After a year of adaptation at an unparalleled pace, creative marketers are emerging from the pandemic with a completely new set of skills, tactics, and consumer behaviors. In this emerging world of hybrid experiences and ambitious content strategies, opportunities—and challenges—are everywhere you look.

Join Adweek’s fourth annual Elevate: Experiential and Creativity to hear from marketing experts on the front lines of defining this new era. They'll share the secrets of successful engagement, measurable results, flexible production, and creating unforgettable experiences.

Featured Topics

Thriving in the Era of Hybrid Experiential

Customer-centric Storytelling

Measuring Creative Impact

Identifying Trends Reshaping Consumer Behavior

Featured Speakers

Jimmy Bennett
Vice President, Marketing

Rob Blasko
Vice President, Creative Strategy

Mia Choi
Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer

Claire Daugherty
Branded Content Partner, North America, Facebook Creative Shop

Jordan Dinwiddie
Copywriter

McKay Hathaway
Group Creative Director

Kate Kerner
Vice President, Strategic Events and Community

Richard Oppy
Vice President, Global Brands

Sarah Reed
Senior Director, Global Strategic Events

Andy Simpson
Vertical Lead, Ecommerce, Facebook Creative Shop

Chaka Sobhani
Global Chief Creative Officer

Jonny Sun
Illustrator and New York Times Best-selling Author

Kristin Tormey
Social Media Manager

John Travis
Vice President, Brand Marketing

Mike White
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

Bimma Williams
Host

Omar Zayat
Head of Industry, Ecommerce

+ more to be announced shortly!

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Agenda Overview


12:00 PM — 12:05 PM ET

Adweek Opening Remarks

Welcoming remarks and a look at the event.

 

Featuring:
Danny Wright, Chief Brand Officer, Adweek

Danny W

 

 

 



12:05 PM — 12:25 PM ET

A New Era for Creativity

Chaka Sobhani, the newly appointed global chief creative officer of Leo Burnett, is no stranger to the importance of putting humankind at the heart of storytelling and the rapid evolution of creativity required to compete in today’s industry. Join Adweek as we sit down for an exclusive fireside chat with Sobhani, who’s recently been named to Adweek’s Creative 100 list, to discuss the year that rocked the industry, working with clients like McDonald’s, Kellogg’s and Skoda, and what to anticipate in the new era of creativity.

 

Featuring:
Chaka Sobhani, Global Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide
Stephen Lepitak, Europe Bureau Chief, Adweek 

CSSL

 

 

 



12:30 PM — 12:50 PM ET

Reimagining the World with Creativity

Join Adobe VP Brand Marketing, John Travis, as he sits down with Adweek’s Matt Steinmetz to talk about the post-pandemic world of advertising, why brands are leading with optimism, and how creativity is exploding as people look to create their story and share it with the world.

 

Featuring:
John Travis, Vice President, Brand Marketing, Adobe
Matt Steinmetz, Vice President, Event Partnerships, Adweek

JTMs

 

 

 



12:50 PM — 1:00 PM ET

Creative 100 Awards

Join Adweek, in partnership with Amazon Advertising, as we celebrate the most inspiring minds in marketing, media and culture: Adweek’s 2021 Creative 100 honorees.



1:00 PM — 1:20 PM ET

Doing You: The Importance of Authenticity

As a leading copywriter for Wieden + Kennedy Portland, Jordan Dinwiddle is no stranger to taking on brand voices and identities. Join Jordan as she sits down with fellow creative 100 recipient and podcast host Bimma Williams as they discuss career journeys, producing work of value, and the importance of authenticity.

 

Featuring:
Jordan Dinwiddie, Copywriter, Wieden+Kennedy Portland
Bimma Williams, Host, Claima Stories

JDBW

 

 

 



1:25 PM — 1:45 PM ET

The Hybrid Era: Audience Engagement and Connection

Audiences demand emotional connection with brands more than ever. Content matters, but the key is to create campaigns using relevant, personalized and engaging content. Mike White, CEO of global brand experience agency Lively, explains how brands can create hybrid experiences that deliver scale, reach and connection, and shares his favorite live marketing campaigns.

