Are you ready to level up your higher education marketing strategy?
Higher education marketers, like you, play a critical role in ensuring that prospective students have the best possible chance and experience in enrolling and, eventually, graduating from these higher education institutions.
Join us for this free 2-day virtual conference for practical tools and insights designed to improve your efforts in the 2023 school year and beyond.
Registration for this virtual conference is free to all attendees.
By attending this event, you can earn continuing education units (CEUs) toward maintaining any AMA Professional Certified Marketer ® credential. Click here to learn more about pursuing certification or claiming credits.
DAY 1 | ALL TIMES IN CT
Opening Keynote: The Fusion of Learning and Work
The future of learning and the future of work are very much intertwined. Indeed, the future of both lies in the fusion of the two. And this has enormous implications – both opportunities and challenges – for higher education. Higher education futurist Brandon Busteed will help marketing leaders be aware of the major trends driving this fusion of learning and work and arm them with ideas for how to help their institutions turn current challenges into opportunities.
Brandon Busteed
Chief Partnerships Officer and Global Head, Learn-Work Innovation, Kaplan
Secrets to Building and Scaling your University’s Brand Identity
Your university’s brand both reflects and shapes the institution it represents. It encompasses every image, video, and message you create, and becomes a symbol of your university in the minds of students, alumni, and the media. Your university’s brand evokes emotions and the experiences attached to them, and people gravitate toward brands they trust, relate to, and see themselves in.
But most students won’t form an opinion of your university until they’ve interacted with your brand at least a few times. That leaves plenty of room for off-brand imagery and messaging during that journey. And as your team grows and content demands increase, it becomes easy to shuffle brand consistency at every touchpoint to the bottom of the deck.
In this webinar, join Ariana Keil, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Canto, for a deep dive into:
- Building a strong brand identity
- Scaling a brand consistently without sacrificing brand alignment
- Enabling your team with a brand management system that works
Arianna Keil
Senior Growth Manager, Canto
The Gen Z Journey to Enrolling
Although similar in age, Gen Z and Millennials are very different. The rate at which technology has advanced has led to Gen Z being the most tech savvy and diverse generation we have ever seen and getting the attention of Gen Z in a highly digitized world can therefore be challenging.
Our session is all about the Gen Z Journey to Enrollment, from a student first hearing about your institution all the way through to putting in an application, we’ll tell that story. We’ll talk about the platforms Gen Z spends time on, the importance of first-party data, emerging trends such as Gaming and Digital Out Of Home, creating engaging form fills and the info & branding Gen Z is the most interested in. We’ll cover the A – Gen Z of student enrollment! Objectives: Understand the journey that leads to Gen Z enrolling in an institution, Learn about where Gen Z spends their time digitally and how best to advertise to them, Tips on emerging digital platforms and 2023 digital marketing trends
John Reid
President, Glacier
Building a More Connected Event Strategy
Changing student needs, tighter budgets. How you think about events must change. Cvent commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a study that asked senior event and marketing leaders how their event programs were evolving in an ever-changing landscape. Join this exciting session as we share their eye-opening insights.
Join us to learn:
- How the digital event experience has permanently changed student expectations
- How and why education institutions are choosing in-person vs. virtual events
- How higher ed needs to handle event data and reassess their technology
Elizabeth Powell
Manager, Industry Solutions Cvent
DAY 2 | ALL TIMES IN CT
Keynote: AMA Higher Education Marketer of the Year Award Winner Panel
As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, marketing professionals are responsible for now more than ever. Moderated by Peter Barber, a dynamic panel of senior leaders in higher education marketing, including the most recent winners of the Higher Education Marketer of the Year award and the current co-chairs of the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education planning committee will examine some of the most pressing challenges facing marketers and the solutions that are emerging. Join us for this lively panel discussion.
