The trade publication that has been chronicling the advertising industry since 1979 is now, for a few days at least, getting into the business of hosting it.
Adweek is staging what it calls Adweek House: Advertising HQ, a four-day gathering in New York running from Oct. 5 through Oct. 8. The event, which will take place at a venue called Gary's Loft in Midtown Manhattan, promises a mixture of panel discussions, workshops and the sort of evening cocktail receptions that have long served as the industry's preferred venue for the exchange of business cards and mild complaints about holding company reorganizations.
The roster of speakers suggests the organizers have cast a wide net. Scheduled to appear are Joon Silverstein, the chief marketing officer of Coach; Molly Battin, who holds the same title at the Home Depot; and Lauren Weinberg of Supergoop, the sunscreen brand. Also on the bill, in what might be described as the celebrity-adjacent portion of the program, are Robert Gronkowski, the retired football player, and Jessica Tarlov, the Fox News commentator.
(Whether the sessions will include guidance on what, precisely, a former tight end and a cable news panelist have to teach chief marketing officers about media planning was not immediately clear.)
Adweek is describing the programming as "unscripted Group Chats" and "candid conversations," phrases that have become something of an industry standard for events that wish to signal they will not be entirely devoted to PowerPoint presentations. Session topics are said to range from television advertising to retail strategy.
Attendance is complimentary, which in the conference business usually means the sponsors are paying handsomely for the privilege of proximity.
Original story published in Adweek: "Join Gronk, Coach, The Home Depot, and More at ADWEEK House"