We’ve polled you, cajoled you and nicely asked you what you want to see in the future for the League of Kickass Business People. Many of you have been kind enough to tell us. In fact, our event topics have been so well received, that at least 3 major conferences have stolen …ahem, I mean …flattered us with imitating our topics recently.
2010 looks exceptionally rosy for the LOK - we plan on being in 5 cities with 24 events, tripling our membership with a supporting cast of wonderful sponsors and new initiatives.
So, yes, by all means, go to your industry specific events but when it comes to collaborating, networking, kibbitzing and sharing and showing off your brain and powers of conversation to smart people across a wide range of industries, make The League of Kickass your first choice for inspiration in 2010.
We have sweated bullets on our plan ..but this will only happen with your help!
Have a look at our 2010 schedule and if it gets you excited like us, we humbly ask for five things:
- Identify events where you could volunteer some of your time, head, arms and legs to pull greatness off as part of a sub-team
- Tap ideal speakers and contact information for people that might be perfect for the event
- Put us in touch with annual and event-specific sponsors who would love to get behind what we’re doing and be affiliated with the most interesting people with the best ideas
- Let us know about unique exciting venues that would be a perfect complement for the event topic
- Place these events on your “must attend” calendar and grab a couple of kickass professional friends
The 2010 League of Kickass Business People Schedule (Draft)
January: The League of Kickass Dragons Den
• The League of Kickass Dragon’s Den will feature 16 up and coming businesses, entrepreneurs, and business developers that will have an opportunity to pitch their ideas to four judges who will comment, critique and offer advice based on their own business experience for your entertainment value. The goal is for entrepreneurs to have a valid opportunity to show their creativity, business smarts and plans to those who have excelled at their own start ups.
February: The Future of Sport/Olympic Party
• With the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games happening in February, we thought it would be kickass to look at the changing landscapes of sport and business in Canada. Especially with the Olympics in Canada sport, its athletes and businesses have intertwined. From athletic sponsors, to active-minded organizations to leading sports brands and from the business of sport to sport as a business. We will look at all the angles, pros and cons of sport and business in Canada.
March: The Buzz Report
• Reporting on the top trends across Canada. Looking at trends, business, design, technology, marketing, public relations, communications, advertising and social media will be a set of leading experts and first time release of survey data. What will 2010 and the new decade bring? Be the first to go and the first to know.
April: Culture Camp
• Taking a look at everything culture. Music. Art. Theatre. Performance. Film. This event will put 12 of the leading arts organizations under one roof and get them unplugged for your delight. A combination of the best of the business and art of Toronto’s culture on display with hoped for special announcement too.
May: Personal branding
• Your career and image in the world is no longer what you say it is, it’s what they say it is. The world is networked, and you need to jump in the deep end - expand their network, build a personal brand, and find the best position. May is the month of personal branding. We plan to bring in experts on branding and career development to explain how to create and control your personal brand. From social networking to blogging to networking and creating a database – people have an opportunity to bounce their hard hitting questions off seasoned experts who have achieved personal brand success. Open to both LOKBP and LOKU30 members with a special mentorship session.
June: Meet the CEOs
• Meet your leaders. They may not have had a career in marketing but they certainly know how to work with them. Over the last couple of decades, marketing and the world of communications has lost a seat at the executive table, these CEOs will let you know how to get it back. An intimate and up close night with 5 of Canada’s leading chiefs of business.
July: The League of Kickass Amazing Race
• Think Amazing Race - really cool places + interesting sights + creative tasks + urban exploration with a professional and creative twist. The weather is great. Team will race in well-balanced and talented groups of four that will compete for clues to find and figure out who will become the Kickass Amazing Race champions. We are putting the kickass in teambuilding, communications and relays with the help of supporting industry celebrities, agencies and clients. We will have teams of four from different companies compete against one another for the Amazing Race challenge and charity with a patio finale.
August: Kickass Cares – Who’s your City?
• With thousands of members and advisory panels in five cities, the League of Kickass is looking to give back to the communities we come from. The choice of where to live is arguably the most important decision we make, as important as choosing a spouse or a career. In fact, place exerts powerful influence over the jobs and careers we have access to, the people meet and our “mating markets” and our ability to lead happy and fulfilled lives. The LOK will choose a charity that works towards the betterment of all these 5 cities on the same day. Each city, will hold an event to raise money and volunteer time for charities of their choosing. We hope to crowdsource best solutions and have our community come together and give back to the people, places, and areas that enrich our lives.
September: Kickass Corporate Social Responsibility
• Let’s grab a deeper look at Corporate Social Responsibility. Lately there has been a push for businesses to adopt corporate social responsibility initiatives to ensure their business is onside and practices the values entrenched in the company. This event will look at how businesses are adopting CSR, what is important when discussing CSR and why it’s become so important.
October: Kickass Pecha Kucha
• PechaKucha Night is a forum for inspiring creatives covering off 12 different faces of the Kickass business landscape (arts, design, technology, photography, architecture, ads, marketing, innovation, trends, PR, the customer, social media) in rapidfire fashion. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation (”chit chat”). We give the presentation format a bit of a spin but still based on a simple idea: 30 images x 30 seconds. It’s a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace and displays the magnitude of Canadian out-of-the-box thinking.
November: Customer Experience
• The most successful businesses influence people through engaging, authentic experiences that render personal value. Easier said than done. We highlight top Canadian businesses and people getting it right and the opportunities they tap into and hurdles they overcome. We’ll discover what leading, well-loved companies are doing to deliver a mulit-level experience that sets it apart in the eyes of its customers ,serves to increase their spend and builds unwavering loyalty and even, dare we say it, inspires love for their brand.
December: Alternative Marketing/Media
• Marketing and communications doesn’t fit in nice tidy boxes anymore. It comes in different shapes, forms, mediums and avenues. With marketing now so accessible, what is the right way to go about it? Alternative marketing is getting more attention and acceptance every day – it is predicted that 25% of a company’s marketing spend is on the alternative side of things and skyrocketing up. Mobile. Guerrilla. Mashups. Gaming. Digital display. Video. Word of mouth. Community. Geo-targeting. It’s all so new and exciting, but what’s a business to do? We’ll let each expert tell you and start the debate.
We hope to over the coming weeks finalize our schedule for Vancouver and our first expansions into Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary as well as 4 events for the League of Kickass Under 30.
Let us know what you thing. our operators are waiting on standby.
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