AdWORKS speaker to address creativity, innovation
Written by Kyle Cappelletty | | kcappelletty@toledofreepress.comCreativity and innovation will be the focus of this year’s AdWORKS conference as keynote speaker Jim Link addresses the topic of idea generation.
The fourth annual event, sponsored by the Advertising Club of Toledo, brings organizations together for mutual support, education and inspiration. The purpose is to get representatives from different industries to share ideas and foster creativity within business and marketing.
Jim Link. Photo Courtesy Jim Link.
Patrick Giammarco, owner of PWG Marketing and the chairman of AdWORKS 2012, said he expects more than 200 businesses, government and nonprofit leaders from across Northwest Ohio to attend.
“Be it advertising agencies, media, universities, manufacturing or professional services, creativity and innovation are critical leadership competencies for all organizations,” Giammarco said. “It is imperative that Northwest Ohio organizations continuously manufacture new ideas and innovative products and services to stay competitive in today’s market.”
AdWORKS will be held Nov. 7 at the Hilton Garden Inn. 6165 Levis Commons Blvd., in Perrysburg. Registration is from 7:30-8:30 a.m. The conference is expected to last until 12:30 p.m. and will feature a book signing with Link. Cost is $49 for members, $79 for nonmembers and $39 for students.
Link, an author, business owner and educator, has spent much of his life generating new ideas for some of the biggest corporations across the world.
“In the book and in my workshops, I challenge the notion that creativity is something we just unleash,” Link said. “I want people to know the truth, that there is no magic wand or corporate ping-pong table that will suddenly make you more creative. The key is figuring out how to build your creativity, not unleash it. That’s what I’ll be teaching people at the AdWORKS conference.”
In 1994, Link started one of the world’s first idea companies, Idea-Link Inc. Since then, Link has worked with many leading companies around the world, such as General Mills, Nestle and 3M.
“I’ve always been an idea person, even as a teenager,” Link said. “I was lucky enough to find a way to turn that skill into a business as an adult.
“When I worked at General Mills I realized everyone was tied up with meetings and execution. Yet, at the same time, we were being asked to be more innovative and generate more ideas. That’s when the idea of an idea company emerged, to help companies create more and better ideas in less time.”
Recently Link turned his efforts toward helping others become more creative. His recently published book, “Idea-Links: The New Creativity,” was named one of this year’s Groundbreaking Indie Books by Independent Publisher magazine.
Formed in 1909, the Advertising Club of Toledo provides professional education and training for individuals actively involved in the creation and production of advertising and marketing communications materials.
“The Advertising Club of Toledo could not be more excited to have Jim Link speak at AdWORKS 2012,” Giammarco said. “Jim is an engaging teacher who will conduct his New Creativity training workshop and share techniques and disciplines necessary to developing creativity as a core skill.”
For more information, visit adclubtoledo.org/adworks or contact Patty Schoepf at director@adclubtoledo.org or (419) 866-4199.
Tags: Advertising Club of Toledo, AdWorks, Idea-Link, Idea-Links, Jim Link, Patrick Giammarco
