The way we communicate is changing daily and today’s integrated marketing professionals need to constantly evolve with the times.

The University of Toledo has long been a leader in this arena, and is now bringing its expertise and the expertise of its partners together for a one-day event for business leaders, students and communications professionals.

The uHeart Digital Media conference will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 10 in the Student Union on the UT Main Campus.

“We have put together a line up of speakers that would rival any digital media conference around,” said Lawrence J. Burns, UT vice president for external affairs. “This will prove to be a major event for leaders in digital media and entrepreneurs across the region.”

Attendees will learn how to leverage social media and build their own digital brands, successfully develop and launch applications that will attract interest in a crowded marketplace, target niche markets to increase affinity and build communities around a brand and products.

Dave Hunke, former president and publisher of USA Today and now chief strategy officer at Digerati, will present the keynote address about how he and his team at USA Today helped transform the brand of one of the nation’s most popular newspapers from a print publication to a digital giant.

Along with Hunke, speakers will include:

•  Fulter Hong, Google
•  Ben Bator, Texts from Last Night
•  Matt Burns, Tech Crunch
•  Hayley Call, Ohio Job and Family Services
•  Anthony Broad Crawford, GiveForward
•  Will Lucas, Classana
•  Joe Sharp, Thread
•  Dustin Hosteler; Digital Graphics
•  Mike Bott, The Brandery
•  Jim Connely, McGraw Hill
•  Communica

The event will wrap up with the uHeart Startups Pitch & Pour After Party 4-7 p.m. in Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex for conference attendees.

Registration is $50 and $20 for students. To register, visit uHeartDigitalMedia.com, or contact Amelia Acuna at 419.530.5874 or amelia.acuna@utoledo.edu. Follow the event on Twitter at @uhrtdgtl.

Media Coverage
The Blade (May 11, 2013)
WNWO and 13 ABC (May 13, 2013)