Agenda
The 2010 New Business Conference is held April 12 -14th 2010.
Location: The Digital Sandbox Network. 4th floor, 55 Broad Street, New York, NY
Conference Hot Line: 1.866.508.0523
New Business Conference
Monday, April 12 2010
Conference Registration and Breakfast
Track: General
Keynote: The Viability of Your Agency
Track: General
You will not want to miss this keynote address that will completely change the way you look at your agency – and the future viability of your agency.
- R/GA: Barry Wacksman, EVP & Chief Growth Officer
- R/GA: Bob Greenberg, Chairman, CEO, & Global Chief Creative Officer
Jump Start Your Play & Innovation
Track: General
As adults, we often mistake playfulness as something children do when they're not learning. However, research has shown that playfulness is one of the most powerful developmental processes linked to learning, and one of the key enablers of creative thinking. Expect an interactive and engaging session.
Presented by IDEO Partner Duane Bray, this session will show how IDEO's designers use exploratory play - specifically exploratory play, construction play and role play - has helped their clients become more innovative themselves.
As more organizations enhance their innovation capacities, it's crucial for agencies to exercise their play muscles while effectively engaging clients in the same process.
- IDEO: Duane Bray, Partner
Building a Profitable Social Media Practice
Track: Large Agency, Agency Principals
Over the last year, Social Media has become one of the hottest ticket items for clients. However, with fuzzy direction from clients and a belief that it should only cost a dime, building an agency practice that delivers it efficiently and profitably is another matter. And, while many agencies claim to have a Social Media practice, the reality is sometimes a little different. Edelman has been the pioneer in successfully integrating interactive and social media into a “traditional” agency offering.
Danielle Wiley will take a case study approach and review the infrastructure, staffing and core competencies required to pull together a Social Media practice that drives revenue.
- Edelman: Danielle Wiley, SVP, Social Media & Consumer Brands
Creating New Revenue Streams: Innovator Panel One
Track: Innovators
The panel will discuss a range of new models: from new strategic consulting services, to strategy-only business models, to mobile commerce, to launching new brands, to adapting the agency to better profit from project-oriented work.
- BBH Labs: Ben Malbon, Founder & Managing Partner
- Trumpet: Robbie Vitrano, Co-Founder/Chm of the Board
- Victors & Spoils: John Winsor, Chief Executive Officer
- Redworks: Fred Schuster, Chief Executive Officer
Networking Lunch
Track: General
The Eight Stages of Orchestrating a Business Turnaround
Track: Small-Mid Agency, Agency Principals
Betancur built his career as a turnaround specialist and will apply practical lessons from outside the agency world. He has led very successful turnaround initiatives at a number of international organizations, including Publisher’s Clearing House, Urban Brands and the direct division of PPR (a $12B French luxury goods retailer). At Jump Ramp Ventures, Betancur’s team creates new revenue streams for their clients by taking them online and by revitalizing old products with new sales potential.
In this session, Betancur will cover the eight stages of orchestrating a business turnaround. This will include:
- Properly defining clear, attainable, measurable goals.
- Instilling leadership and responsibility in your subordinates.
- Building an infrastructure that allows your people to explore and experiment within defined parameters.
- Building a culture of build, test, refine and launch.
Take away a step-by-step approach that you can apply to building your own agency plan – particularly if you’re in rebuilding mode.
- Jump Ramp Ventures: Alex Betancur, Co-Founder & Partner
Creating New Revenue Streams: Innovator Panel Two
Track: Agency Principals, Innovators
A range of models will be reviewed: from new strategic consulting services, to strategy-only business models, to mobile commerce, to launching new brands, to adapting the agency to better profit from project-oriented work.
- Fuseproject: Bart Haney, Program Manager
- HipCricket: Eric Harber, President & COO
- SKINNY NYC: Liron Reznik, Founder
- Agency Nil: Hank Leber, Founder
Live Pitch Competition
Track: General
Hands-down, the most talked about element of last year’s conference. Ever wondered how other agencies pitch? This is a rare opportunity to watch other masters at work as they vie for being crowned Best Pitch Team in the country.
Watch two teams go head-to-head and deliver their pitch presentation in front of the entire conference… then, take in the immediate (and often controversial) feedback from the judges.
The New Agency Model: The Next 5 Years
Track: Agency Principals
It’s no secret that clients have completely changed over the past 18 months. However, looking at the services agencies still offer… you would think it’s the best kept secret in town. Clients are seeking a completely different set of capabilities in 2010.
