Choose your track.
Each attendee self-selects one of four tracks to follow for the majority of Day One of the conference. This enables us to go deeper with helpful content for different groups of attendees, and allow for more time for hands-on learning, Q&A, and sharing from legendary leaders.
DAY ONE
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Morning Keynote: “Become a Yeah, Maybe Person: The Power and Possibility of Two Little Words”
Wildfang CEO explodes the status quo and the rules we think we have to live by.
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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Keynote: What if We Changed the Game?
Wall Street veteran and Ellevest Co-Founder and CEO talks about how she and her team are writing new rules of investment.
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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“Mind The Backlash”
Why leaders must ride out retaliation and harness behavioral change
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
11:15-4:00
Themed Tracks
Follow master classes specifically tailored to your job title/role.
TRACK
Emerging Creative
Room 324
Facebook/Instagram
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Opening Keynote: “Courageous Creativity”
How do you sustain a sense of wonder and exuberant creativity as you grow a multi-million dollar, global business?
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Two Years Post-Cannes: How “See It Be It” Changed My Career
See It, Be It alumni discuss how their careers have changed.
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Lunch + Learn: Improv Class
Leaders from Chicago’s famed Second City will show you how improv is useful in creative ideation.
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#Unfiltered You
How we can be more authentically ourselves in our work and workplace?
Maud Deitch MOD
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2018 Next Creative Leaders
Meet four of the ten women honored in the 2018 “Next Creative Leaders” competition
David Jackson MOD
TRACK
Leadership
Rooms 325/326
Sponsored by IPG
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Pecha Kucha: How They Do It
Three back-to-back mini-presentations with major takeaways about diversity.
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First Person: Ad Dads Speak Their Truth
Fatherhood is changing and these men will tell you what that means for them, their children, and their work.
TRACK
Creative Director
Aon Grand Ballroom
Sponsored by Apple
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How to Be a Great Creative Leader
One leader’s ode for how to create and manage the kind of environment that fosters creative thinking.
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If Only Advertising Could Use Its Powers for Good
The future belongs to brands – and agencies – that see the powerful and positive force advertising can be.
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Lunch + Learn: Neuroscience Brings Bias to Life
How to tackle biases among stakeholders in the creative process.
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Keynote: Creatives Are Different
How creative people are wired is another form of invisible diversity.
Kathy Delaney MOD
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Protecting Your People
The light and heat that creatives generate is a renewable resource.
Aaron Ackermann MOD
TRACK
How-To
Room 327
Sponsored by Bank of America
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Bystander Intervention Masterclass
This honest, fun, and interactive workshop will help you build skills in mitigating toxic interactions in the workplace and beyond.
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Be a Parent in Advertising
Hear from a variety of speakers—with a variety of family realities—how they stay in the game.
Tasha Gilroy MOD
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Ask Like an Auctioneer
This is not a talk about negotiation. Ask Like An Auctioneer is a new mental model to help you be more courageous when it's time to ask for money — and ask for more.
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Entrepreneurship 101: Insights into Building Your Own Business
This panel of experienced business owners/experts provide insight to ensure success.
Susan Gotham MOD
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Blockchain: What it is and why it matters to advertising’s future
The most famous female in cryptocurrency breaks down the next tech revolution.
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Figure Out What to Be Known For
In a world where the line between humanity and technology is getting blurrier by the day, why are we still sounding like robots?
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Our Screwed Up World and What To Do About It
What we all can do, whether a brand or individual, to clean up our own corner of the world.
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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Closing Keynote: “Speaking Truth to Power”
Hear how 2018 has been a watershed moment for women’s rights.
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
DAY TWO
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Creativity at Scale
Creativity is a team sport. Hear from creative leaders in large agencies about how they’re building brands for clients while building unity on their teams.
Candace D. Queen MOD
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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Gendered Linguistics: Why Words Matter
Explore how language leads us to stereotype.
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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GrADitude: How Kindness is Power
Two pairs of women story-tell about how simple acts of support had a multiplier effect.
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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Designing for Inclusivity
What happens when you design WITH disabled people instead of designing FOR them?
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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PechaKucha
What happens when you task a speaker to share 20 images that automatically advance every 20 seconds?
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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Athena Advertising Awards
Which ad campaigns took top honors in the second year of the “Athena Advertising Awards”?
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom
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Closing Keynote: “Looking For Creativity In All The Wrong Places: How The Ad Industry Is Failing Its Clients And What You Can Do To Change That”
In 7 years as our closing speaker, Cindy Gallop has already addressed so many issues in our industry. What will she say next?
Navy Pier
Aon Grand Ballroom