SPEAKER SESSION BY TRACK
SESSION I: EMAIL MARKETING
Email Marketing in the Business-to-Business realm requires a different approach for successful results. Scott Spaid will help you learn different strategies and discover the various tools of the trade while staying compliant with the laws of the land.
SCOTT SPAID, PRESIDENT – PULSETRACKER
Scott Spaid is an entrepreneur at heart and has navigated intense industry change since the dawn of the Internet. Scott has a passion for effective Internet marketing and providing tools that measure its effectiveness. Inventor of Pulsetracker, a patented Inbound Marketing and Lead Tracking CRM, Scott has extensive experience leading development teams to create world-class web and mobile applications.
Scott’s experience in the communications industry started when he was a young man helping the family business publish a bi-monthly magazine. After that he became interested in design and worked for a print publisher in Nashville for several years. In 1995, after straining his back and becoming immobilized for a week, Scott discovered the Internet and was hooked. The thinking went, “Hey, this is just like what I do now except without a printing press.” So, with a new Macintosh LC and a head full of ideas, Mediapulse, the very first web design shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, was born. Accounts included Regal Entertainment Group, Singer Sewing Machine Company, The Washington Post, DENSO, and The New York Blood Center, to name a few.
SESSION II: SOCIAL MEDIA
JOSH CANTRELL, OWNER – SIGNAL BRANDWORKS
Josh Cantrell founded the marketing consultancy Signal Brandworks because he noticed a problem: most businesses leaders want more customers and clients, but they don’t know how to promote their organization in a way that consistently brings in new business.
As a result, they often waste a lot of time and money on marketing that just doesn’t work.
As a StoryBrand Certified Guide and Copywriter, Josh helps businesses do three things: 1) Clarify your message so people actually listen. 2) Create a scalable plan to find and convert more customers. 3) Implement that plan to help you grow.
Josh was previously Marketing Director with Claris Networks, a local B2B technology company, where his leadership helped the company grow from $5 – $25 Million in just a few years. Josh applies a down-to-earth, unpretentious, and hands-on approach to marketing consulting for businesses and nonprofits throughout the US.
SESSION III: STAND OUT ABOVE THE NOISE
Competition for the hearts and minds of today’s audiences is fiercer than ever before. Instant gratification is the norm. Attention spans and news cycles are measured in minutes. Getting your brand noticed can seem unsurmountable. Let’s take a deep breath and look at some best practices that can make a difference.
PARKER FROST, CEO – BIG WHEEL
Parker Frost is an entrepreneur and global sourcing specialist. Prior to founding BigWheel and co-founding Gigmark, Mr. Frost helped found The Plastic Source and served as the vice president of sales. Along with overseeing the company revenues, Mr. Frost was responsible for the sales department of supply and industrial products, negotiating pricing with vendors, extensive travel domestically and internationally, warehousing, and traffic. Mr. Frost has traveled overseas extensively to negotiate pricing and approve manufacturing plants. Through his travels to China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Brazil, Mr. Frost has garnered contacts worldwide. He previously worked for Richard Frost and Associates as a manufacturers’ representative. Mr. Frost also worked at Bazaar, a wholesaler in Chicago, IL, where he managed the company’s expansion into new lines of products, including health and beauty aids. He began his career at Great Lakes Wholesale in Grand Rapids, MI, where he gained valuable experience in warehouse operations; he was co-manager of sales when he left, responsible for a team that generated over $26MM in annual sales. He graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Montana.
DAN ALTON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR – BIG WHEEL
Dan is the Creative Director at BigWheel. With 30 years in the marketing and creative fields, he works on teams involved with brand development, corporate storytelling, strategy, creative direction, and account oversight for clients including NASCAR, HGTV, FoodNetwork, Clayton Homes, The Disney Channel, AMEX, Bush Brothers, and NEC among others.
Dan was a founding partner of Bluegill Creative, an integrated marketing firm which was acquired by BigWheel in 2013. For 10 years he served as director of creative services for the University of Tennessee where his staff produced an average of 400 communications projects a year for offices across the state, including oversight of the university’s visual brand and website.
MARKETING PANEL:
DAN FLINT – THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE –
Dan Flint is the Regal Entertainment Group Professor of Marketing in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Haslam College of Business, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has published in numerous premier journals such as Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Research, Industrial Marketing Management, Marketing Theory and many more. He also publishes widely in supply chain management journals. Dan travels nationally and internationally often to work with companies, research and teach, spending most of his time lately in Italy and working in the wine industry.