Brent will take a frank look at what your agency is missing and why it’s holding you back. This session will review the specific set of core competencies that every agency (small and large) must master. And it’s not about jumping on the digital or social media bandwagon. In fact, the new agency model is centered around its ability to develop, sell, execute against and measure Transaction Insights. With that at the core, the session will review the set of basic capabilities that will lay a rock solid foundation for growth over the next five years.
- Mirren Training: Brent Hodgins, Managing Partner & Director of Client Services
New Business "Pub Style"
Track: General
Tuesday, April 13 2010
Conference Registration and Breakfast
Track: General
Registration begins at 7:30am sharp. Grab a fresh cup of coffee, some morning snacks and meet a few of your fellow participants.
Keynote: It's the Unexpected that will Shape the Future of the Business
Track: General
- Crispin Porter + Bogusky: Alex Bogusky, Co-Chairman
Agency Growth Case Study Panel
Track: Small-Mid Agency, Agency Principals
Despite the challenge of the last year, there are a number of agencies that have experienced significant growth. Beyond just digital service offerings, which many agencies now offer, this session will uncover the fundamental business and business development lessons that can be applied to all agencies. From the strategic plan for the agency to executing that strategic plan, this panel of very different agencies will discuss how they think – and how they act differently – to capitalize on the current economic climate.
Take away best practices that you can immediately begin to apply to your own agency.
- Rockfish Interactive: Kenny Tomlin, Founder & CEO
- PJA Advertising + Marketing: Mike O'Toole, President
- Sapient: Alan Herrick, President & CEO
- The Brooklyn Brothers: Paul Parton, Owner
Advanced Capabilities Writing:
Bring/Evaluate/Rewrite Your Presentation (part one)
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency, Hands-on Sessions
If you’re not going in with the attitude of converting the business, you’re not taking the right approach. It’s not “all about ideas” or “consumer insights” in 2010. In fact, you should forget the brief. And definitely forget the agenda. Based on the latest strategies from Mirren’s on-site training, this double-length session will laser in on exactly what has changed in 2010. It follows with the steps you must take to make the kind of impact your prospects will not soon forget:
- Why the client makes their decision in the first 10 minutes.
- The two most important ideas you must hammer home.
- Opening with a bang, then holding them right through.
- Why you should never present spec work.
- The role of analytics.
- How to sell business impact.
- Pitch team members.
- Presentation structure & design.
- Dressing the room.
Note: This is a double-length hands-on working session that begins with instruction. It is then followed with all participants doing a rewrite of their existing capabilities presentation. Coaching and support will be provided.
- Mirren Training: Brent Hodgins, Managing Partner & Director of Client Services
Client Negotiation Skills:
Securing the Best Possible Deal
Track: Small-Mid Agency
Congratulations… you won the business! Well, almost. Now you must begin the fee and contract negotiations. Does this process give you stress akin to a day-long root canal?
The Gap Partnership is a global firm that specializes in negotiation consulting. In this session, they will provide cutting-edge strategies and tools that you can apply to secure the best possible outcome from your next client negation. Areas covered will include:
- Getting inside the head of your client (marketing & procurement).
- Planning your negotiation strategy and tactics.
- Understanding competitive and collaborative negotiations (and when each is appropriate).
The Gap Partnership trains and consults with some of the most sophisticated negotiators and will use real-world examples from their work.
- The Gap Partnership: Simon Brocklehurst, Partner
Agency Growth Case Study:
Prepare to Fight or Brace for Impact
Track: Agency Principals
As CMO of Zimmerman, Goldberg has played a leading role in guiding the agency through significant growth and diversification over the past decade. The agency has transformed itself from a regional automotive agency to one of the largest retail agencies in the country. In fact, the agency has more than tripled itself to over $2.5 Billion in billings with offices throughout the country.
In his career, Goldberg has won 124 out of 134 pitch finals. In this session, he will share the new business core competencies that he's used to create an unfair fight in a pitch. Goldberg will discuss the power of specializing, the importance of knowing where you are not special, how to leverage the agency’s innate culture, along with sharing important tools should you find yourself up against Zimmerman anytime soon.
- Zimmerman: Michael Goldberg, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer
Advanced Capabilities Writing:
Bring/Evaluate/Rewrite Your Presentation (part two)
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency, Hands-on Sessions
The hands-on working session continues from Part One at 10:00am. This double-length session will begin with instruction and be followed by everyone doing a rewrite of their existing presentation. Learn exactly how to make the kind of impact your prospects will not soon forget.
Note: You may not join this session part way through. You must participate from the beginning at 10:00am.