Moderator
- Peter Barber, VP of Marketing and Communications at Trout Unlimited, Member of the AMA Board of Directors and former co-chair of the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education planning committee
Panelists
- Myla Edmond, Associate Vice President Marketing and Communications at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Co-chair of the 2023 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education planning committee
- Stephen Jendraszak, Assistant Vice President for Marketing at Emory University , Co-chair of the 2023 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education planning committee
- Kate Ledger, Acting Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing at University of Pittsburgh, Winner of the 2022 Higher Education Marketer of the Year Individual Award
- Elias Martinez, Assistant Vice President for University Marketing at Texas State University, Winner of the 2022 Higher Education Marketer of the Year Team Award
Peter Barber
Vice President Of Marketing and Communications, Trout Unlimited
Myla Edmond
Associate Vice President Marketing and Communications at California State University, Dominguez Hills | Co-chair of the 2023 Higher Education Planning Committee
Stephen Jendraszak
Assistant Vice President for Marketing at Emory University | Co-chair of the 2023 Higher Education Planning Committee
Kate Ledger
Acting Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing at University of Pittsburgh | Winner of the 2022 Higher Education Marketer of the Year Individual Award
Elias Martinez
Assistant Vice President for University Marketing at Texas State University | Winner of the 2022 Higher Education Marketer of the Year Team Award
Unlocking the Power of Creative Operations in Higher Education Marketing
In today’s fast-paced world, higher education marketers face ever-increasing pressure to create and deliver high-quality, compelling content to their target audience. Creative operations can play a vital role in streamlining the content creation process, reducing cost, and ensure that content is delivered on time and to a high standard.
In this session, we’ll explore how creative operations can help higher education marketers to overcome common content creation challenges, including managing multiple stakeholders, coordinate large-scale campaigns, and maintaining brand consistency across different channels.
Key takeaways:
- Understanding the basics of creative operations and its benefits for higher education marketing
- Best practices for managing creative projects, including scoping, workflow, and stakeholder management
- Tips for optimizing your team’s efficiency and effectiveness in content creation
- Strategies for maintaining brand consistency across various campaigns and channels
- Real-world case studies of a higher education institution that has implemented creative operations into their marketing efforts.
- Join us to discover how creative operations can help you create more effective, engaging content that resonates with your audience and drives better content outcomes.
How We Live the Values We Say Within Our Sphere of Influence
If you missed the 2022 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education Conference in National Harbor, MD, this is your chance to watch exclusive content from the conference!
Is your university living the mission and core values that your teams’ are communicating? Is your diversity statement performative or are you faking it until you make it? Working hard to make it a reality but falling short with no real traction in your diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives?
Culture is under a microscope these days. Students, faculty, staff, donors – they all expect the institutions they support to have values that align with what’s important to them. So how can an institution with so many different stakeholders with different viewpoints and experiences determine when to speak up, when to take a stand, when to make a change or when to do nothing? Join me as I unpack this challenge that institutions are facing all over the country and how to fix it.
Shelley Willingham
Vice President, Business Strategy, The Diversity Movement
Brandon Busteed
Chief Partnerships Officer and Global Head, Learn-Work Innovation, Kaplan
Peter Barber
Vice President Of Marketing and Communications, Trout UnlimitedPeter Barber is a transformative marketing and branding executive recognized for success in leading innovative and comprehensive marketing, communications and branding strategies. He has worked extensively in the higher education, nonprofit, franchising and retail marketing sectors. Peter is a past co-chair of the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, where he led the volunteer planning committee in revamping the Symposium’s programming for greater appeal to senior decision-makers and incorporation of a stronger DEI focus. He is also a past chair of the AMA Nonprofit Marketing Conference, where he and the volunteer team organized the most highly attended event in the conference’s history.
Peter has worked for a number of prestigious marketing and advertising companies, including Lipman Hearne, DDB, Campbell Mithun, Budget Car & Truck Rental, and the Leo Burnett Company. His experience includes work with some of the most well-known brands in the country, including Procter & Gamble, Ace Hardware, Rutgers University, Weber Grills, Black & Decker and McDonald’s. Peter currently serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Trout Unlimited, a conservation nonprofit working to protect and restore America’s coldwater streams and rivers. He is a graduate of Drake University and a resident of Durham, North Carolina.
Molly Clark
Sr. Director of Marketing, Lytho
Myla Edmond
Associate Vice President Marketing and Communications at California State University, Dominguez Hills | Co-chair of the 2023 Higher Education Planning CommitteeMyla Edmond is an innovative collaborator with more than 15 years of higher education marketing and communications experience. She has a deep understanding of departmental interdependence having created and led marketing strategy for academic affairs, alumni relations, and international education. She builds teams of leaders and strategic partners by focusing on disruptive thinking, emotional intelligence, active inclusion, and comprehensive integration. Myla currently leads the communications and marketing strategy at California State University, Dominguez Hills. She resides in Southern California and loves traveling, reading fiction, and writing short stories, novels, and essays.
