San Diego’s Leading Marketing Conference
This isn’t your average industry meet-up. It’s a curated collision of marketing visionaries, daring disruptors, and boundary-pushing creatives—all gathered for one unforgettable day of inspiration, innovation, and insight.
From the soul of storytelling to the cutting-edge of AI and analytics, this is where marketing trends are not just discussed—they’re deconstructed and reimagined.
Mark your calendar for Friday October 24, 2025, from 8 AM to 5 PM for the Conference, followed by the Happy Hour Reception from 5 PM to 7 PM. We can’t wait to welcome you to our venue located at the Knauss School of Business, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110.
Whether you’re a brand builder, data whisperer, creative director, or marketing maven-in-the-making, this event is your launchpad. Join a vibrant community of marketing minds who don’t just think alike—they think differently together.
Open to all marketing professionals—AMA members and non-members alike. Space is limited. Reserve your spot now and prepare to ignite your imagination.
This fall, come for the strategy, stay for the spark.
Ignite (or re-ignite) your marketing passion at the Art of Marketing 2025.
Date & Location
Friday, October 24, 2025
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM conference
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM happy hour reception
Knauss School of Business, University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110
Sebastian Morúa
SAN DIEGO FC
Matt Prince
YUM! BRANDS
Scott Heath
NEXSTAR
Paige Wilhide
YES & CO.
Nick Belardo
COMPASS REAL ESTATE
Dave Shapiro
MINDGRUVE
Marcelo Kertesz
MANSCAPED
Kari Mills
WOMENS SPORTS XCELERATOR
Bob Mitton
EXPERA
Heather Milne
KPBS
Joe Freeman
DIGITOPIA
Frankie Margotta
TRIPTK
Lehi Naseem
PARKWAY PLAZA
Ramel Wallace
CREATIVE MORNINGS
Phil Goddard, PhD
VALUE ARCHITECT
Kirsty Nunez
Q2 INSIGHTS
Ryan Kuder
STARTUP SAN DIEGO
Ricardo Martinez
CLUB TIJUANA XOLOS
What Your Ticket Includes
11 hours.
Now that’s a full day!
Come for the coffee, stay for the nightlife…or just come for the 8-hour “work day” in between.
Your morning coffee.
Skip the line at Starbucks, we’ve got your cuppa Joe and morning treat waiting for you.
30+ speakers.
2 keynotes. 4 tracks.
More than 30 speakers of pure marketing inspiration.
Lunch
You need to stay nourished to stay focused, so we’ll make sure you get your three square meals for the day.
Networking.
You’ll meet a who’s who of marketeers from San Diego and beyond. Brands and agencies of all sizes, students, small businesses and more.
Happy hour.
TGIF! Let’s celebrate a day well-spent with new friends. Your drink’s on us!
Our Four Programming Tracks
Need direction? Choose from one of the following four tracks to guide your educational experience for the day. Prefer to mix and match? That’s fine by us…we’re all about coloring outside the lines!
The Specialist
Precision, Perspective and Power Plays
Deep-divers in their specific field, these are the experts to turn to when a generalist can’t get to the gist.
The Trend-Setter
The Creative Behind the Code
Pulling back the curtain on what’s new and what’s next. This is where cutting-edge creates community and conversions.
The Strategist
Chess Moves in a TikTok World
Creating the blueprint for a successful marketing campaign. Because marketing without a strategy is just noise with a budget.
The Storyteller
Where Passion Meets Purpose
All things content and creative, this track takes a blank canvas and turns it into color. Welcome to the cult of connection.
