BooneOakley’s David Oakley and BMW Group’s Kenn Sparks to speak at Endeavor’s last two Collaborators & Cocktails Professional Development Series for 2017
October 10, 2017Oakley to showcase creative solutions in October and Sparks to share career journey in November
Endeavor, a membership-based coworking community for independent agencies and freelancers in the creative services fields as well as corporate marketing teams, announces its last two Collaborators & Cocktails speakers for 2017. Collaborators & Cocktails is Endeavor’s signature monthly networking speaker series for members and pre-registered guests. On October 18, Endeavor will host David Oakley, president and creative director of BooneOakley, and on November 2, Kenn Sparks, head of U.S. Corporate Communications for BMW Group, will speak.
David Oakley leads creative efforts for BooneOakley, an advertising agency in Charlotte, N.C. known for its breakthrough creative work for a diverse client roster including Bojangles’, The Charlotte Hornets, Mellow Mushroom, MTV, HBO, and CarMax. Oakley was the associate creative director at The Martin Agency before co-founding BooneOakley. He began his advertising career in New York as a copywriter at Young & Rubicam and TBWA, where he helped develop the Absolut Vodka campaign – voted Ad Age’s “Top 20 Ad Campaigns of the Twentieth Century.” Oakley is also the author of the must-read book for marketers, Why is Your Name Upside Down? Oakley will share creative work from a variety of campaigns that helped push BooneOakley’s clients beyond their competition.
Kenn Sparks, who spent much of his early career in Greenville, is now head of U.S. Corporate Communications for BMW Group based in New York City. For 18 years, he was the evening anchor at WYFF4, then ran his own film studio. BMW approached Sparks to build its corporate communications program for Plant Spartanburg, then tapped him to lead U.S. Corporate Communications from BMW North America Headquarters. Affectionately known as a master storyteller, Sparks will share the twists and turns throughout his career that led him to serve as official company spokesperson for one of the world’s strongest brands.
“We couldn’t be more excited to close out a year full of thought-provoking speakers with David Oakley and Kenn Sparks,” said Joe Erwin, president of Erwin Creates and founder of Endeavor. “Both are powerhouses in their respective disciplines who have made the most of their creative and communications skills to help great brands thrive. Their stories will inspire, challenge and light creative fires within the minds of our members – and be a heck of a lot of fun.”
Collaborators & Cocktails starts with networking at 5 p.m., with the speakers giving a presentation and Q&A session at 5:45 p.m. The event is free to all Endeavor members and corporate members, with a limited number of advance purchased guest tickets available for $30. Registration is required, no walk-ins accepted. Contact [email protected] for ticket information.
About Endeavor
Endeavor is a membership-based coworking community for independent agencies and freelancers in the creative services fields, as well as corporate marketing teams. Endeavor’s premium location in the ONE Development in Greenville, SC provides members with state-of-the-art work and meeting space, and uniquely, surrounds them with a diverse array of creative peers who offer a broad range of marketing services and experience. Training opportunities, networking events and business consulting are available for the creatives who call Endeavor home every day, as well as corporate creative professionals and resource-seekers across the region. For more information, visit www.endeavorgreenville.com.
About Erwin Creates
Erwin Creates was established in 2016 by Joe Erwin, co-founder and former president of national marketing agency Erwin Penland. It serves as the platform to support Erwin’s continued entrepreneurial involvement in business consulting, education, training and civic activities, including his commitment to growing The Erwin Center for Brand Communications at Clemson University. In spring 2016, Erwin Creates opened Endeavor (www.endeavorgreenville.com), a creative, collaborative community which offers co-working space and business-building opportunities for creative services professionals—and serves as a destination for companies and individuals looking to connect with and help cultivate the Upstate’s vibrant creative class.