Scott Bedbury

Author of A New Brand World and former Marketing Executive at Nike and Starbucks

Scott Bedbury established himself as one of the most successful marketing and business development executives by helping take two of the world’s iconic brands, Nike and Starbucks, to global leadership positions.

Bedbury joined Nike in 1987 as its Worldwide Advertising Director where he collaborated with a small Portland agency, Wieden and Kennedy, to create the “Just Do It” campaign. In 1995 Bedbury became Chief Marketing Officer for Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle. Armed with a $2.5 million dollar marketing budget, he and his small team set out to redefine and redesign one of the oldest commodities on earth as an experience, rather than just a cup of coffee, and take the brand around the world.

Scott Stratten

Social Media Expert, Author of UnMarketing

Scott Stratten is President of “Un-Marketing”, consulting to PepsiCo, Red Cross and Fidelity Investments on viral/social media and relationship marketing. His book UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging became a national bestseller before it was released and was also just named one of the top business books of the year by 1-800-CEO READ. With over 76,000 people following his daily rantings on Twitter he was voted one of the top influencers on the site. It’s the only time he’s felt comfortable being compared to Ashton Kutcher, P Diddy and Justin Bieber.

Tod Maffin

One of North America’s leading digital marketing experts, CBC Radio Host

Maffin, COO and senior strategist at tMedia Strategies, is one of the country’s go-to commentators on the impact of accelerated technological change and innovation on the business and economic environment. One of Canada’s podcasting pioneers, Maffin writes a blog that is followed by thousands of people in the media, technology and business communities around the world. He continues to report on national technology trends on CBC Radio and is the past host of todradio dot com and Real Life Chronicles.

Nikki Hellyer

Director of Marketing, Future Shop

Nikki Hellyer is the Director of Marketing for Canada’s largest retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics. As Future Shop’s marketing maven, Hellyer leads the company’s cross-disciplinary marketing efforts. Her passion for social media, marketing innovation and fast-paced work environments fuel her success while continually elevating Future Shop’s image.

Kerry Munro

Technology leader and visionary

Munro has been leading and advising brands on how to create meaningful and long standing connections with consumers for over 20 years. As the head of Yahoo Canada he took a floundering business and turned it into the best performing business and largest digital franchise in Canadian history.

As the former COO at Syncapse Corp. Munro led one of Profit Magazine’s fastest growing companies in Canada and one of the top social technology companies in the world. Recently recognized as one of the top 50 most engaged workplaces in North America, Syncapse has connected Fortune 500 brands to close to 100 million consumers globally.

John Ounpuu

Strategy Director at Blast Radius

Since joining Blast Radius is 2004, John has lead engagements for clients like Starbucks, Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Nike. His role as Strategy Director is to help his clients build strong, lasting customer relationships across digital channels by connecting the dots between business goals, brand values and customer insights.

John’s special focus is on adding a digital dimension to brand strategy, giving brands the human voice and well-defined role they need to connect with customers online.

Sarah Dickinson

VP Strategy, Blast Radius

With a focus on developing strategies that create and develop breakthrough product, service, and brand experiences, Ms. Dickinson has worked with a number of Blast Radius clients including Cox Communications, Nike, Jenny Craig, Starbucks, RIM, Guthy-Renker and EA.

While at Euro RSCG 4D, Sarah defined digital marketing strategies for clients such as Peugeot, So Good Soya Milk and Budweiser, and was responsible for the planning and execution of all of Intel’s digital brand communications in Europe.

Terry O’Reilly

CBC Radio host of The Age of Persuasion, author of the 2009 book The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, award-winning advertising writer and director.

Recession isn’t just a downturn, it is a “reset.” Consumers are making permanent changes to the way they buy and consume. That means advertisers have to change the way they connect with people. Terry demonstrates how certain companies were able to gain extraordinary momentum coming out of recessions. Smart advertisers should steer into the skid — embrace these changes, and get out of the “upturn gate” early.

Ron Galloway

Director of noted documentary film, “Why Wal-Mart Works and Why That Makes Some People Crazy”; regular business and technology writer for The Huffington Post.

Ron Galloway examines the tactics Walmart employed to execute a 360-degree turnaround in three years. Three years ago, Walmart was mired in the greatest PR battle in American business history, under relentless attack and hammering its reputation. Its stock was in a seven-year slump, stores were dingy, and advertising was rudimentary at best. Today, Walmart has revamped its marketing, redesigned its logo, and brightened its stores. Its stock and foot traffic have recovered and Walmart is now thriving during a deep recession.

