternative, edgy displays that helped distinguish the brand’s image.
RELATED: Barneys Window Dresser Simon Doonan on Setting Your Brand Apart
And two-time Grammy winner and TED speaker Stefan Sagmeister explains why beauty can be more than just a concept or an aesthetic: it’s a guiding principle.
RELATED: Conference 2018: Stefan Sagmeister on Beauty
Additional speakers include:
- Don Buckley, chief marketing officer, Showtime Networks, Inc.
- Angela Courtin, global head of marketing, YouTube TV & Originals
- Rebecca Daugherty, EVP, marketing, ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios
- Alison Hoffman, chief marketing officer, Starz
- Lara Richardson, group EVP, marketing, Discovery, Inc.
- Harriet Seitler, chief marketing officer and EVP, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
- Chris Spadaccini, EVP, Consumer Marketing, HBO
Honoring Top Marketing Achievements
Of course, PromaxBDA will also honor the top marketing examples of the year at an award ceremony on June 14.
The North America competition celebrates the year’s best achievements in entertainment marketing across every screen, including on-air, online and on-the-go, while the Global Excellence Awards honor the best work in all categories from around the world.
Here are some of the finalist highlights for both competitions.
NORTH AMERICA AWARDS
Marketing Team of the Year Finalists:
- A+E Networks
- CNN Worldwide
- FX Networks
- HBO, Nickelodeon
Agency of the Year Finalists:
- Bond
- Iconisus
- Ignition
- mOcean
- P+A
- Stun Creative/busterINK
Leading the list of finalists in other categories for the North America Awards competition are A+E Networks, CNN Worldwide, FX Networks, HBO, Nickelodeon, Viceland and more.
North America Awards full list of categories and finalists
GLOBAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Marketing Team of the Year Finalists:
- Bell Media
- CNN Worldwide
- Comedy Central
- National Geographic
- NBCUniversal International Networks UK-EM
- The Walt Disney Company Benelux
Agency of the Year Finalists:
- &Co
- DutchToast
- Gravillis Inc.
- Roger
- mOcean
- Stun Creative/busterINK
Bell Media Inc., CNN Worldwide, Comedy Central, Fox Networks Group Latin America, National Geographic and NBCUniversal International Networks UK-EM also lead the list of finalists in other categories.
Global Excellence Awards full list of categories and finalists:
Give and Receive at the Conference
Operation Backpack
PromaxBDA has teamed up with Caleb and Calder Sloan’s Awesome Foundation to assemble packs full of school supplies for homeless school children before they start their new year. On Thursday, June 14, attendees will be invited to stuff pencil cases through Operation Backpack, which is taking place in partnership with Volunteers of America — Greater New York. As of 2016, 1.5 million kids in New York City schools — or more than half — were considered financially disadvantaged and in need of support, according to VoA. That foundation is matching cash contributions up to $20,000. Donations can be made through Crowdrise before the event.
The activation is part of a commitment to give back, and follows last year’s partnership with Los Angeles nonprofit #HashtagLunchBag (featured in video above) as conference attendees put together more than 2,000 meals to be distributed to shelters, benefitting children, adults and families.
RELATED: PromaxBDA, Sloan Foundation Partner to Help Homeless Kids
Discover a whole new side of the PromaxBDA community with a series of intimate pop-up dinner parties at the conference. The location and dining companions will be a surprise as guests engage in an intimate, focused, and compelling conversation about their industry, career, and future on Wednesday, June 13.
BPG Gallery and Auction
Ten world renowned female photographer will showcase their work at a three-day exhibit and silent auction to benefit PromaxBDA’s Promo Pathway training program to provide career opportunities to talented, diverse youth within the entertainment industry.
Signed prints and rare works will be up for bid at the Americas Hall during the conference, and the silent action closes Thursday, June 14 at 7 p.m.
RELATED: Female Photographers to Auction Off Work at PromaxBDA Conference
Stephen Arnold Music Guitar Giveaway
In what has become a staple of the PromaxBDA Conference, Stephen Arnold Music will once again showcase a collection of unique guitars, and give one away to a lucky winner during a raffle.
This year will feature a ‘60s Woodstock theme that pays homage to what Arnold calls “probably the most creative era in music.”
“It’s been an amazing inspiration to anybody that’s into contemporary music,” he said.
Don’t forget to the take a picture next to a cardboard bus that will be decked out in bright colors and peace signs.
