AMA Conference 60

The American Marketing Association of Saint Louis just hosted its 60^th annual conference. But this one was the first one that was 100% virtual. The legacy and mission of our chapter is to advocate for the professional study and practice of marketing. Dedicated chapter leaders reach out to students and marketers in our region. This annual conference theme is Discovery through Disruption.

Bill Ellis, Brand Architect and Founder of Branding for Results is our master of ceremonies. He made the transition to a virtual format flawless with the able support of technical expertise of Conference Technologies Incorporated. Objective Media served as creative consultant and fine-tuned graphic elements.

Lee Broughton and Khalia Collier presented a vision for Major League Soccer in Saint Louis. Lee is Founder of Broughton Brand Company and Chief Brand Architect for St. Louis CITY Major League Soccer team. Khalia Collier is Vice President of Community Relations for St. Louis CITY SC. Together Lee and Khalia they shared the exciting vision for professional soccer in Saint Louis.

Laura Burkemper, Partner & Chief Executive Officer of CARTEL Strategies earned her MBA in international business and now is a professor at Saint Louis University.

Brandon Dempsey is partner at the GoBrandGo! Marketing firm. He is the driving force behind the strategy side of the business and focused on building relationships with entrepreneurs across not only the US, but the world.

Segun Babalola is president of the African Chamber of Commerce of Saint Louis. Mr. Babalola received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Southeast Missouri State University as well as a degree in International Studies from Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Rennes, France. He has an Master in Business Administration degree from Webster University, St. Louis. He brought significant insights into marketing to the African continent and the 54 countries therein.

Stan Phelps is a best-selling author of the 13-book Goldfish Series. He is a Forbes Contributor, TEDx Speaker, IBM Futurist. Goldfish are a metaphor for growth says Stan. An average goldfish is under 3 inches long but under the right conditions they can grow to over 20 inches.

Congratulation to all involved in putting on this remarkable conference together. Photo above: Stan Phelps 

As a bonus: all those who signed up for this virtual conference receive a box of prizes that includes premium items, coffee, conference mug, snack food and more. An awesome team effort and a celebration of marketing.

Make My Day

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the San Francisco police detective character played by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies. Harry Callahan is someone who does not hesitate to cross boundaries in pursuit of justice, especially when it is clear that justice is poorly served by the law and a flawed system. It’s fantastic to see Harry get the bad guys in spite of inept bureaucracies, corruption in city government, punitive suspensions from duty and all kinds of collateral damage to property - all with little or no harm to countless innocent bystanders between episodic gunfire and car chases. Movies are made as a form of escapism. We all know we can’t take the law into our own hands and single-handedly and swiftly get retribution. We can’t right all the wrongs that happen in the course of our lives or even fully mitigate the threats of our potential enemies. We love Harry because he represents a hero who can make snap judgments and correctly comprehend the magnitude of evil and with his powerful weapon and extreme precision make things right. In real life, so much depends on each and every one of us to do a part in making the world a better, fairer and safer place. The real heroes in life never get to confront the bad guy at a moment of truth and say something like: Go ahead, make my day. I will always be a fan of the iconoclastic rogue police detective in movie fiction. It’s entertaining to see resolution inside the context of a two-hour motion picture. But for me, outside that format I am always inspired by the collective courage people show every single day with kindness, compassion, caring and love for humanity. You are the real heroes. You add up to a better world. You are important. I hope you know - you make my day. 

Thank you.