Cultivating Community: The ROI Behind Humanizing Your Brand

Early-Bird Ticket Pricing (through 9/12): General - $50, $40 AMA Member
Post 9/12: $60 General, $50 AMA Member
ONLINE TICKET SALES END 10/8/24 - At the Door $65
** LIMITED TO 100 ATTENDEES **

Cultivating community for brands means fostering meaningful connections and engagement with core audiences around relevant interests to create a loyal and supportive network. It’s taking a more human-to-human approach versus brand-to-consumer.
Investing in community humanizes a brand and enables the brand to build trust, gather valuable insights, foster and strengthen authentic relationships with customers/potential customers, and so much more. Brands that really invest in community organically connect with influencers, creators, and spark brand partnerships, etc.

Understanding how to foster community is essential for creating true connections, gathering valuable first-party data, enhancing loyalty, and ultimately sustaining brand growth.

• Learn how brands can approach cultivating community.
• Discover strategies, tactics, and tools brands invest in to cultivate community.
• How to nurture and grow community via relationships with influencers/creators.
• Opportunity to network, build community, talk marketing.
• Food and drinks provided.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Shortly after graduating from high school, Ryan Smith started tattooing. He apprenticed at Club Tattoo and then later became a full-time tattoo artist. His love for design and art led him to take courses at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where he graduated with a degree in illustration and learned the basics of building a brand. In 2001, in his last year of college, Ryan launched Sullen with his best friend and started selling shirts out of the trunk of his car.

Sullen is now recognized as a world-wide leader in the tattoo industry, having worked with more than 500 artists over their 23-year period - helping a number of artists achieve a level of success unattainable without the help of the brand. Sullen understood very early on that community was the most important part of growing the business with every decision made being related to their tattoo community.

With over a decade of experience in influencer marketing and community building, Erika Curtis has driven significant brand growth and engagement through innovative strategies and meaningful partnerships. Working with renowned brands such as lululemon, Figs, Barry's, Athletic Greens, Rivian, Hello Bello and more, she has developed and executed successful community strategies, including influencer and ambassador programs, partnerships, and experiential events. Her expertise in creating meaningful connections and community-driven experiences has consistently elevated brand presence and engagement across multiple platforms.

Mark McLean, Brand Manager, Vanspeed

Over the past 20 years, Mark McLean has had the privilege of working with top consumer brands in the action sports space and men’s grooming including Vans, Volcom, Element Skateboards, and Uppercut Deluxe to name just a few.

Mark's experience is diverse to say the least, and titles range from Account Management, National Sales Manager, Global Brand Manager and everything in between. This experience has provided invaluable growth opportunities and has allowed Mark to integrate his passion for boardsports, adventure, and travel into his work. Mark views authenticity, personalized experience, and investment in community as the northstar for brands and will share how Vanspeed approaches community cultivation and engagement.

PANEL EXPLORING THE ROLE OF INFLUENCERS/CREATORS IN BUILDING COMMUNITY
We will have a short panel bringing together a few brands to share how they have cultivated community via organic relationships with creators/influencers who are part of their community, hold genuine interest in their brands and what they stand for.

Online ticket sales end on 10/8/24 - but walkins are more than welcome! Day-of-ticket price at the venue: $65.

Vanspeed is located at15192 Goldenwest Circle Westminster, CA 92683. Ample parking at Vanspeed and on the surrounding streets. Think casual attire...picnic tables...kicking it together as community.

Host or Publisher American Marketing Association Orange County