Agenda
Future-Proofing Your Agency
Identifying Your New Revenue Growth Opportunities
Future Growth Assessment
Capabilities Innovation
Talent Innovation
Fee Innovation
Organic Growth +New Business Innovation
Resourcing +Growth Plan
Our 2019 Mirren CEO Summit Speakers
Agenda
This Summit Will Take the Format of Numerous Hands-On Workshop-Style Sessions
2:30 PM
Future-Proofing Your Agency: Getting Peak Performance from Your Pitch Team
Date: Nov. 5th
Time: 2:30 - 5:30pm CT
Location: Havas | Chicago
36 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Registration Level: All Access Pass Only >
Weeks of work. Crazy stress. Long hours. And, you have one shot.
This workshop will take a hard look at what it now takes to have your team operate at a level to consistently compete and win. Clients are changing. Briefs are changing. Agencies are getting hungrier and more aggressive.
Simply put, you’re pitching business to win. And, this workshop will focus on the team it takes to do just that – and how to get the most out them. Knowing most agencies are not large enough to have dedicated teams, we’ll address the practical reality of pitching business when they’re doing it “on top of their day jobs".
In this workshop designed for both larger and smaller agencies, we’ll review:
- Roles: Understand the different skills and personality types required to excel in each of the diverse pitch team roles.
- Alignment: Learn how to get your teams better aligned as they operate in higher-stressed, more compressed timelines.
- Efficiency: Have your team operating with far more efficient systems, particularly given the tight timelines.
- Motivation + Commitment: Apply methods to deepen the commitment necessary to go all out for the pitch, in a way that gets them excited about the opportunity.
- Performance-Based Job Descriptions: Update your team’s “written remits” to reflect elements that include new business performance (knowing their day-to-day role likely lies in other areas of the agency).
- Overcoming Losses: Nothing like losing a few pitches to sink morale. Apply a few best practices to quickly pick the team back up and keep them going strong.
And finally, you’ll assess your team. Do you have the right people? Are they in the right roles? Are you getting peak performance? Leave with an action plan.
4:30 PM
Dave Beals runs one of the largest search consultants in the country. They have helped to select agencies for brands that have included Anheuser-Busch, General Motors, Levis, Walmart, Hershey’s, Allstate, Adobe, Capital One, McDonald’s, Kraft, Microsoft and Nintendo, to name only a few.
For both larger and smaller agencies, he will share the trends he sees in terms of agency pitch talent. How have the needs changed? How are the best agencies in the business addressing their casting? He’ll also share why he knows right away if a client will want to work with each particular agency team member.
We’ll then move beyond talent to take a brief look at pitch best practices, addressing how some of the most sophisticated agencies in the business continue to evolve their approach.
As the workshop concludes on Nov. 5, Dave will join us for a few cocktails and some networking. This will be a great opportunity to meet and connect with one of the country’s most prominent search consultants.
8:00 AM
8:30 AM
It’s no secret that more change is ahead for the agency business. However, specifically, which trends will you most significantly be able to capitalize on? Where will you be able to generate the most revenue?
Bruce Biegel is one the leading management consultants and M&A experts in the world of marketing, marketing technology and agencies. From the perspective of an analyst, he will kick off the Summit with a look at the agency business and the changes ahead. In particular, Bruce will focus on where the most significant revenue growth opportunities will emerge over the next three years. As you consider future-proofing your agency, understanding “where the money will be” plays a critical role.
Bruce Biegel is one the leading management consultants and M&A experts in the world of marketing, marketing technology and agencies. From the perspective of an analyst, he will kick off the Summit with a look at the agency business and the changes ahead. In particular, Bruce will focus on where the most significant revenue growth opportunities will emerge over the next three years. As you consider future-proofing your agency, understanding “where the money will be” plays a critical role.
10:00 AM
The Most Significant Challenges in the Year Ahead: The Findings From Your Pre-Summit Survey
Building on Bruce Biegel’s look at the marketing services business, Karl will share the findings of recent research with Agency CEOs. He’ll provide insight into some of the biggest challenges expected over the next couple of years – and how plans are being laid now to pre-empt and capitalize on these. Karl will shed new light on how your industry peers are already addressing their future-proofing plans.
10:40 AM
11:00 AM
How do companies in high growth industries identify new product and service offerings? What is the approach they use to continually identify new revenue growth opportunities?
Leveraging best practices from outside the agency business, you’ll begin working through methods to diversify your own agency offering. The goal: identify the most profitable capabilities that will experience the highest demand over the next five years.
In this assessment and development session, you will work through several new methods with which to identify those capabilities and services that will provide the greatest contribution to future profit. Importantly, time will also be spent confirming which of your current capabilities are also rich with future growth potential.
