Let’s face it, everybody wants to win awards and be recognized for the work they do. However, the awards culture in advertising has a lot more implications than just acknowledging great work. Brands use your agency’s award history as way of determining your value, executives want to work for agencies that have won, and get the type of briefs that allow them to create award winning worthy work. While this doesn’t sound bad at all, how does this affect diverse owned agencies, and executives who are fighting to get an opportunity to compete on a level where they can reap the awards of a Cannes Lion or an Effie. Is the awards industry inherentily bias, does inadvertlenty perputate bias and how can it make itself more equitable. In this panel, Simon Cooke, CEO of Cannes Lion will talk about the awards industry and the work he is doing to make awards work for everyone!

It’s no secret that Multicultural markeitng is a polarizing subject and going through a transformation. The country is getting more diverse, but the way we talk about Multicultural hasn’t changed in decades. Why does nomanclature matter so much, does it perputate bias or could it be helpful in breaking down walls that silo opportunity. We know we want there to be nothing about us without us…but what should we call it, and more importantly, why?

As some brands shy away from DEI policies – others are leaning further in. Haleon’s Katie Williams – U.S. Chief Marketing Officer – will share how building brands infused with Purpose demands DEI. In this fireside chat, Katie will explore what this means for Haleon’s health and wellness brands, and the role that brands at large can play in identifying and bridging gaps in health outcomes.

Join us for a groundbreaking discussion where we delve into the dynamic, rich, and multifaceted world of Afro-Latino identity within sports and marketing. This conversation aims to illuminate the unique experiences of Afro-Latino athletes, dissect their portrayal in media, and explore innovative marketing strategies that address and challenge cultural stereotypes.

This panel moderated by WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold medalist, Swin Cash on the growing popularity of womens sports. However, despite the growing populairty of women’s sports we are still seeing biases that impact women athlete of color from maximizing their full potential. We will discuss how we ensure that atheletes of color get their fare share of credibility and opportunty given thier contribution to the female sports industry.

In this important conversation, our panelists will talk about the future of diverse-owned media. Topics of discussion to include: challenges with receiving fair share of RFPs, challenges with investment, the rising benchmarks required to compete, and double standards that define what lanes DO-companies can operate within. This conversation will confront the challenges that need to be addressed to ensure survival of the media industry’s diverse segment.

“Culture” has quickly become the marketing and advertising industry’s favorite new buzzword. It has become table stakes for marketers who want to prove to their clients that they understand how to make brands cool and relevant. But culture is not what everyone thinks it is, and during this keynote, Dr. Marcus Collins, Author, “For the Culture”, will help us understand what culture is, what it isn’t and most importantly what it takes to be a cultural marketing expert.

Keith Weaver and his wife Fawn Weaver have taken the spirits industry by storm, proving that Black consumers are not driving premium spirits growth as customers but as founders. In this fireside chat we will discuss how Uncle Nearest has gone from boutique bourbon brand to full blown spirits industry unicorn, surpassing 1 billion dollars in valuation. Keith will share how Uncle Nearest cracked the code and what’s next for the power house duo, who are set to take over the spirits industry.

John Hope Bryant is an author and economist focused on helping underserved communities close the wealth inequality gap. In this fireside chat, John will outline the current state of Black America, the economic crisis he is fighting hard to eliminate and what the Black community needs to do to ensure it can economically survive in a world that is becoming more financially polarizing.

Jonathan Mildenhall will sit down with his first boss Cindy Gallop to discuss how a kid from Leeds, has overcome adversity to become one of the most influential CMOs and marketers in the advertising industry. This candid conversation will unpack the challenges that marketers of color face in an industry where politics, cronyism and other factors impact the objectivity necessary for diversity to thrive. He will also talk about the big plans he has to help level the playing field in an industry that needs more bravery!