LYNSEY WILSON – KNOXVILLE CHAMBER – MORE INFO COMING SOON
Lynsey Wilson is the Director for Marketing & Events at the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce. She has diverse marketing and communications experience, ranging from time as the head of media relations for a professional motorsports venue to leading international event marketing for a large scientific research and development corporation. Lynsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Journalism and Public Relations from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN.
KELLY NELSON – CMO – DELOITTE TAX
Kelly is a strategic marketing and communications professional, with a flair for creative solutions, developing strong brands, “wild ideas” and tackling tough situations. As the Chief Marketing Officer of Deloitte Tax, she is responsible for identifying and leading the strategic marketing and communications efforts, tying together core strategic initiatives with those of the lines of business. She leads the talented teams that develop the Deloitte Tax programs, as well as oversee efforts for several cross-business programs. Before joining Deloitte in 2000, she held marketing roles with Kodak, AMR Combs (AMR Corp), SMU and TM Advertising.
SESSION I: EMAIL MARKETING
Delivering emails that don’t suck. Let’s talk about email marketing stressors, ways to tie in inbound marketing, creating quality emails, creating caring emails and 8 emails types you should try using immediately!
CHAD ELMORE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR – PYXL
Chad serves as a Creative Director in Pyxl’s Knoxville office. Dreaming big and bold for our clients is his passion – especially when it comes to brand building and digital strategy. Chad is focused on delivering immersive web experiences, inbound campaigns and design that gets brands noticed.
Before joining Pyxl, Chad led the web marketing team at Ruby Tuesday Inc., and worked in product development at PetSafe. He is a native Knoxvillian and graduated from the University of Tennessee.
SESSION II: SOCIAL MEDIA
ABBI MCCOLLUM, DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND CONVERGENCE – SCRIPPS NETWORKS INTERACTIVE HOME AND TRAVEL
Abbi McCollum is the Director of Social Media and Convergence for the Scripps Networks Interactive Home and Travel categories. In this role, Abbi creates a bridge between the on-air programming team, the marketing team and the digital team. As the convergence lead for the brands, Abbi manages a team that creates a digital and social presence for all HGTV, DIY Network, Travel Channel, and Great American Country shows and talent. She works closely with the interactive ad sales and marketing teams to monetize the digital on-air content as well as to establish social sponsorship guidelines and campaigns.
As the head of social media for the home and travel categories, Abbi oversees a team promoting daily content to an audience of over 30 million+ across the HGTV, Travel Channel, DIY Network and Great American Country brands, managing partnerships, producing live events and coordinating with influencers.
SESSION III: STAND OUT ABOVE THE NOISE
KENLEY EARLY, DIRECTOR OF CONSUMER MARKETING – HGTV, TRAVEL CHANNEL, DIY NETWORK & GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY
Kenley Early is the director of consumer marketing for HGTV, Travel Channel, DIY Network and Great American Country. She oversees the experiential marketing efforts for these popular cable networks and specializes in consumer activations that engage fans and offer one-of-a-kind experiences. Among her favorite activations are the HGTV Lodge at CMA Music Fest in Nashville, where A-list country music artists such as Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band have performed intimate live concerts for festival goers, and Travel Channel’s Expedition Unknown Hunt for the Yeti stunt in which dozens of costumed “Yetis” took to the streets of NYC to interact with fans and even rang the opening bell at NASDAQ.
Kenley has been with Scripps Networks Interactive for more than fourteen years, getting her start as an affiliate marketing manager where she worked closely with SNI distribution partners such as Comcast, Dish Network and DirecTV. She moved into brand marketing in 2007.
Kenley, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee, is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT), where she has played an integral role in the development of WICT programming events in Knoxville. Outside of work, she is a board member and class volunteer for Humans and Animals Learning Together. She also served as a member and committee chair for the local chapter of the Junior League for 10 years.
Kenley, her husband Steve and their two cats, Lonnie and Dixie, are busy settling into their first new home. She also enjoys boating, traveling, reading and spending time with friends and family.
MARKETING PANEL
KELLY HEWETT – UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
Kelly Hewett is Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business. Prior to joining UT, she worked for five years at Bank of America, where she was a senior vice president in the firm’s corporate marketing group. In that position, she led corporate insights work, developed marketing strategies and served as a liaison among marketing, innovation, and new product development groups. Previously, she had a 10-year academic career, specializing in marketing strategy. Her research has been published in top academic journals in both Marketing and International Business fields. She has received awards and recognitions for her research and teaching. She currently teaches a course in the full-time MBA program on marketing insights, and also teaches in the Executive and Professional MBA programs on topics including strategic marketing planning and marketing insights.
