Monday, February 26th

Good is The New Cool: How Business Can Be a Force for Good
Presented by: Afdhel Aziz, one of the world’s leading experts in marketing innovation

We are in the age of Conscious Capitalism. And Conscious Capitalism requires Conscious Marketing.

In this inspiring and motivational talk, Afdhel shows how business can be a force for good, by balancing profit with the needs of their consumers and communities.

He shares some of the insights from researching purpose-driven brands like Warby Parker, Adidas, The Honest Company and Zappos, who are creating a revolution in business by ‘doing well by doing good’.

Thought-provoking principles from his book ‘Good is the New Cool' like 'Think Citizens Not Consumers’, 'People are the New Media' and ‘Don’t Advertise Solve Problems'' will help businesses future-proof for the Millennial and Gen-Z generations of conscious consumers - and also attract the best employee talent who are drawn to organizations where they can do meaningful work.’

“We are at a crossroads: either we can try to prop up the old, broken marketing model, or we can create a new model, one that is fit for the unique challenges of today.”

– From 'Good is the New Cool: Market Like You Give a Damn'

BIO

Afdhel Aziz is one of the world’s leading experts in marketing innovation. He is an award-winning marketer who has led brands for Procter & Gamble, Heineken, Absolut, and Nokia, in London and New York. He was most recently Director of Absolut Labs in the USA, highlighted by Forbes as ‘one of the top three marketing innovation labs to emulate’ in the world. He is currently the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Conspiracy of Love, a think-tank and idea incubator that helps Fortune 500 brands use culture and technology as a force for good.
   

Afdhel has been a speaker at the Cannes Lions, SXSW, Advertising Week and more, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, Vice, Fast Company, The Guardian, Coolhunting, Billboard, Hypebeast and more. Passionate about brands and culture as forces for good, he is the co-author of the book ‘Good is the New Cool: Market Like You Give a Damn’. You can find out more at www.afdhelaziz.com and follow him on Twitter at @afdhelaziz.

Tuesday, February 27th

Globalization: A World of Opportunities
Presented by: John Sitilides, global trend spotter. Brought to you by: Goodman Speakers Bureau

Global trend-spotter John Sitilides takes us on a worldwide problem-solving tour highlighting regions that offer both risks and opportunities with an eye towards preparing for the former and taking advantage of the latter. Looking at the world through the multiple lenses of economic, political, and cultural trends, Sitilides connects the dots to create a portrait of a world, that, while chaotic, is ultimately moving in the right direction for the meetings industry.

BIO

John Sitilides, a Washington D.C. government affairs specialist and consultant to the Department of State, shares his insights into U.S. and global risk trends, developments and strategies before high-stakes decision makers and opinion leaders at investor, business and government conferences, forums and events. In customized executive briefings, he explores the complex geopolitical decisions that impact markets in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, helping corporate, investor and board director clients better understand and mitigate risk.

Sitilides chairs the State Department’s Advanced Area Studies Program for Greece, Turkey and Cyprus since 2006 (under a U.S. government contract) at the Foreign Service Institute, the primary training institution for American diplomats and other U.S. foreign policy professionals. He served as Board Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson Center Southeast Europe Project, directing policy, research & forecast analysis on U.S., NATO & EU geopolitical, commercial, and security interests throughout and bordering southeastern Europe, from 2005-2011.

As Principal at Trilogy Advisors LLC since 2005, Sitilides manages a government affairs portfolio specializing in environmental regulatory reform. He has testified before Congress, and is a regular media commentator on American politics and national security on broadcast, print and digital media. He has been interviewed on CNN, Fox News, CNN International, One America News and BBC News, and cited in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, Bloomberg News, Politico, National Public Radio, and Institutional Investor.

Sitilides served as Executive Director of the Western Policy Center, an international relations institute researching and forecasting U.S., NATO & EU political, commercial and security issues in southeastern Europe. He directed the center’s strategic planning, policy analysis, political and corporate communications, and financial management until he negotiated its 2004 merger with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.