Erwin Center’s fall CMO Summit is virtually adapting to the times

The show must go on, even during unprecedented times.

That’s virtually the approach the Erwin Center for Brand Communications is taking in making its second annual CMO Summit a reality, and in a safe and responsible way this fall.

Unlike its inaugural, one-day event in 2019 which brought together global consumer brand leaders with students, regional professionals and academia on campus, this year’s event will be virtual and take place throughout the fall semester.

This year’s kick-off event will occur Sept. 25 and will engage brand and agency leaders virtually to discuss topics related to this year’s theme, “Crisis, Culture, & Community: Adapting in a World of Change.” Remaining events of the virtual series will be communicated to students and faculty throughout the fall.

“Like last year, we are partnering with Forbes to expose our students to top brand experts and further elevate Clemson as a leader in brand communications education. But unlike our first event, we’re adapting to the unprecedented global changes in public health, economies and social norms brought on by the pandemic,” said Katie Hildebrand, executive director of the Erwin Center for Brand Communications. “This year’s summit will address the ways industry and brand leaders are strategically, and creatively, navigating the uncertain and ever-changing waters of this new decade.”

The Sept. 25 kick-off event will from Noon to 2:30 p.m. will feature speakers Fabio Tambosi, Global Head of Brand Communications at Adidas; Noel Geoffroy, head of North America Consumer Healthcare at Sanofi, and Chris Osner-Hackett, head of Integrated Marketing at Sanofi Consumer Healthcare.

“Based on the success of last year’s sold-out event and the awareness it created of the Erwin Center and the brand of the College of Business, we knew if this year’s event was going to happen, our delivery approach had to change,” Hildebrand said. “Like all forward-thinking organizations, we pivoted and adapted in order to again create this professional development opportunity for our next generation of brand leaders.”

Remaining fall sessions will include industry leaders, Erwin Center Board Members and Clemson University Alumni, including Dave Paulus, global alliance leader, Merkle/Dentsu Aegis Network; Jay Watson, CEO, Forefront Networks; Kevin Purcer, senior director, Customer Digital Experience, Chick-fil-A; Leslie Sims, Previous CCO, Ogilvy; Marianne Radley, CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs; Mike Fleming, senior partner, Prophet; Singleton Beato, chief diversity officer, McCann Worldgroup; Vivek Bapat, senior vice president, Purpose and Brand Experience, SAP. Dates and times will be announced.

To register for the College of Business event on Sept. 25, click here. Registrants will be provided Zoom links via email to join the virtual sessions throughout the semester. In addition to joining sessions live, recordings will be provided following each event.

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