Stephen Jendraszak
Assistant Vice President for Marketing at Emory University | Co-chair of the 2023 Higher Education Planning CommitteeStephen Jendraszak has more than 15 years of experience in higher education marketing and serves as assistant vice president for marketing at Emory University. Prior to joining Emory, Stephen’s roles included associate vice president for marketing and communication at Augsburg University in Minneapolis and director of marketing at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. At each institution, Stephen has focused on building and strengthening professional teams and aligning staff efforts and talents to institutional goals.
Stephen serves as co-chair of the planning committee for the American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education and has been a member of the committee since 2021. He is a frequent presenter at national conferences, including AMA, and has served on the conference faculty for CASE’s Annual Conference on Marketing and Branding and its Institute for Senior Communications and Marketing Professionals. Stephen earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism and his master’s degree in public relations from Ball State.
Arianna Keil
Senior Growth Manager, CantoAriana has a background in both B2B sales and marketing, which gives her an appreciation for GTM strategies that holistically target the entire buyer’s journey, and a focus on sales and marketing department collaboration. She is passionate about harnessing the power of content to drive revenue
Kate Ledger
Acting Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing at University of Pittsburgh | Winner of the 2022 Higher Education Marketer of the Year Individual AwardKate Ledger is passionate about developing and promoting powerful brands, building and leading strong teams and driving strategic marketing in higher education. Currently serving as the acting vice chancellor for university communications and marketing at the University of Pittsburgh, Kate has worked in five different marketing roles across Pitt, progressively increasing the size and scope of her teams. She launched the university’s first master brand in 2019 and the first university-wide brand campaign in 2022 as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing, while at the same time leading COVID-19 communications for the university.
During her time as Executive Director of Marketing and Engagement in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Kate led the marketing and on-campus visit teams, helping to increase the quality of Pitt’s incoming class and exceed enrollment goals each year. Among many creative projects, she helped the team implement Salesforce and automate more than 800 segmented emails and rebranded the campus visit program. She is most fond of throwing confetti for deposits – a favorite Pitt tradition.
Kate served as the marketing and communications leader in the Katz Graduate School of Business, College of Business Administration, Office of the Provost and the Swanson School of Engineering at Pitt. She also learned valuable lessons during her time in the agency and corporate worlds. Kate earned her B.A. from Penn State University and M.Ed. from Pitt. She and her high school sweetheart are raising their two awesome kids and spunky dog in Pittsburgh.
Elias Martinez
Assistant Vice President for University Marketing at Texas State University | Winner of the 2022 Higher Education Marketer of the Year Team Award
Elizabeth Powell
Manager, Industry Solutions CventAs Manager of Solutions Marketing at Cvent, Elizabeth champions the perspectives of charitable industries within the company’s initiatives, resources, services, and product development. As a former event planner at Georgetown University, her passion for higher ed runs deep. Outside of brand marketing and content strategy, you can find Elizabeth twirling on a dance floor to bachata and salsa, or traveling the globe, one open water dive at a time.
John Reid
President, GlacierJohn Reid is the President of Glacier and has been growing Glacier’s presence in both Canada and the US for many years. He’s an expert at helping colleges and universities run successful campaigns and achieve their enrollment goals, primarily focusing on driving additional website traffic or lead generation. He’s a passionate speaker when he’s talking about his favorite subjects, Gen Z advertising and Dairy Queen blizzards. Make sure you attend to see which one he’s speaking on!
Shelley Willingham
Vice President, Business Strategy, The Diversity Movement
Login & Registration FAQs
I’ve already registered. Where can I find the link to log in to the conference?
24 hours before the conference begins, an email will be sent out to all registrants with a login link for them to access the conference platform. A link to log in will also be made available on this event page and in the trending bar of ama.org.
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On-Demand Content FAQs
Will conference presentations be available on-demand?
All conference material, including presentations, will be available on-demand in the 2023 AMA Virtual Conference: Marketing in Higher Education Attendee Hub within 24 hours, if not sooner.
How long will I have access to the 2023 AMA Virtual Conference: Marketing in Higher Education Attendee Hub?
The Attend Hub will remain open and available for on-demand viewing for 6 months after the event.
Technical Support & Recommendations
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