It’s 2020 and shelter in place is in order across the country—which means every in-person event has been canceled or postponed (a small price to pay for saving lives), but don't be mistaken, conference season is still in session.
Quarantine Conference, a one-day virtual event presented by Hawke Media on April 7 provided a calming presence and content to soothe fears amid uncertainty during this otherwise difficult time. Hawke Media leveraged its network in the e-commerce space to pull together powerful leaders who shared ways brands can equip their businesses to survive and thrive in a time when shopping has moved to almost exclusively online.
QCon offered everything, from an exclusive Slack channel for networking, yoga instructor-facilitated stretching session and spoken word poetry to live music performances and a social-distancing discussion. Attendees were also encouraged to order lunch from a local restaurant in an effort to support struggling small businesses.
In addition to dropping top-tier brand-building knowledge, QCon covered topics on what marketing strategies are working right now and how to keep your business strong and your employees uplifted in times of crisis.
Here’s a recap of a few sessions attendees loved:
Blazing Trails: Marketing in the Cannabis Space
“CANNABIS ARMY, ASSEMBLE” – Attendee
Marketing and cannabis industry experts discussed how cannabis brands can work around advertising restrictions that are unique to the marijuana industry, and what exactly that looks like post–COVID-19 outbreak.
Paul Henderson, President of High Times Magazine, shared how businesses can find new brand discovery opportunities during times of social isolation and how HighTimes rapidly and strategically shifted their marketing strategy to meet consumers at home.
Matthew Nordgren, Founder and CEO of Arcadian Fund, reviewed how he is leveraging this unique time when they have their audience’s full attention to test non-traditional marketing methods and why he’s “ thankful we haven't gone too far with consumer awareness because of the current massive shift in consumer habits”.
Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, shared why there is no shortcut in growing a loyal audience and why brands who experienced rapid, artificial growth are now suffering—“Old school ideas in marketing are the ways you have to build your cannabis brand. The moment you hit scale, you get kicked off.”
Hope Horner, Founder and CEO of Lemonlight, discussed how shelter in place is forcing creativity to find more ways to reach people in their homes and explained why marketing localization and brand cohesion across platforms is worth the effort– “There’s much to understand, brands shy away from it”.
Fundamentals For Success with Daymond John
“Daymon speaks our language—experiences of your products and services matter.” – Attendee
Daymond John, CEO of FUBU and Shark Tank personality, shared insights on the different approaches business owners are taking when shifting to the new climate and highlighted mistakes that are being made across industries:“Don't react. You have to respond.”
Conversation with Anthony Scaramucci About the Future of Finance and Politics
“I love the Mooch. Glad he’s sharing some optimism.” – Attendee
Anthony Scaramucci, AKA “Mooch”, Former White House Director of Communications and entrepreneur, discussed why now is not the time for your brand to play defense and why you should “S.O.O.” (Stay On Offense).
Adapting In Crisis
“Mindset is everything...thank you...#inspired” – Attendee
Navy SEAL and NY Times best-selling author Brandon Webb, discussed how to grow your business at a distance and adapt it in times of crisis.
Empowerment, Leadership Tech, Marketing, and more
Other popular sessions included LA business representatives, such as SnackNation Co-Founder and CMO Andy Mackenson discussing D2C and Gemist Founder Madeline Fraser empowering women in the e-commerce space. Yaguara and Supply Wisdom led the "Future of Marketing: The Quarantine Age," where they explored AI, tech and robotics in relation to isolation and quarantine.
The TalentXEntertainment team taught attendees how to utilize TikTok for brand building during COVID-19, and Todd Herman shared his experience of having coronavirus and how he managed to tend to his own health while navigating the health of his business.
If you missed the conference, don’t worry–the recorded event will be available on Hawke Media’s Youtube channel in the coming days. Stay tuned!
Interested in speaking at an event like Quarantine Conference? Reach out to hear more about our speaker management services: speak@credpr.com