This portion of the Summit lays an important foundation for the balance of speakers and sessions.
In this portion of the Summit, you will:
Leveraging best practices from outside the agency business, you’ll begin working through methods to diversify your own agency offering. The goal: identify the most profitable capabilities that will experience the highest demand over the next five years.
In this assessment and development session, you will work through several new methods with which to identify those capabilities and services that will provide the greatest contribution to future profit. Importantly, time will also be spent confirming which of your current capabilities are also rich with future growth potential.
This portion of the Summit lays an important foundation for the balance of speakers and sessions.
In this portion of the Summit, you will:
- Identify new capabilities with the most growth potential
- Better predict which new offerings will succeed (or fail)
- Confirm your current offerings with the most growth potential
- Outline whether you should build any new capabilities internally, outsource or partner
12:30 PM
Over lunch, you’ll have the opportunity to continue networking with your CEO peers.
12:45 PM
Special 20 Minute Lunch Session: Accelerate Your Projects, Accelerate Your Margins
1:30 PM
We’ll continue your capabilities innovation work and bring it to a conclusion.
Interactive Planning:
Interactive Planning:
- CEO Personal Planning: To apply the concepts directly to your own agency, you will work through a series of personal assessments and exercises
- CEO Group Discussion: Time will be spent in group discussion working through how to address your opportunities and implementation challenges
2:15 PM
Propel Consistent Growth (and Decrease Turnover) with the Right Talent Operating at Peak Performance
2:30 PM
Chris heads up Cult, an innovative agency with clients that include Home Depot, Harley Davidson and Oakley. They have developed several innovative systematic platforms focused on driving significantly deeper consumer and employee engagement, all with measurement at their core. However, it’s their approach to staffing that is most relevant for the Summit this year.
In this session, Chris will address one of the most significant challenges facing agency CEOs: talent resource management. Not only has it become difficult to find, manage, motivate and retain the best people – but factor in staffing for the ebb and flow of project-based work, and you have a real challenge. Chris will discuss how Cult is cracking the staffing model, with a particular focus on how this applies to varying peak periods of project-based work.
In this session, Chris will address one of the most significant challenges facing agency CEOs: talent resource management. Not only has it become difficult to find, manage, motivate and retain the best people – but factor in staffing for the ebb and flow of project-based work, and you have a real challenge. Chris will discuss how Cult is cracking the staffing model, with a particular focus on how this applies to varying peak periods of project-based work.
3:30 PM
Here, we’ll take a special afternoon break to network and discuss the day’s progress.
4:00 PM
This panel of agency CEOs will address one of the most significant challenges facing the business right now. They’ll share insight on how they’re working to beat the industry’s 30% annual turnover of talent.
We’ll take a look at the challenges of finding, managing, motivating and retaining their best people – the good, the bad and the ugly. This will include how project-based work adds yet another element to the problem. Ultimately, the group will address talent acquisition and retention, particularly as it relates to their senior management team and the next generation of leadership.
Plenty of time will be provided for audience Q&A and group discussion.
We’ll take a look at the challenges of finding, managing, motivating and retaining their best people – the good, the bad and the ugly. This will include how project-based work adds yet another element to the problem. Ultimately, the group will address talent acquisition and retention, particularly as it relates to their senior management team and the next generation of leadership.
Plenty of time will be provided for audience Q&A and group discussion.
5:00 PM
Talent Innovation: Assess the Quality of Your Current Talent, Identify Where Talent Upgrading Is Required
Acquiring, managing and retaining high performance talent remains one of the most significant challenges in the agency business. And, with a fickle new generation, it’s only become tougher.
Here’s an important point to acknowledge: the team that got you to where you are today, may not be the team to get you where you need to be tomorrow.
With that in mind, in this session, you will match your talent needs against your new capabilities requirements. You will benchmark your talent. Assess which of your talent remains a good fit in terms of actively supporting your growth – while identifying specific talent that requires upgrading.
Interactive Planning:
Here’s an important point to acknowledge: the team that got you to where you are today, may not be the team to get you where you need to be tomorrow.
With that in mind, in this session, you will match your talent needs against your new capabilities requirements. You will benchmark your talent. Assess which of your talent remains a good fit in terms of actively supporting your growth – while identifying specific talent that requires upgrading.
Interactive Planning:
- CEO Personal Planning: To apply the concepts directly to your own agency, you will work through a series of personal assessments and exercises
- CEO Group Discussion: Time will be spent in group discussion working through how to address your opportunities and implementation challenges
6:00 PM
Before heading out for dinner, stop by our Main Event Reception for a round of drinks
and continue networking with your CEO industry peers.
and continue networking with your CEO industry peers.