 

Featuring:
Mike White, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lively 
Stephanie Paterik, Editor in Chief, Adweek

MWSP

 

 

 



1:50 PM — 2:10 PM ET

The Crossroads of Creativity

AB InBev in 2020 reset its marketing strategy by going back its storytelling roots focused on human needs and desires. Richard Oppy, Vice President of Global Brands at AB InBev, takes to the virtual stage to discuss pushing the envelope in experiential and creativity, truly acting on the industry’s buzzwords and being there for consumers in times of need.

 

Featuring:
Richard Oppy, Vice President, Global Brands, Anheuser-Busch InBev

RO

 

 

 



2:15 PM — 2:35 PM ET

Maximizing Impact with Creators

As businesses recover from the lingering effects of the pandemic, winning companies are doubling down on building personalized, joyful experiences: they must deliver the “you get me” moment, and creators are a crucial way in.

For many eCommerce brands, marketing with creators is an enormous untapped opportunity – and it has a real impact on the bottom line. Join us to learn more about:

  • How working with creators can help you reintroduce your brand to lapsed customers, or introduce yourself to net new prospects
  • How different types of creators can fill different needs at any point in your marketing strategy
  • How building symbiotic relationships with creators can maximize your impact

 

Featuring:
Andy Simpson, Vertical Lead, Ecommerce, Facebook Creative Shop
Omar Zayat, Head of Industry, Ecommerce, Facebook 
Claire Daugherty, Branded Content Partner for North America, Facebook Creative Shop

ASOZCD

 

 

 



2:40 PM — 3:00 PM ET

QUEEN OF THE STREAM: How Wendy’s Became a Top Streamer on Twitch

Wendy’s has quickly become the sassy, outspoken cultural sensation and darling of the internet – and gaming is her latest frontier. Join us as we hear from Jimmy Bennett, VP of Marketing at Wendy’s, Kristin Tormey, Social Media Specialist at Wendy’s and McKay Hathaway Group Creative Director at VMLY&R about the bold creativity of stepping into the world of gaming. We’ll take a look at the brand’s award-winning work, the real world results its driving, and what it takes to win in this yet evolving space for brands.

 

Featuring:
McKay Hathaway, Group Creative Director, VMLY&R 
Jimmy Bennett, Vice President of Marketing, Wendy's 
Kristin Tormey, Social Media Manager, Wendy's
David Griner, International Editor, Adweek 

MHJBKTDG

 

 

 



3:05 PM — 3:15 PM ET

Experiential Awards

Check out 2021’s most creative, original and entrepreneurial experiential campaigns featuring this year’s class of Adweek’s Experiential Award winners.



3:15 PM — 3:35 PM ET

Curing Digital Fatigue with Virtual House Parties

Everyone loves a good house party! From a sense of discovery around every corner to the flow of conversation between guests, the magic comes from community. When it comes to virtual event experiences, how do brands break through the screen and recreate the captivation of in-person connection? In this session, Zendesk and their experiential agency MAS will dissect their audience-first approach—and how you can successfully channel the needs of guests into impactful, community-driven experiences.

 

Featuring:
Mia Choi, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, MAS
Rob Blasko, Vice President, Creative Strategy, MAS
Kate Kerner, Vice President, Strategic Events and Community, Zendesk
Sarah Reed, Senior Director, Global Strategic Events, Zendesk
Danny Wright, Chief Brand Officer, Adweek

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3:40 PM — 4:00 PM ET

Fueling Creativity

Acclaimed illustrator and NYT best-selling author Jonny Sun takes to the Adweek virtual stage to discuss writing for the Emmy-nominated final season of BoJack Horseman, his storied career as an illustrator and best-selling author, and how he continues to fuel creativity and daily inspiration.

 

Featuring:
Jonny Sun, Illustrator and New York Times Best-selling Author
Shannon Miller, Creative and Inclusion Editor, Adweek

JSSM

 

 

 



4:10 PM — 4:15 PM ET

Adweek Closing Remarks

Thank you for joining us!

 

Featuring:
Danny Wright, Chief Brand Officer, Adweek

Danny W

 

 

 


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