The 3% Conference is where they’ll be. This year the event takes place November 3-4, 2016 in NYC at the Manhattan Center.
Founded by Kat Gordon in 2012, the 3% event has grown to include agencies, brands and individuals committed to increasing female creative leadership. Gordon established the 3% Movement at a time when only 3% of all U.S. creative directors were women—a dismal number given that women influence 80% or more of consumer spending and 60% of social media sharing.
Gordon developed a mix of content, community and professional development (including the highly successful 3% Conference) to effect change not only in women represented in creative leadership roles, but also to shift the way female consumers are marketed to, and to develop “a healthier media diet” among the 3,000+ ads consumers see every day.
In 2014 Gordon spoke at an event in France, and has since repeated her message regarding, “the lack of diversity in top positions at companies remains an issue, especially at the top levels of marketing and advertising firms.” The solution, she says, lies in taking small, proactive and transparent steps which she calls “micro actions” to help close the gaping gender gap.
In the past two years companies such as Google, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and Facebook have made public announcements to ‘lean in’ on diversity issues in their corporate culture.
Learning how to take those micro actions—as well as establish more robust initiatives for shifting equity in agencies is a focal area of the 3% Conference. Related topics include Innovation in Hiring Practices that attract and retain female, minority and millennial talent and He’s Doing It, a panel of men who are spearheading efforts toward diversity in their respective workplaces.
Diverse Speakers, Hot Topics at 3% Conference
Adam Grant, NY Times bestselling author of 'Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World,' will share compelling research and examples of how those who don’t conform to the status quo are often the ones who shift it to something new and better. They also happen to be the ones who dream the most, embrace failure, and continue to take action despite repeated bad ideas.
With stress and burnout as high as it is in marketing and advertising, executives might do well to heed the advice of Kelly Fredrickson, SVP/Enterprise Marketing, Bank of America. She’ll be talking about the relationship between mindfulness, happiness and creativity.
Exactly what is the status of gender equality advertising? The latest research will be presented by market strategist Erin St. Onge-Carpenter (also Chief Knowledge Officer at The 3% Conference) and consultant Michele Madansky, Ph.D.
How do you push the boundaries of creativity in the digital age? Digital Prophet David Shing from AOL will get your compass for innovation, strategy and design pointed in the right direction.
Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLove Not Porn, will make the closing keynote on November 4. She has deep insights about what can be done immediately to transform work, career paths, and the future of the ad industry.
In addition to the conference, 3% champions female creative talent and leadership through a Certification Program, agency consulting programs, online communities, scholarships and blogging.
Further Reading