3% Conference touts ‘amazing’ 2019 lineup

3 Percent Conference, Navy Pier Chicago, November 7-8

The organization built on a commitment to women is looking for men.

The 8th annual 3 Percent Conference — taking place this year on November 7-8 at Navy Pier — explains the gender bias on the front page of the event’s website.

“We’re setting a B.A.G. (Big Audacious Goal) of having 29% of our audience be men,” it reads. “Because that’s the representation of women creative directors in our most recent research, and we want men to experience the exact ratio of their female peers for a couple of days.”

The objective reinforces the mission of the 3 Percent Movement, which bases its name on the percentage of female creative directors in the advertising industry and hosts the annual event. Besides dishing out a taste of workplace reality, it also helps clarify what the program is all about.

“We’re not a women’s conference,” the site says. “We’re a business event about the importance of diversity to creativity.”

Indeed. The expansive range of activities, discussions, and diversions at the Conference are too great to fit into a single description. There’s something for anybody and everybody. Last year included a ping-pong table and a head shot booth.

Other reasons for men to go, according to the hosts, include the facts that “gender equality benefits everyone” and “men are visibly transformed by the experience of attending.” The 3% Conference will be preceded by a day of workshops on November 6.

ALSO READ: The 3 Percent Conference rises in Chicago

 
Amazing lineup
The 3 Percent Conference describes this year’s lineup of speakers as “incredible,” and calls the subject matter “even more incredible.”

The schedule will continue to grow until the event, but below is a sampling of who and what have been confirmed so far.

CINDY GALLOP
The Future For White Men In Advertising
As we welcome The 29%- the percentage of men in our audience that reflect the representation of female creative directors in our industry-Cindy Gallop has some insights and observations for the dominant industry demographics that are likely to be surprising and enlightening for them and everyone else. We guarantee there will be nothing predictable in her perspective. You’ll want to be here for this one.

 
DESIREE ADAWAY & JORDON DINWIDDIE
Mother to Daughter: 10 Lessons Learned
Meet Jordan: the only black female copywriter working on the Nike account at Wieden+Kennedy. She’s 5’11 with comic characters tattooed all over her body. Meet Desiree: a senior diversity trainer and thought-leader with decades of experience. They’re mother and daughter. Together, they’ll share 10 lessons Jordan has learned as a black creative professional through casual conversations with her mom.

 
WADE DAVIS
Keynote
Former NFL player Wade Davis is a thought leader, public speaker, and consultant on gender, race, and orientation equality. Wade is the NFL’s first LGBT inclusion consultant and currently consults for numerous professional sports leagues on issues at the intersection sexism, racism, and homophobia.

ALSO READ: A ‘Privilege Check’ from Heat and the 3% Movement

 
TERRI MEYER
Terri & Sandy CEO
How They Do It

JIAH CHOI
Anomaly LA Partner / CEO
Asian Leadership Stories and Media Visibility

JUSTIN REYES
Omnicom Media Group D&I Director
The 29%: Men Modeling 21st Century Leadership

 
 
Incredible workshops
The Women’s Leadership Skills Bootcamp
With over 20 years “leading while women” in the global spotlight, the co-founders of Swim and authors of Darling You Can’t Do Both, Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk are ready to help you blow up barriers, raise your game, and reach your goals with skills not taught on the job. In this intensive half-day bootcamp, Janet and Nancy zero in on what will get you furthest, fast—arming you with new ideas and techniques you can put into play immediately.

 
 
The Manbassador Workshop
3% research shows that unless we also include men in the conversation—particularly those in leadership—no real change will occur. There are good guys who want to be allies, but don’t know how. Our Manbassador workshop provides insights around workplace realities and thriving cultures, as well as delivers opportunities for self-awareness and clarity of responsibilities. Thanks to Facebook for sponsoring!

 
 
Conference Sponsors

Foote Cone & Belding, Instagram, Leo Burnett Group, LinkedIn, Twitter, Camp + King, DDB, The Marketing Store, Publicis Groupe, Medela, TBWA, Venables Bell & Partners, BBDO, EnergyBBDO, David&Goliath, Framestore, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Omnicom Media Group, McGarrah Jessee, Sid Lee, Wieden+Kennedy, Refinery29

 
 
To learn more about the 3% Conference, click here. To register, click here.

 
 
Send your event updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.