8:30 AM
This panel of Agency CEOs will open the day to talk about some of the most significant challenges agency leaders are facing today – and how they’re chipping away at resolving them. From succession planning and talent retention, to project-based resource planning and the economy, expect a lively and insightful discussion.
Plenty of time will be provided for audience Q&A and group discussion.
Plenty of time will be provided for audience Q&A and group discussion.
9:15 AM
Implement a Progressive New Fee Model as an Immediate Source of New Revenue (and Margin) Growth
9:45 AM
Based out of Austin, T3 Digital is an independent agency experiencing tremendous growth, now with a team of over 200 people. With a client list that includes Capital One, Allstate, UPS, Staples and Rite Aid, they have developed an innovative digital model, service offerings (that includes several specialized practices) and a completely evolved approach to fees.
Ben will walk through how T3 has transitioned from the fee models of old (primarily based on selling time) over to new methods that now command premium margins for all the agency’s work. He’ll share various directions of exploration, including those that didn’t work and why. Most importantly, the session will focus in on those fee models performing most successfully – those driving the most significant revenue growth for the agency.
Ben will walk through how T3 has transitioned from the fee models of old (primarily based on selling time) over to new methods that now command premium margins for all the agency’s work. He’ll share various directions of exploration, including those that didn’t work and why. Most importantly, the session will focus in on those fee models performing most successfully – those driving the most significant revenue growth for the agency.
10:45 AM
There are a number of fee models required to ensure you’re capturing the highest possible margin from each type of project from every client. And, the approach to pricing strategy has evolved significantly over the last three years. Ultimately, the goal is to move you beyond an unprofitable reliance on retainers, cost-plus fees, hourly rates and commissions.
In this session, you will be put to work again. You will select one high value client, and then, based on the principles provided, develop a pricing strategy to immediately begin increasing your fees. This will then become a prototype as you roll-out more advanced pricing strategy across your entire client roster.
Interactive Planning:
In this session, you will be put to work again. You will select one high value client, and then, based on the principles provided, develop a pricing strategy to immediately begin increasing your fees. This will then become a prototype as you roll-out more advanced pricing strategy across your entire client roster.
Interactive Planning:
- CEO Personal Planning: To apply the concepts directly to your own agency, you will work through a series of personal assessments and exercises
- CEO Group Discussion: Time will be spent in group discussion working through how to address your opportunities and implementation challenges
12:30 PM
Over lunch, you’ll have the opportunity to continue networking with your CEO peers.
12:55 PM
Establish a Balanced Pipeline to Consistently Generate More Business
1:30 PM
Quarry Communications has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years. They have been early adopters to Demand Generation Marketing and ABM. They’ve also used it extensively for their own business development. And for good reason, it works. Richard will unpack the most important fundamentals of ABM, the missed opportunities to generate more revenue and key strategies you can start using to support your own agency’s growth.
2:30 PM
Here, we’ll take a special afternoon break to network and discuss the day’s progress.
2:45 PM
Here, you’ll step back and examine where your greatest new business opportunities lie. Through group discussion and collaboration with other CEOs, you’ll take a look at how your agency’s emphasis needs to shift and the best way to achieve this – be it more of a focus on competitive reviews/RFPs, proactive prospecting or organic growth.
Interactive Planning:
Interactive Planning:
- CEO Personal Planning: To apply the concepts directly to your own agency, you will work through a series of personal assessments and exercises
- CEO Group Discussion: Time will be spent in group discussion working through how to address your opportunities and implementation challenges.
3:55 PM
Confirming the Optimal Resources + Infrastructure to Drive Growth
4:00 PM
In this session, we’ll step back and take a look at an additional set of resources that are critical to have in place to lay your foundation growth. We’ll address strategic horsepower, research capabilities, knowledge management, back-end infrastructure and overall resources – based on your size and type of agency.
Interactive Planning:
Interactive Planning:
- CEO Personal Planning: To apply the concepts directly to your own agency, you will work through a series of personal assessments and exercises
- CEO Group Discussion: Time will be spent in group discussion working through how to address your opportunities and implementation challenges.
4:30 PM
In this closing session for the conference, you’ll take some time to pull together your most important action steps. With this rare opportunity to connect and collaborate with your CEO peers, it’s critical your plans move forward.
There will also be group discussion to help pre-empt some of the most consistent challenges that prevent leadership goals from being implemented. It’s time to take action!
There will also be group discussion to help pre-empt some of the most consistent challenges that prevent leadership goals from being implemented. It’s time to take action!
Pre-Day
Tue, Nov 5
Day 1
Wed, Nov 6
Day 2
Thu, Nov 7