Conference At-A-Glance
|
TIME
|
EVENT | TITLE
|
SPEAKER | COMPANY
| |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8am |
REGISTRATION & AMA CAFÉ |
Pick up your conference badge and tote, grab a cup of coffee and some fruit, and start making some new marketing friends! | |
 |
9am |
WELCOME |
Nick Hofer, President AMA San Diego |
|
|
9:15am |
MORNING WORKSHOP Improv for Bolder Ideas & Braver Marketing |
Paige Wilhide |
|
|
10am |
MORNING KEYNOTE From Kick-off to Kick-ass: The Strategy & Creative Behind a Football Club’s Breakout Launch |
Sebastian Morúa, San Diego FC |
|
11am |
BREAKOUT SESSION #1 | ||
|
|
How Real Conversations Grow Business |
Nick Belardo, Compass Real Estate | |
|
|
New-to-World Segmentation: How Qualitative Data is Redefining Customer Understanding |
Kirsty Nunez, Q2 Insights Phil Goddard, Value Architect Kathy Townend, Enlyte • Moderator | |
|
|
The State (and Strength!) of Local Media |
Scott Heath, Nexstar (FOX5, KUSI) Kevin Leap, San Diego Business Journal George Sandoval, Audacy Andrew Keatts, Times of San Diego Chuck Dunning, Chairman’s Roundtable • Moderator | |
 |
The Future is Now: AI, Search, and the Next Marketing Frontier |
Dave Shapiro, Mindgruve | |
|
12noon |
LUNCH |
Enjoy lunch in the Garden of the Sea, networking while you overlook the Pacific Ocean. | |
 |
1pm |
FEATURE PANEL Game On! Branding San Diego Sports Scene |
Marc Sawyer, Sports San Diego Justyne Freud, San Diego Wave Kari Mills, Women’s Sports Xcelerator Ricardo Martinez, Club TJ XOLOS Michael Elliott, Rocketdog • Moderator |
|
2pm |
BREAKOUT SESSION #2 | ||
|
|
Multi-Touch Marketing in Action: Behind the Winning Campaign |
Marcelo Kertesz, Manscaped | |
|
|
One Brand, Many Audiences: Crafting Effective Multicultural Campaigns |
Ramel Wallace, Creative Mornings Frankie Margotta, TRIPTK Lehi Naseem, Parkway Plaza Michael Elliott, Rocketdog • Moderator | |
|
|
From Chaos to Clarity: A Step-by-Step Framework for Measurable Marketing |
Joe Freeman, Digitopia | |
|
|
Marketing a Flagship |
Peter Borum, Gaylord Resort | |
|
3pm |
BREAKOUT SESSION #3 | ||
|
|
Scaling Smart: Lessons from Entrepreneur |
Ya-Yung Cheng, Bloom Engine Group Ilo Neukam, The Collective SD Arman Assadi, Steno.ai Ryan Kuder, Startup San Diego • Moderator | |
|
|
From Random Acts to Real AI Adoption |
Bob Mitton, Expera | |
|
|
When Crisis Strikes: Real-World Marketing Response Playbook |
Heather Milne, KPBS | |
|
|
Building Creator Partnerships that POP! |
Shannon Anderson, JonnyPops! | |
|
|
4:15pm |
AFTERNOON KEYNOTE Fireside Chat: Decisions, detours, and defining moments changing the face and future of marketing and social media. |
Matt Prince, YUM! Brands |
|
HAPPY HOUR |
Enjoy a drink with your new friends while the sun sets on a wonderful day! |
NOTE: Speakers subject to change.
Much Gratitude for Our Sponsors
Interested in Sponsoring AOM?
Let us know what your goals are!
Are you a creative agency looking to connect with brands? Maybe you have a cutting-edge service offer or want to sample your new product.
We can introduce you to our AMA San Diego community through eblasts, signage, sampling or by hosting meals, activities or sessions at Art of Marketing.
Sponsorship opportunities start at only $500, and we welcome cash and in-kind partnerships. Looking to partner with American Marketing Association of San Diego year-round? We’d love to do that, too!
Reach out and introduce yourself. We’d love to meet you!
The AMA’s Art of Marketing Conference really taps into the best local speakers to create a dynamic event that provides valuable insight into relevant marketing strategies and tools.