Jeffrey Hayzlett

Chief Marketing Officer of Eastman Kodak Company

Jeffrey reveals how Kodak is successfully transforming itself into an innovative leader in digital imaging. What does it take to succeed in the digital age? How can companies use marketing – particularly social media – to build closer relationships with customers, to build their brand and create innovative products, and to deliver tangible return from their marketing investment?

Joe Mele

Managing Director Media+Marketing for Razorfish, the global digital agency

Today, a company’s valuation is based on its ability to innovate, which depends on its digital expertise. While most companies understand the need to be digitally focused, few have the teams, tools or partners to help them adequately adapt in this constantly evolving space. With Razorfish’s Digital Trends Outlook Report, Joe will discuss how Razorfish and its clients are addressing innovation and challenging each other to constantly evolve. Joe will show examples of how companies can reset their approach to marketing to harness the power of digital for their business.

Max Lenderman

Director of OuterActive at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky and author of the 2009 book, Brand New World: How Paupers, Pirates and Oligarchs Are Reshaping Business

Max Lenderman takes us to the heart of today’s influential hypermarkets – a brave new world that companies need desperately to understand and master, in order to stay competitive in the emerging world order of global business. He explores culture and hyper-consumerism in Brazil, Russia, India and China – the world’s key hypermarkets – to explain the emerging dynamic marketing and branding tactics. He will focus on stimulating thought: that it’s entirely possible that everything interesting in marketing and advertising is happening in the Third World.

Jill Krop – Emcee

Anchor, News Hour Final, Global BC

Jill Krop anchors the one hour late night newscast “News Hour Final” on Global BC at 11 p.m. Over the years Jill has had some amazing experiences in a number of cities, and is glad to have worked right across Canada.

Ken Schmidt

Former Communications Director at Harley Davidson Motor Company/Leading Fortune 500 Consultant

Ken Schmidt is one of the most in-demand business speakers and communications consultants in North America. His expertise in corporate positioning and media relations played a pivotal role in one of the most celebrated turnarounds in corporate history. He details how successful corporate cultures must maintain relationships with veteran customers and innovatively pursue new ones.

Richard Bartrem

Vice-President, Culture and Communications, WestJet

In an industry rife with failure and renowned low service standards, WestJet’s Big Idea in 1996 was “Hey let’s start an airline!” Join Richard Bartrem, WestJet’s Vice-President, Culture and Communications as he takes you through what big ideas WestJet had to make them one of the most commercially successful airlines in the world.

Brad Gamble

Senior Director of Marketing, McDonald’s Canada

McDonald’s founder, Ray Kroc, founded the most successful family restaurant chain in the world today. The brand is a global institution. That said, McDonald’s is under constant pressure, internally and externally, to challenge itself to re-examine its business and to engage its customers in new, compelling ways. In his presentation, Brad Gamble shares some of the big idea strategies and cutting edge tactics employed to connect with customers, and to renew the love and affinity they have for the brand.

Brian Scudamore

President & CEO, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

1-800-GOT-JUNK? Founder and CEO Brian Scudamore started his junk removal business in 1989 with the big idea of professionalizing an entire industry and growing a successful franchised business. Brian discusses his big ideas on how corporate culture, goal setting, and developing people have translated into explosive growth for 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.

Jim Carroll

Futurist & Marketing Trend Consultant to Fortune 500

Jim Carroll is an expert consultant on marketing trends and innovation to the Fortune 500. In today’s economic climate, marketers are faced with overwhelming challenges. In times like these, the new leaders that have emerged from recession are the ones that through innovation have changed the competitive landscape. With this understanding, Jim explains what highly innovative big idea companies do differently from other companies, and what we can learn from them to unlock our potential in this “High Velocity Economy”.

Kerry Munro

General Manager, Yahoo! Canada

In his role as General Manager, Yahoo! Canada Kerry Munro is responsible for the company’s overall operation and strategic growth. Since joining the company in 2005 he has significantly increased the size and influence of Yahoo!’s presence in Canada by expanding the operational staff, increasing revenue and making Yahoo! Canada one of the most successful Yahoo! business units worldwide.

Ken Wong

Highly Acclaimed Business Professor, Author & Strategist

Dialoguing on new brand management structures that need to be put into place given the current market conditions, integrating campaigns and strategies.

Maggie Fox

CEO and Founder of Social Media Group

Dialoguing on the future of social media given today’s landscape and tomorrow’s future opportunities.

Clare Meridew

VP, Creative Director Interactive of GREYcanada Agency

Dialoguing on creative innovation, advertising and agency approach.