Colleen DeCourcy, Monday, May 10, 2010: "The Rise of Craft and the Fall of the Campaign"

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UPDATED AGAIN: Video from the conversation with Robert Stephens and Dan Beranek embedded below.

UPDATE: We're calling an audible. Unfortunately Colleen had to cancel her appearance, so we're bringing in Robert Stephens (@rstephens), Founder & Chief Inspector at Geek Squad and Dan Beranek (@dantronic), Social Media Channel Planning Manager at Target, for a conversation around "Retail in the Age of Empowered Consumers." It's going to be awesome. Same date, same time, same location, same "free"—different speakers. See you there!

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It's time to talk about Technology as a Creative Craft.

Join us on Monday, May 10 for the final installment of the 2010 edition of Conversations About The Future Of Advertising—as we welcome Colleen DeCourcy (@decourcy), Chief Digital Officer at TBWA Worldwide.

Colleen notes, "Today we're immersed in social media and crowd sourcing, but those aren't the only futures of advertising." Her presentation will help us navigate where we are right now as a society trying to work together and process information. What do we do in this environment, as consumers and marketers, where "the big idea" is under siege? Colleen believes part of the answer is craft. Interfaces. Collaborative creativity. "We are looking at a future where the best thing we can do for a consumer is to make things for them that they can't make for themselves," she says.

This final CATFOA event for 2010 will take place, as usual, at the Fine Line Music Cafe, 318 First Avenue North in Minneapolis.

The event is free. No RSVP required. Just show up.

Doors open at 5:00pm. Colleen's presentation starts at 6:00pm—sponsored by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association.

Hashem Bajwa, Monday, April 19, 2010: "Look out, the future is all around us!"

UPDATED--Video of Hashem's presentation embedded below.

Evidence abounds—300,000 iPads sold in one day, a seemingly endless proliferation of smart phones, the ubiquitous Facebook and Twitter networks, and whatever the mad scientists are cooking up next—which suggests we're living amidst the future, today. As Director of Digital Strategy for Droga5, Hashem Bajwa (@hashembajwa) is charged with living part of his life in the future, the better help his clients decide how to act today.

On Monday, April 19, Hashem will talk about his adventures as an agency professional that’s nurturing and cajoling organizational change, advising and leading brands, and attempting to figure out "what's next? (and why should we care?)." Hashem will discuss how agency structure and leadership can affect digital strategy positively and negatively; how and why clients are reacting to "digital" strategy; and his thoughts on the future of advertising and the ad agency.

Prior to joining Droga5, Hashem was Digital Strategy Director for Goodby Silverstein & Partners. At Goodby he was part of the central team that led the agency’s digital transformation and interactive work across all clients at the agency. His career began at the United Nations in 2000 working on global communications, and in 2003 he entered advertising at McCann Erickson as an account planner until joining Goodby in 2005.

Hashem studied international affairs at New School University in New York and brand strategy at Art Center College of Design. Hashem does not have any children or pets...but he does have a robotic dog.

This is our third event in the third season of Conversations About The Future Of Advertising. As usual, we'll be conversing at the Fine Line Music Cafe, 318 First Avenue North in Minneapolis.

The event is free. No RSVP required. Just show up.

Doors open at 5:00pm. Hashem's presentation starts at 6:00pm—sponsored by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association.

UPDATE: Here's the video of Hashem's presentation...