2011 CATFOA series coming soon

Hello, friends and fans of Conversations About The Future Of Advertising.

Good news! MCAD and MIMA have agreed to sponsor us again in 2011.

We'll be back with four awesome speakers, likely in February, March, April and May, 2011. Exact dates to be announced very soon.

We'll also be returning to the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, because they're awesome.

Stay tuned. And thanks so much for your enthusiasm!

- Tim

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...

Faris Yakob, Monday, March 8, 2010: "Stuff that doesn't work properly: How technology changes the nature of advertising"

UPDATE: Video of Faris' presentation embedded below.

On Monday, March 8 Faris Yakob (@faris), the former Chief Technology Strategist at McCann Erickson NYC, will be talking about what technology actually is [and what his job was], why it scares people, why everything changes this year, how advertising has to adapt to a post-scarcity media environment, and what cultural latency is.

Prior to McCann, Faris was the Senior Strategist and Digital Ninja at Naked Communications; a Speaker at the MIT Convergence Culture Consortium; and a Strategic Media Planner at OMD.

Learn more about Faris' many interests and endeavors here.

This is our second 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. Faris' presentation starts at 6:00pm—sponsored by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association.

Edward Boches, Monday, February 8, 2010: "Re-Inventing The Ad Agency, Re-Inventing Yourself"

Update: Video of Edward's presentation at the bottom of this post.

This is how we'll kick-off the third season of Conversations About The Future Of Advertising—with an impassioned presentation by Edward Boches (@edwardboches), Chief Creative Officer/Chief Social Media Officer, MULLEN (Boston) on his personal evolution as an agency leader in the face of historic change.

Edward believes everything has changed, but the real change is the individual's new power, influence, participation and control: both as a consumer and individual.

So, what does that mean for agencies and marketers in 2010? Edward will speak from 20+ years as an national agency creative director and executive on the classic innovator's dilemma—how do you change into something new without losing the value of something established?

All this and more will be wrestled to the ground on Monday, February 8, 2010 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. Edward's presentation starts at 6:00pm—sponsored by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association.

BIO: Edward is one of Mullen’s four original partners. Over the last 26 years he has helped define the agency’s creative standards, established its public relations group, integrated digital design and production into all of the agency’s operations, and most recently launched its growing social media practice. The latter -- comprised of strategy, PR, content and analytics -- is both a department and a mindset working to master marketing in the new consumer-driven world. Along the way, Edward has been an award winning copywriter, a celebrated creative director, and a never-ending advocate for ideas that build businesses. His work has introduced new brands (Nextel, Monster.com, Lending Tree, Oxygen Media) and invigorated established companies (Timberland, GM Credit Card, Stanley, Four Seasons). During his tenure, Mullen has grown from a 12-person creative boutique to one of the country’s top 25 agencies, with 600 people in four offices. Edward is also the Editor in Chief of TheNextGreatGeneration.com.

Announcing CATFOA 2010

UPDATED with final roster!

The insights will be deep and useful. The subject-matter diverse and relevant. The conversation inspiring and pragmatic. Here's the initial line-up for the 2010 Conversations About The Future Of Advertising speaker series. (We'll ultimately have four dates in all.)

Each sessions will occur, once again, on Monday evenings (doors at 5:00 p.m., events start at 6:00 p.m.) at the Fine Line Music Cafe on First Avenue North in Minneapolis.

And, as in years past, all events are FREE and open to the public due to gracious support from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association. We thank these organizations for their continued generosity and enthusiasm!

:: CATFOA 2010 Speaker Series ::

Monday, February 8, 2010

Edward Boches (@edwardboches)

Chief Creative Officer/Chief Social Media Officer, MULLEN

EdwardBoches.com

Edward is one of Mullen’s four original partners. Over the last 26 years he has helped define the agency’s creative standards, established its public relations group, integrated digital design and production into all of the agency’s operations, and most recently launched its growing social media practice. Edward also acts as chief advocate for TheNextGreatGeneration.com and speaks frequently on the merits of crowdsourcing.

(Click here for the MIMA event listing for Edward Boches.)

Monday, March 8, 2010

Faris Yakob (@faris)

EVP Chief Technology Strategist, McCann Erickson NY

Blog: Talent Imitates, Genius Steals

As Chief Technology Strategist, Faris is tasked with helping to work out how brands, people and technology can play better together. Before his current position, he spent 5 years being the Digital Ninja at communication strategy agency Naked Communications. As a strategist Faris has worked on brands such as Sony, Google, Yahoo!, Nestle and Virgin Mobile, in Sydney, London and New York. Faris regularly writes about brands, media, communications and technology for Fast Company, Contagious Magazine and Forbes.

(Click here for the MIMA event listing for Faris Yakob.)

Monday, April 19, 2010

Hashem Bajwa (@hashembajwa)

Director of Digital Strategy, Droga5

WhoIsHashem.com

At Droga5, Hashem works with brands to shape their digital marketing and helps to keep the agency and its creative work ahead by tapping into the latest innovations in technology, media and the web. Before joining D5, Hashem was Digital Strategy Director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. In 2007, Hashem was the youngest person to be named in AdAge’s “40 Under 40 to Watch”.

(Click here for the MIMA event listing for Hashem Bajwa.)

Monday, May 10, 2010

Colleen DeCourcy (@decourcy)

Chief Digital Officer, TBWA Worldwide

As Chief Digital Officer for TBWA Worldwide, Colleen is responsible for developing and implementing a global digital strategy throughout the TBWA network. Her areas of expertise range from digital postproduction and motion-graphics design to creative campaign development across digital platforms. Prior to joining TBWA, DeCourcy served as Chief Experience Officer at JWT, and as the Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Organic. Colleen was the Cyber Lions Jury President at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2008.

(Click here for the MIMA event listing for Colleen DeCourcy.)

Follow @CATFOA on Twitter for future updates.

That's a wrap. CATFOA 2009 series recap

(Image by Jamie M via Flickr)

And just like that, we're done. Another fantastic year of wonderful guest speakers, questions, insights and most important—useful conversation.

Thank you, Alan Wolk, Kristina Halvorson, Bob Thacker, David Armano and Michael Lebowitz for defining and evolving Conversations About The Future Of Advertising in 2009. We very much appreciated your enthusiasm, wisdom and energy.

(Image by Jamie M via Flickr)

Thank you, everyone who turned out, brought co-workers, clients and friends and helped spread the word. We live in an amazing community here in the Twin Cities, in large part due to your willingness to turn out and participate.

Thank you to our great sponsors—the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association, as well as the Fine Line Music Cafe. We all benefit from your generosity.

Here are just a few images from our 2009 series—many more can be found via Flickr.

Alan Wolk

Kristina Halvorson

(Image by Warren Parsons via Flickr - from An Event Apart Seattle '09.)

Bob Thacker

David Armano

Michael Lebowitz

We'll be back in January 2010. If you have recommendations for speakers in 2010, please contact Tim Brunelle at "tim [at] helloviking.com."