Rochester Advertising Federation Announces Return of Second Annual R/ADWEEK

The Rochester Advertising Federation (RAF) is proud to announce the second annual R/ADWEEK returning to Rochester November 5-9, 2018.

Presented by the Rochester Advertising Federation, R/ADWEEK is a five-day series of special events and programs featuring local and national creative leaders and speakers. The goal of R/ADWEEK is to inspire and educate members of the Rochester advertising community through informative speakers, thoughtful panel discussions and sessions designed to elicit a conversation on the role of authenticity in advertising today.

“The inspiration for R/ADWEEK grew out of a desire to provide valuable programming for Rochester Advertising Federation members that complemented some of the RAF’s other successful initiatives, including the annual ADDY awards,” said Kelly Chapman, Rochester Advertising Federation President. “In attending R/ADWEEK programs and events, it is our hope that attendees are able to think differently about how they are employing authenticity in their own campaigns, with their clients and within our community.”

Following the success of the first-ever R/ADWEEK in 2017, the RAF turned its focus for the 2018 event to the themes of authenticity in advertising, as well as diversity and inclusion within the industry. The RAF invites advertising, marketing and communications professionals throughout Greater Rochester to join us for five days of exclusive events involving some of the best creative minds in the field—all here to inspire you and give you the spark it takes to find your voice.

“The programming committee responsible for this year’s R/ADWEEK has been working hard over the past year to curate a series of events that will leave attendees feeling inspired by the content of each presentation, keynote, panel discussions and more,” added Matt D’Angelo, Rochester Advertising Federation Events Co-Chair. “It is our vision that each year R/ADWEEK will continue to evolve into the premiere inspirational and educational event for students, agencies, freelancers and others in the Rochester creative community.”

New in 2018, R/ADWEEK will feature two national keynote speakers. Greg Kihlstrom, author of The Agile Brand, will deliver the R/ADWEEK opening keynote followed by a panel discussion on Monday, November 5 at Three Heads Brewing. Featured panelists for this event are Linh Phillips, creator of Sir Rocha Says, and CJ Gaffney, director of strategic planning, Partners + Napier.

R/ADWEEK’s main keynote event will take place on Thursday, November 8, when Rochester welcomes award-winning creative director Chris Edwards as he delivers R/ADWEEK’s main keynote address, “The Ultimate Rebranding: Changing your Gender from Female to Male Takes Balls.”

Edwards is the author of BALLS: It Takes Some to Get Some and is an award-winning creative director. Sponsored by Partners + Napier, Edwards’ keynote address and event will take place from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Rochester. Tickets are required and can be purchased on online.

“Chris Edwards’ courageous story shows that we actually have the power to control our own personal brands, and how others define us. We’re thrilled to be able to bring him to R/ADWEEK this year so he can share his inspiring words with this community,” said Sharon Napier, CEO of Partners + Napier

In addition to the signature keynote events, R/ADWEEK 2018 will feature a special screening of Pressing On: The Letterpress Film on Wednesday, November 7 at The Little Theatre. The film chronicles several individuals who help keep the 500-year-old process of letterpress printing alive. The film will explore the question of how letterpress has survived in a digital age. The screening of Pressing On is made possible by the support of Rochester’s own letterpress designer Type High Letterpress, as well as the Upstate New York chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design.

Other special events in honor of R/ADWEEK include a series of lunch and learns on topics ranging from diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry, the use of authenticity in advertising, letterpress design and printing, changes to Facebook’s use of data and privacy and more. A special student-focused lunch and learn will also be held in partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology. Other R/ADWEEK highlights include a special 40-minute edition of “20 Minutes and a Beer” (a monthly networking/educational series hosted by the RAF) featuring Leah Stacy, founder of Boomtown Table, Chuck Cerankosky, co-owner of Good Luck and Cure and Jon Itkin, Director of Strategy for the Article Group. The special “40 minutes and 2 Beers” will take place on Tuesday, November 6 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Good Luck.

A full listing of R/ADWEEK events along with information on purchasing tickets for all R/ADWEEK events can be found online at https://aafgreaterrochester.org/radweek2018/. Please note that most events are ticketed and advance tickets are recommended.

About Rochester Advertising Federation
The RAF is your connection to people, events, and ideas in the Rochester marketing communications community. Our members represent every facet of the creative profession including copywriters, art directors, web designers, freelancers, account executives, agency heads, marketing managers, printers, photographers, public relations professionals, and students.

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