What is innovation without creativity? The Message room at Introduced by Technical.ly tracks all things media and creative, and covers everything from using digital media for customer acquisition to inspiring yourself — and having fun — with digital forms.

We’ve got some heavy hitters in this room, proving that creativity and looking at things in different ways are good for business.

We’ve also got a 20 percent discount code for you. Remember, it all goes down Thursday, May 3 at Old City’s Science History Institute. Get tickets before it’s too late.

The Customer Journey: A Thoughtful Approach To User Experience

Why do people choose your product? It’s a question you need to ask yourself with every new customer. This panel discussion features representatives from big agencies and brands discussing how they track the customer journey, and the innovative ways they cultivate and measure brand loyalty. (Moderator: Erica Nardello, Senior Manager, Social Strategy, Digitas Health.)

• Jen Denis, Chief Brand Officer for Honeygrow
• Kevin Hanley, VP Digital Marketing for Hero Digital
• Greg Ippolito, President & Creative Director for IMA, and Technical.ly’s own Technoethicist
• Matt Pritchard, VP, Digital Acceleration for Campbell Soup Company

Fake News: Defending The Truth; Today And Tomorrow

What’s even real anymore? With “deep fakes” quickly becoming indistinguishable from reality, what does the future of public discourse hold? This panel discussion helps to answer the big question: “How do we keep our eyes on the truth?” (Moderator: Zack Seward, Editor-in-Chief, Technical.ly.)

• Deesha Dyer, Former Obama Administration Social Secretary
• Jessica Estepa, Lead Writer and Editor, OnPolitics, USA Today
• Sharyn Flanagan, Regional Editor, Associated Press
• Wendell Potter, Founder of Tarbell

Product Marketing: Lessons On Smarter Selling

How do companies that compete in saturated industries stand out from the crowd? Hear from marketers from some of the world’s biggest product brands and learn marketing tips specific to products — be it coffee or code. (Moderator: Zack Seward, Editor-in-Chief, Technical.ly.)

• Kathryn O’Connor, VP of Marketing for La Colombe Coffee Roasters
• Ryan Riess, Marketing Director for The Hershey Company
• Bjorn Talbot, Director of Analytics for VSBLTY
• Evan Lutz, CEO and Founder of Hungry Harvest

Supercharge your marketing by prioritizing HUMANS over HACKS

Keynote speaker Wil Reynolds, founder of Seer Interactive, will talk about the value of understanding people in this Fireside Chat with Technical.ly.

“Eventually the efforts done for most hacks become widespread and lose their impact, hacks at best work for a while, at worst, well, they can destroy trust,” Reynolds says of his talk. “When companies have a spine, they give their marketing teams a superpower, likability, we’ll show examples of companies with a spine and the impact that can have.”

“But I’m Not A Designer”: Fostering Innovation Through Design Thinking

For many firms today, innovation is a necessity. But innovation can be challenging to identify, capture and implement. Design thinking is changing that. This panel will discuss how Philly’s top firms are using design thinking to transform their brands and drive development of innovative products and experiences for their customers. Organized with support from Navigate. (Moderator: Kip Wetzel, Principal of Digital and Design Thinking, Navigate Corporation.)

• Lisha Davis, Head of Innovation Studio for Vanguard
• Michelle Histand, Director of Innovation at Independence Blue Cross and Professor of Design at Temple University
• Russ Kliman, Head of Innovation and Strategic Programs for SEI
• Dana S. Wilson, Vice President of Customer Experience for Comcast Cable

New Age Storytelling: Big Ideas To Inspire You

These days, organizations are telling their stories in new ways, including projection mapping, augmented reality and more. Four lightning talks focus on clever and inspiring ways for brands to promote themselves. (Moderator: John Miller, Founder and President, Scribewise.)

• Jennifer Baker, Operations Director for WRG
• Josh Goldblum, Founder and CEO of Bluecadet
• Peter Locharernkul, Founder and Chief Creative Technologist for Pichya
• Ricardo Rivera, Creative Director and Cofounder of Klip Collective

From a Suitcase to a Billion-Dollar Company: The Story of La Colombe

Todd Carmichael, Cofounder and CEO of La Colombe Coffee Roasters, will sit down with Julie Zeglen, editor of Generocity, to talk about his company’s dizzying ascent.

Digital Experiments In The Arts: Fun Side Projects

Not every project should be about the bottom line. These four lightning talks spotlight creative ways to use technology for fun and the benefits it can have on your emotional well-being.

• Hoon Oh, VP and Creative Director for Allen & Gerritsen
• Mark Willis, Founder of Clean Sheet Co.
• Leslie Zacharkow, Designer/Developer of Tabby Cat
• Jill de la Fuente, Art Director for Archer Group

General ticket sales have ended, but don’t panic — you can still purchase a ticket for $125. Click here for details.

Thank you to all our 2018 Introduced by Technical.ly sponsors:

• Comcast  
• University of Pennsylvania
• The Archer Group
• Saul Ewing
• SAP
• Vanguard
• Morgan Lewis
• WeWork
• Peirce College
• Salesforce
• Printfly
• Goldman Sachs
• CallTrackingMetrics
• Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council
• SPACES
• Think Company
• Hero Digital
• Weidenhammer
• Enradius
• Uber
• The Science Center
• Relay