Revolve Conference Returns to Inspire Designers, Entrepreneurs & Marketers

Creating, building, or promoting a brand, product, or service? The second annual Revolve Conference happens October 26–28 at Sterling Hall in downtown Charleston, SC. The event, brought together by Harbormark, will host designers, entrepreneurs, and marketers of all walks who will converge to hear acclaimed speakers, be immersed in creativity, and connect with a community of inspiration seekers for three thought-provoking, barrier-breaking days.

Revolve aims to fill a niche focused on customer experience, design, and marketing, and it caters to tech-minded businesses. The inaugural event, held last October, was a rousing success and the organizers aim this year to “capture and build on the energy and enthusiasm experienced last year, by introducing new features to the event,” said Harbormark principal Karl Hudson Phillips. He sees Revolve’s new venue as a way for attendees to experience the conference along with the sights and tastes of the city. “We’re really excited about the new location, which makes the event accessible to all, and gives visitors an opportunity to explore Charleston.”

New for this year is the addition of a Pre-Conference Workshop Day on October 26 for those seeking more focused and specific training in particular areas. Meena Kothandaraman, Customer Experience Strategist at twig+fish, extends from her talk last year, with the (N)Credible workshop focusing on a framework that enables the credible creation of research studies. Last year, she was most taken by the “humanness” of Revolve given people of various disciplines attending. “It is a rare conference where you get to meet each attendee, and enjoy meaningful conversations with more than just a few people.”

Other workshops include: Get Control of Your Pricing and Sales Pipeline in One Day with Brad Weaver of Nine Labs and Digital Project Management with Brett Harned of Digital PM Consulting.

Revolve Conference Days 1 and 2 on October 27 and 28 feature twenty-eight focused sessions in 2 tracks—Design & Creativity and Business & Marketing.  Twenty-eight thought leaders and storytellers from Charleston and around the country will share road-tested insights and a series of practical sessions and talks.

Local speakers see Revolve as a valuable opportunity for Charleston’s burgeoning tech and creative scene. Attendees will hear from BoomTown’s Rivers Pearce, who serves as their Director of Marketing, on the topic Why Do We Need All This Tech? – Building Your Marketing Technology Blueprint. “Charleston continues to blossom into a thriving tech community, but we still have a ways to go yet. Revolve is providing a great opportunity for the smaller local agencies, tech shops, startups, and SMBs to have access to national experts; while, at the same time, providing additional exposure for local experts like myself that this group may not know is also right here in town,” says Pearce.

Other local presenters include Chris Quinn, Co-Founder and the Operations Director of eHouse Studio, who will present How Transparency and Clear Communication Empowers Your Team to be More Productive. She adds, “Not only is the Revolve Conference helping to build on the growing Charleston creative and tech scene, but can it get any better to have a conference with some of the world’s best food at your fingertips and beautiful beaches just a bridge away?”

Also presenting is South Carolina native, Douglas Davis, Principal of the Davis Group, now based in Brooklyn, NY. His HOW Design University class, “Creative Strategy and the Business of Design,” has been well received by a mix of creative professionals and has been converted into a book. “It’s a special thing to have come from South Carolina and know that we’re just as creative as anywhere in the world,” says Davis. “What Charleston and Revolve are doing is really deciding to put a stake down in how we want to be known.”

Speakers from around the country are also looking forward to the unique gathering. Revolve welcomes Nicole Cendrowski to blaze the trail as Majordomo. She returns to Charleston for the third year in a row and was a speaker when Revolve first operated as Web Afternoon Charleston in 2014, a mini event that inspired and educated people who share a passion for the web.

Among national presenters are Anthony Phills, Author & Visual Storyteller of Autism Interactive, who has told the Hilton Worldwide HHonors story through their Android application. With over 1 million downloads, he will share how he designed the app from scratch. Phills says, “The role of a designer is changing in this connected world and Revolve is helping in bridging this change. I couldn’t wait to be part of the Revolve community and start connecting with people in Business, Marketing, and Design all in one place.”

Content branding expert, media coach, and on-air personality Terri Trespicio will discuss how to Connect, Convert, Command More Money. She adds, “It’s a risk to silo business, marketing, and creative—and in many companies, they are. These people do their biz dev stuff over here, while marketing does that stuff over there, and creative…well, you get the picture. It’s a fantastic idea to have an event where they can all be exposed to game-changing ideas together—which would mean that they could get inspired for ways to collaborate in their own work with each other, as teams.”

Revolve Conference fosters an atmosphere where attendees can share ideas and trends and address common creative challenges. Whether you’re a design, business, or marketing pro—you’ll be sure to walk away with a fresh perspective.

Want to hear more? Listen to the Revolve Conference 2016 Preview on Silicon Harbor Radio.