11:00–11:10 AM
Official Welcome

11:10 AM–12:10 PM
Well, that sucked, now what? Agency Operations Lessons from 2023.

2023 was interesting, to say the least. After many years of easy growth, our industry held its breath for the last 12 months. Collectively, we saw layoffs, late client payments, canceled contracts, and sluggish pipelines. All of which lead to many difficult decisions. Surviving the trials of 2023 was an accomplishment in itself. Sometimes, surviving is the goal. Running an agency is easy when times are good, but our businesses get tested when the pendulum swings too hard.

Yes, 2023 sucked for most of us, but I refuse not to learn the lessons it has for us. Let's stop and take stock of those lessons to be better prepared for what's next. We got this.

12:15–1:30 PM - Finance
Overcoming a Slowdown: Data, Trends, and Financial Strategies for a Strong 2024

I’m sure we’d all love to forget 2023. But before we officially retire last year to the past, we’re going to leverage the data and insights from our over 100 agency clients to better understand what happened, where the industry is going, and where we should focus next.

With this data as our north star, we’ll help your agency prioritize the KPIs that matter most to you and dive into live examples and real strategies for driving more profit through the ops function in 2024. This is an interactive session so come ready to ask questions and share your experiences! 

1:30–2:15 PM
Break

2:15–3:10 PM - Humans
Winning 1:1s

You know you're supposed to floss daily, drink more water... and participate in weekly 1:1s at work. So why is it really not obvious what you're supposed to do in those meetings?! How often, how long, who should attend and what's the purpose? We're gonna cover it all.

You'll leave this session with a structure for all future 1:1s, ideas for topics and I’ll will live coach someone to demonstrate how to listen. It will be even more fun than you think!

3:15–4:25 PM
Operationalizing AI in Your Agency

Operationalizing AI in Your Agency zeroes in on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of running the operations of an agency. This session will dive into impactful use cases of generative AI, guiding participants to understand where and how this technology can be most effectively utilized. We will explore practical ways to use AI to improve productivity, create efficiencies, and to create novel solutions  with a focus on using it responsibly. Read more about this presentation…

4:25–4:30 PM
Closing Remarks

11:00–11:10 AM
Welcome Back!

11:10 AM–12:25 PM ET - Biz Dev
Operationalizing Business Dev

We've all encountered the notion that Business Development is elusive, often likened to a mystical force. I distinctly remember, on more than one occasion, Joe Rinaldi emphasizing the unpredictable nature of business development, likening it to a T-Rex that operates on its own terms. Nevertheless, there are abundant opportunities to integrate operational systems into our business development programs.

In this session, two of the smartest humans in business development—Katie Jennings and Joe Rinaldi—will join us in a moderated conversation about the intersection of Operations and Biz Dev. We will hold their feet to the fire and get them to share what they have seen work, what has failed, and the lessons they have learned along the way. No “hand waving,” and no “it depends.” Let’s get some expert advice on how to implement better systems around business development.

12:30–1:45 PM - Humans
3 Ways To Burnout-Proof Your Business

When running a fast-paced studio or a small business, it pays to pay attention to exhaustion. You can't afford to be one person short and still ship on time. So what do you do when staff faces burnout? What signs should owners and managers look for? And how do we triage when we see it? 

This is an interactive session where Tanya will share diagnostic management questions and effective triage tactics that you can start using immediately. She'll share a framework that has helped hundreds of people gain instant clarity and insight on how to operationalize workplace wellbeing and interrupt the cycle of exhaustion. Healthy managers and staff create healthy organizations, and that creates real operational sustainability and ultimately, profitability. 

1:45–2:15 PM
Break

2:15–3:25 PM - Delivery
Maintaining Balance in Delivery

Every decision we make within Operations has an effect and counter effect - on our clients, our company, and our team. The ability to understand which levers you can pull to adjust each of these areas and how to make sure you don't push things too far to reach balance is the daily juggle of an Operations Manager.

We are going to spend this session digging into the tactical ways we can work to better balance Operations and how to pivot when things start going out of balance. I promise - no balance beam or tightrope skills are necessary!

3:30–4:25 PM
Going AI First in Operations

You're an experienced operations exec and you understand AI's potential, but maybe unsure of its practicality vs. the hype, or feel too swamped fighting fires to go deep. One more thing to learn. I've been there!

In my talk, I'll cut through the noise and offer straightforward, practical strategies to get started leveraging AI in your workflow. We'll focus on tangible steps you can take immediately, even with a packed schedule.

We'll explore strategy development, comms alignment, employee reviews, software evaluation and more, all through an AI perspective. Join me to see how AI can help you cover more ground, faster.

4:25–4:30 PM
Closing Remarks