2015 Okner Symposium
February 27th, 2015 | 9am-4pm
Hosted by Aurora University
Sponsored by DePaul University's Kellstadt Marketing Center

Overview
College students and their professors from approximately 12 Midwest schools attend this one-day symposium to learn directly from Chicago's top marketing professionals. 
  • Hot topics and developments in marketing
  • Career paths in marketing
  • Job search advice
  • Networking opportunities

Download this year's agenda!

2015 Theme: Digital Marketing 

Adam Kempenaar, Sr. Director New Media & Creative Services, Chicago Blackhawks, shares how the Chicago Blackhawks have used creative marketing content to reach new audiences in the digital space. The  Blackhawks have established award-winning brand engagement through video content  like Blackhawks TV, and built an established online presence to engage audiences and leverage partner relationships.  Hear from Adam about transforming and leveraging the brand of this iconic Chicago sports franchise.

Digital Marketing Pros Career Panel
Cyndi Greenglass, SVP Strategic Solutions, from  Diamond Marketing Solutions moderates our panel of representatives from the digital space on our annual Career Panel. Find out how to break into a career in digital marketing from representatives from the client perspective, agency perspective & consultants. What are the key trends to learn before you graduate? What are the pros and cons of working in these three different environments? How do you identify your best fit? 
This year's panelists include:
  • David Martinelli, Digital Marketing Manager, McDonald's Corp.
  • Kristie Heins Fox, SVP Corporate Technology, Edelman
  • Eric Ozarowski, Founder, Oh! Social
Read about our Panelists!

Guided Networking 
End the day with a guided networking roundtables with some of Chicago's most devoted marketing practitioners. These professionals work with students in a small-group setting to share their advice and what they look for when making hiring decisions. Students are given the opportunity to interact with and learn from professionals from such companies as Starcom Media, Google, Leo Burnett, Razorfish, Allstate, and others. 

2015 Keynote Bio : Adam Kempenaar, Chicago Blackhawks

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Adam Kempenaar
Sr. Director, New Media and Creative Services
Chicago Blackhawks

Adam Kempenaar is in his 13th season with the Chicago Blackhawks and his third as Senior Director of New Media and Creative Services. Previously, Kempenaar served as the club’s Web Producer before being appointed Director of New Media and Creative Services in 2008.

Kempenaar oversees content for chicagoblackhawks.com and Blackhawks Magazine, along with Blackhawks Publishing projects, including the award-winning “One Goal II: The Inside Story of the 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks” and 2010 bestseller “One Goal Achieved.” Alongside “One Goal II,” he served as producer on the 2013 championship movie “17 Seconds,” which sold out multiple screenings in Chicagoland. Kempenaar is also responsible for Blackhawks TV video content and the club’s social media efforts, which earned “Best Brand Use of Twitter” recognition from technology site Mashable.com in 2009. The following year, the Blackhawks were finalists for Mashable’s “Must Follow Brand.”

Prior to joining the Blackhawks, Kempenaar was Creative Projects Coordinator for the media research and consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates. He holds a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of Iowa, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Grinnell College. An Iowa native, Kempenaar and his wife, Sarah, have four children: Holden, Sophie, Quinn and Conor.

Registration Details

Professors from Midwestern Universities are invited to submit their students for attendance. Students who are interested in attending but do not have a professor recommendation should contact Kate Stevenson for further instructions. 

If you are a professor of marketing in the Midwest and would like to submit a list of student attendees for the Okner Symposium, please contact Kate Stevenson at mmefgroup@gmail.com . 



2014 What I Learned @ Okner

Directions & Location

Aurora University- ICE building &  Crimi Auditorium
1347 Prairie Street*
Aurora, IL 60506

By Car:
It is recommended that you drive to Aurora University. Enter off of Prairie St and Calumet and there is Free Parking in the Institute Lot. 

Bus Instructions:
Buses enter Calumet off of Prairie, drop off at the ICE building, then exit through Randall.  The bus may then proceed East to 740 Prairie (our Sodexo Physical Properties Building and Parking Lot) to park for the duration of the symposium.

Institute for Collaboration (ICE Building)
1347 Prairie Street*
Aurora, IL 60506

Public Transit:
From Chicago (Union Station) by Train:
  1. Visit the Metra Web site (this will open a new window) for train departure schedules. Trains from Chicago run hourly on weekdays.
  2. Go to Chicago Union Station on Clinton St. between Jackson and Adams.
  3. Take the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Line to Aurora (this is the last stop).
  4. WELCOME TO AURORA. Taxi service and PACE bus service are readily available to get you from the station to campus. For current PACE bus schedules and routes conduct a search for "Aurora University" on the PACE bus Web site.

Read more: http://www.aurora.edu/about/maps-directions/au-directions.html#ixzz3QhzjpRz8

Sponsorship:
There are numerous sponsorship opportunities available and all donations to our organization are tax-deductible. 

Company sponsors will receive a resume packet of the most qualified participants from each of the schools in our program. They also will have the opportunity to promote available internships and positions to the over 150 students who attend "the Okner". 

Download the Sponsorship Packet here. 

To learn more please contact Kate Stevenson at mmefgroup@gmail.com

Thank You to our Sponsors!

Thank you to Sy Okner's family for making this event possible in his memory.

Gold Sponsor

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DePaul University Kellstadt Marketing Center 
Visit their website to find professional programs to continue your education beyond graduation.

Silver Sponsor

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Search open jobs and internships with ULINE here: http://uline.com/jobs
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