- Mirren Training: Brent Hodgins, Managing Partner & Director of Client Services
Networking Lunch
Track: General
How I'm Converting Meetings Right Now:
206% Growth in Two Years
Track: Small-Mid Agency
The Mirren team holds a lot of pride for this particular session. Cinquino+co applied lessons learned from this conference, which they credit for helping to completely transform the agency – during the recession. We love the underdog. We love come-back stories, and this is a good one.
Just a few short years ago, the agency was facing massive client cutbacks and no pipeline. The agency’s future existence was uncertain. However with the tenacity of the agency’s president, John Cinquino, the firm managed to stabilize with a loyal team and base of clients. But then, as the recession kicked in, so did their exponential growth. In a very short period they not only bounced back, but have created an unstoppable new business machine. Proactive prospecting is that the core of their new engine. But should they decide to enter a competitive review, their win rate is 75%. In a case study format, Cinquino will cover:
- How crisis stimulates opportunity.
- Looking outside the agency world to realize the need for a new business team.
- How to adapt account planning and prepare to convert the first meeting.
- Total agency involvement from the top down.
- Less is more, quality not quantity is the path to victory.
- How to adapt some of what you will learn at this conference to make it your own.
- cinquino+co.: John V. Cinquino, President
Search Consultants:
A Perspective from the Next Generation
Track: Large Agency
As the conference has been looking at those agencies defining the future of the business, we’ll speak with those Search Consultants defining the future of their business. In fact, this group will be leading the next generation of Search Consultancy. They did not build their consulting field. But they will redefine it over the coming few years.
The panel will discuss the latest trends they see defining agency selection and the role of Search Consulting in that process. With the sheer number of pitches they have facilitated, a tremendous amount of insight will uncover what it takes to increase your win rate in the current climate… and for the next decade.
Time will be provided for audience Q&A.
- AAR Partners: Lisa Colantuono, Managing Partner
- Pile & Company: Meghan McDonnell, Vice President
- Ark Advisors: Ken Robinson, Principal
- Hasan + Co: Hasan Ramusevic, President
Initial Outreach Scripting:
Crafting Your Voice Mails, Emails & Direct Mail
Track: Small-Mid Agency
Ultimately, the goal is to get the prospect on the phone, to convert the phone call into a meeting… and the meeting into the first project. Leave with a plan and scripts that you will have written to begin using when you get back to the agency.
- Mirren Training: Bob Wiesner, Director
The Client Perspective:
Relationship & Courting Advice for 2010
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency
Each year, we host several top clients as they provide a frank perspective on agencies. What is top of mind for them coming out of the recession? How are they balancing short-term revenue goals with long-term strategic objectives? What does it take to get in the door? Where will their spending increase? Where will it be cut further? Will procurement ever get a grip on reality?
Past panelists have included the marketing chiefs from General Mills, JetBlue, Toyota, BMW Mini, Xbox, GE, Verizon, to name a few.
This year, the panel will be hosted by Peter Krainik, CEO of The CMO Club, an exclusive network of top CMOs.
Cocktail Reception
Track: General
Conference Closed For Day
Track: General
Wednesday, April 14 2010
Keynote: It's The Changing Landscape That Fuels The Opportunity
Track: General
- Droga5: David Droga, Founder, Creative Chairman
Recovery: How Consumers and Companies Are Really Responding
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency
- Mintel International: Krista Faron, Lead Innovation Analyst
- Mintel International: Gaby Fireman, SVP Corporate New Business, Head of Media UK and USA
Advanced Final Pitch Deck Writing:
Bring/Evaluate/Rewrite Your Presentation (part one)
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency, Hands-on Sessions
In 2010, you must convert every single opportunity that presents itself. But as you know, a “big idea” in no way guarantees a win. Facing competition like you’ve never experienced before and the fickle nature of clients, selling that big idea is a real challenge. There’s nothing worse than receiving the call where you’re told, “Sorry, but you came in… second.”
Based on the latest insights from Mirren’s on-site training, this double-length session will focus in on how to orchestrate the entire final pitch presentation – with the end goal of converting every prospect. Completely new strategies have been incorporated into this 2010 session, including a look at procurement, selling the value of your work, analytics and the mind of the decision-maker. This session will address:
- Why you’ve written your presentation for the wrong person.
- Becoming the prospect’s champion.
- Pre-empting procurement.
- Selling the value of your work.
- Storytelling and dramatic arcs.
- Measurement and analytics.
- Presentation structure.
- Presentation design.
- Visual aids.
- Room theater.
Note: This is a double-length hands-on working session that begins with instruction. It is then followed with all participants doing a rewrite of an existing final pitch presentation. Bring a print-out of a representative pitch presentation to work with. You may also work with one on your laptop. Coaching and support will be provided.
