The Midwest Digital Marketing Conference makes its return in-person at UMSL – UMSL Daily

by · September 27, 2022

The Midwest Digital Advertising Convention returned to being an in-person occasion final week on the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Middle at UMSL. The panel on the session on TikTok featured (left to proper) Matt Gardner, vp, innovation & digital technique with the St. Louis Blues, Enterprise Middle & Stifel Theatre; Allison Schaefer, account supervisor, CheckMark Communications; Regan Gillam of FirstTimeMamaDrama; and Raquel Pitty-Diaz, model strategist at Paradowski Inventive. (Photographs by Wendy Todd)

The Midwest Digital Advertising Convention attracted an viewers of greater than 200 individuals to the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Middle on the College of Missouri–St. Louis final Thursday because it returned to an in-person format for the primary time for the reason that begin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme of the convention was “Quick Ahead,” a nod to the shift advertising and marketing professionals have needed to make after the peak of the pandemic, and it featured panel discussions masking influencer advertising and marketing, TikTok, advertising and marketing within the Metaverse and post-pandemic B2B advertising and marketing with greater than 20 audio system all through the daylong occasion.

MDMC started in 2013 to offer a platform for business professionals and hopefuls to debate and share digital advertising and marketing data and assets. As of 2019, it had grown to almost 2,000 attendees and is now within the means of rebuilding its viewers.

“MDMC was actually constructed on a robust group,” mentioned convention founder Perry Drake, an affiliate educating professor and co-chair of UMSL’s Division of Advertising and Entrepreneurship. “And I’ll say a various group as properly. Our ticket costs form of allowed anyone to attend – small enterprise house owners, college students, CEOs, regardless of the case could be. In order that’s actually what propelled us to the place we had been earlier than COVID, the place we had been nearly hitting 2,000 in attendance. Attempting to recreate that group is essential for getting us again. It’s not going to occur in a single day.”

Perry Drake catches up with a convention attendee and colleague. (Picture by Wendy Todd)

Thursday’s occasion was a superb start line and introduced some new individuals into the fold.

Lindsey Gamble, affiliate director of influencer innovation at Mavrck, an influencer-focused advertising and marketing agency in Boston, attended the convention as a panelist discussing influencer advertising and marketing but in addition took the attitude of an attendee.

“I attended the convention as a chance to share my data but in addition be taught from others,” Gamble mentioned. “I feel the digital advertising and marketing panorama is de facto distinctive, and there are lots of people who present worth and have factors of view. It’s nice to get exterior the Massachusetts space and are available to a spot I hadn’t been earlier than to be taught from others and proceed to push the business ahead.”

Stephanie Lallas, model partnerships supervisor at TikTok, opened the panel on the social media platform and emphasised its design for entertaining. She inspired firms to experiment with content material.

Stephanie Lallas, model partnerships supervisor at TikTok, opened up the TikTok session. (Picture by Wendy Todd)

Matt Gardner, vp, innovation & digital technique with the St. Louis Blues, Enterprise Middle & Stifel Theatre, was a member of the TikTok panel and spoke of the advantages of firms adapting their pondering when utilizing the platform to achieve extra customers.

“We’ve had to enter our course of with a really totally different mind-set and the way we’re going to brainstorm for content material, monitor for developments after which how we execute,” Gardner mentioned. “Now we have to ensure we’re doing so in a style that shall be very impactful and permit us to appease our youthful Blues followers which might be utilizing TikTok but in addition be achieved in a approach that may assist us proceed to develop our group.”

Raquel Pitty-Diaz, model strategist at advertising and marketing agency Paradowski Inventive, was additionally a part of the panel and mentioned firms ought to discover methods to draw audiences on TikTok even when they suppose their model solely appeals to older customers.

“Lots of people suppose TikTok advertising and marketing is for Gen Z’ers or simply any form of social media is for Millennials and Gen Z’ers,” Pitty-Diaz mentioned. “We simply need to broaden our sights as a result of there are enormous gaps. I really feel like lots of people are lacking lots of bigger firms as a result of these firms are too afraid to take a danger and go into these areas.”

Whereas audio system had been on the convention to share insights, attendees wished to be taught and join.

Over 200 attendees loved the panels on the MDMC. (Picture by Wendy Todd)

DeMetria Isabel, advertising and marketing specialist at Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., was inspired to attend the convention by her supervisor, Darren Copeland, who went in 2019. It turned out to be a fantastic suggestion.

“I’ve actually loved it,” Isabel mentioned. “The perfect facet for me has simply been listening to the panelists and what they need to share in order that I can take it again to our firm and make the most of a few of these solutions and ideas.”

Samuel Craig, digital strategist at Purina Northwest, obtained a scholarship to attend the MDMC whereas he was an UMSL pupil years in the past and returned as an business skilled to be taught and join with colleagues.

“I wished to come back and listen to the panels of all of the individuals who work within the areas I work in and be taught something I can,” Craig mentioned. “I’m form of like a sponge on the subject of digital advertising and marketing as a result of it’s altering on a regular basis. I’m making an attempt to attract inspiration from what different individuals are doing.”

Training and engagement had been the targets of the convention for Drake as properly. He hopes attendees had an exquisite expertise and can come to the subsequent convention, which he and his workforce intend to carry in April.

“I’m hoping to start with we’re giving them some vital content material they will take again and use within the office,” he mentioned. “I see lots of people taking nice notes. They’re all utilizing the apps to ask the questions, which is de facto good since you need that interplay. The second factor is I’d love for them to come back as much as me and say, ‘Perry, I’m so excited that the MDMC is again. That is nice. I can’t look ahead to subsequent yr.’”

Jeremy Corray, vp of digital leisure at an area video manufacturing studio, Coolfire, is trying ahead to the subsequent convention.

“MDMC has been ingrained in our advertising and marketing plans for practically a decade now,” he mentioned. “We’ve gotten a few of our greatest shoppers from this convention. So something we are able to do to help UMSL, Perry, the chief director of the convention, Brianna Miller and their workforce, we’re there. We’ve received to help St. Louis regional advertising and marketing. We’ve had large success right here. So, why not come again and do all of it once more?”