ANDY FELIU – OWNER – LOCH & KEY PRODUCTIONS
Andy is a producer and owner of Loch & Key Productions in Knoxville, TN. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee. After graduation, he started Loch & Key Productions which has quickly grown to be one of the prominent video production companies in the area. They work with national and regional brands to create commercials, corporate/branding videos, as well as music festivals.
SESSION I: EMAIL MARKETING
GAVIN BAKER, OWNER – BAKER LABS
Baker Labs is an inbound and digital marketing agency that creates marketing engines for organizations who want systems to consistently grow their revenue. Baker Labs is a HubSpot Partner Agency and certified MailChimp Expert.
SESSION II: SOCIAL MEDIA
A crash course in using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn to best fit your needs in the non-profit/edu sector. Learn the basics of using these social media platforms as well as helpful tips and tricks that will have you feeling like a pro when you leave. Topics will include capturing engaging content, using #hashtags, paid advertisements, targeted geofilters, and analyzing metric reporting to name a few. Come prepared with your questions, we will have the answers.
CHRISTINE WAXSTEIN, DIGITAL PR SPECIALIST – THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
Christine Waxstein is the Digital PR Specialist for the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Professional Communication as well as a Bachelor of Science in Speech & Theatre. Christine has an extensive marketing background with particular emphasis on graphic & web design as well as social media management.
She has had several notable achievements including being selected as the winner of the 2015 Innovative ETD Award by the NDLTD where she was honored at their international symposium held in New Delhi, India as well as serving on the 2017-2018 board as the VP of Digital Media for the American Marketing Association of Knoxville.
SESSION III: STANDING OUT ABOVE THE NOISE
JONATHAN SEXTON, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER – KNOXVILLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER
Jonathan is an artist and award-winning tech entrepreneur who loves starting things, finishing things, and moving on to other things. He is currently COO of Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, consults Fortune 100 companies on marketing and plays a lot of gigs on the weekends with his band.
MARKETING PANEL
AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS, ZOO KNOXVILLE
Amy Smotherman Burgess is a 1998 graduate of Western Kentucky University’s photojournalism program. After nearly two decades in the journalism industry between the Troy Daily News in Ohio, South Bend Tribune in Indiana and the Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee, she ventured into the non-profit world for a position with Zoo Knoxville early in 2017.
The job title has changed from photo journalist to multimedia journalist, and now to public relations and media manager. The heart remains the same, finding new and interesting ways to tell stories.
JESSICA HILL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS – HELEN ROSS McNABB CENTER
Jessica Hill is the director of community relations for the Helen Ross McNabb Center, a premier provider of behavioral health care in East Tennessee. In this position, she manages public relations and marketing for the Center, including relationships with the media, community, volunteers and government. Prior to joining the Helen Ross McNabb Center, Jessica was the publications manager for a Department of Defense sponsored organization. In that role, she oversaw the company’s internal and public-facing deliverables and social media outreach. In addition to experience developing and implementing marketing and communications strategies and plans, Jessica is an experienced journalist and editor Jessica received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from Iowa State University in 2005. In 2008, Jessica went on to receive her Juris Doctor Degree from Drake University.
APRIL TIMKO, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING – KNOXVILLE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
With over 15 years of experience, April has spent the majority of her professional life in the agency world with firms that include Shelton Group, Davis Newman Payne and Nashville-based BOHAN Advertising. During her agency career, she worked with a variety of national and regional brands including Grainger, Kohler, Boeing, Toshiba, Weis Markets, Food City, Boston Whaler, Home Federal Bank, United Way of Greater Knoxville and numerous utilities such as Ameren and FirstEnergy. A graduate of Carson-Newman University with a degree in Advertising and Music, April has a strong background in broadcast production, account management, digital marketing and project management that has helped earn several industry awards, including numerous ADDYs and several Telly Awards. April joined Habitat for Humanity in Knoxville as Director of Marketing & Communications in 2015 after developing a passion for working with ministry and nonprofit organizations. In her current role, April leads strategic and creative planning and implementation for the Knoxville Habitat branding, advertising and public relations. She has also developed communication campaigns that have helped successfully launch new fundraising events (such as the Knoxville Habitat Sporting Clay Tournament and The House that Beer Built) as well as publicity that builds upon the success of longtime popular ones, such as Women Build.