- Mirren Training: Bob Wiesner, Director
Taking Back Your Power with Procurement:
Insights From an Ex-Client
Track: Large Agency
- Stirling Consulting Group: David Wilson, President
Marketing ROI Insights: Improving Client Strategies
and Effectiveness to Grow Agency Revenues
Track: General
Clients are under increased pressure to measure and deliver ROI to justify budgets and improve performance. Agencies prepared to support clients with strategies and tactical plans based on marketing ROI insights are better positioned to grow their business.
This session will show you how to use marketing ROI techniques to differentiate your pitch and build client loyalty. Presenter Jim Lenskold, author of the award-winning book “Marketing ROI: The Path of Campaign, Customer, and Corporate Profitability,” will share practical techniques, challenges, and opportunities specifically for enhancing the agency role. Lenskold Group clients include MasterCard, Kodak, Avaya, and Time Warner Cable.
Key takeaways:
- How to use marketing ROI techniques to guide strategic decisions in the planning stage
- How design campaign measurements to prove and improve marketing effectiveness
- What it takes for your agency to win more business with marketing ROI insights
- Lenskold Group: Jim Lenskold, President
Advanced Final Pitch Deck Writing:
Bring/Evaluate/Rewrite Your Presentation (part two)
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency, Hands-on Sessions
The double-length hands-on working session continues from Part One at 10:00am. This session begins with instruction. It is then followed with all participants doing a rewrite of an existing final pitch presentation. Bring a print-out of a representative pitch presentation to work with. You may also work with one on your laptop. Coaching and support will be provided.
Create a more impactful final pitch approach that you can apply to all of your presentations.
Note: You may not join this session part way through. You must participate from the beginning at 10:00am.
- Mirren Training: Bob Wiesner, Director
Networking Lunch
Track: General
Advanced Writing:
Questionnaire Responses, RFPs & Case Studies
Track: Large Agency
You invest a tremendous amount of time and effort in these key documents. And yet, clients still complain that agencies all look and sound the same. Given this, how should they be structured and written to better differentiate and persuade? This session will look at:
- The key elements for client decision-making (that you're missing).
- Better address the value of your work.
- Cut back the quantity of copy on each page.
- Communicate complex information more visually.
- How to get business results data from your clients.
- Better articulate case study results.
Learn new principles to turn these into documents and content that will:
(1) actually be read by the prospect;
(2) better differentiate the agency; and
(3) better sell and convert the prospect.
- Mirren Training: Bob Wiesner, Director
A Formula for Fueling Agency New Business through Social Media
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency
This session will provide a step-by-step overview and guide for creating a social media strategy to build credibility quickly and to generate inbound new business leads for your agency:
- Major Shift in Advertising Means a Shift for Agency New Business Practices
- The 4 Ways Social Media is Changing Ad Agency New Business
- The Benefits of Social Media for Ad Agency New Business
- The Best First Steps Into Social Media
- A 4 Step Approach to a Social Media Plan
- Social Media Best Practices: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogging
- Time Management: How Do I Keep Up with Social Media?
- Michael Gass Consulting: Michael Gass, Owner
Capitalizing on the Next 24 Months
Track: Large Agency, Small-Mid Agency
- Razorfish Europe: Darin Brown, President
- Deep Focus: Ian Schafer, Chief Executive Officer
- Big Spaceship: Michael Lebowitz, Founder & CEO
Beating Larger Agencies
Track: Small-Mid Agency, Agency Principals
Is there a direct correlation between the size of an agency and its ability to win business? Absolutely not. Each week the headline are peppered about how the larger agencies are having just as difficult a time right now. In fact, there has never been a better opportunity to go after bigger and better accounts. Not only are the larger agencies in a more vulnerable state, but clients are looking outside for ideas. Clients are open to the right ideas, packaged and positioned in the right manner. At the core, is properly organizing and deploying the resources you already have in place.
Learn new insights from the business development consulting and training boutique that has improved the win rate of agencies across the country. This session will look at exactly what it takes to go up against and beat larger agencies in competitive pitching/RFPs and in prospecting.
- Mirren Training: Brent Hodgins, Managing Partner & Director of Client Services
Generating Short-Term Revenue:
Your 2010 Action Plan
Track: General
Learn exactly how your plan should be structured, the critical elements that must be included, and how to avoid several of the pitfalls that hold back most agencies from achieving their planned objectives. This session will include open discussion and Q&A.
- Mirren Training: Brent Hodgins, Managing Partner & Director of Client Services