Thursday: Cheers to a New Year With Brilliant Houston Marketers

Ready to get in cahoots with some of Houston’s best and brightest? Thursday is the time to shine! The In Cahoots Holiday Mixer is the Houston Interactive Marketing Association’s last event of the year, and it’s going to be a hit. You won’t want to miss out.

There will be a cash bar, free appetizers, and plenty of holiday spirit. This mixer is your chance to pick the brains of some of H-Town’s greatest marketing minds. You might meet your next mentor, client, new hire, or new boss… you never know what opportunities could arise as we mix and mingle in the jingling beat.

You do not have to be an H/IMA member to attend. This event is open to all — just bring your passion for learning, meeting awesome people, and happy-hour appetite. Make your resolution while bidding adieu to the end of 2017.

Who You Can Meet

Check out some of H/IMA’s awesome board members who you can catch this Thursday. These are some brilliant folks who you’ll definitely want to shake hands with.

Raissa Evans

Are you shy about networking? In that case, you’ll want to hunt down Raissa Evans. An accomplished marketer and self-proclaimed shy extrovert, she’s not afraid to talk to anyone — including Matthew McConaughey and Ashton Kutcher. Learn more about her:

• Current role: Founder and Chief Strategist at Running Reload
• What she’s working on: Marketing strategy to enable a sales team for a middle market marketing agency, and wrapping up a 14-month tenure as the outsourced CMO for a financial services firm, where she helped them recruit and train a permanent marketing team member.
• What she does: Works as a specialized consultant for existing teams or as an outsourced CMO to help clients reach growth goals.
• Background: With over 12 years of marketing experience, Raissa’s teams have won over 130 marketing awards. She’s currently wrapping up her tenure as H/IMA president.
• What you can learn from her: how to solve complex problems and remove barriers to growth
• Will be toasting with her glass of: Wine or craft beer (she’s a fan of this year’s Texas Christmas ales)

Shane Devall

If you’re interested in learning about how gamification can be used in multiple facets of business or how to cost-effectively spice up an existing website with animation and custom graphics, look for the guy at the bar debating between a whiskey sour and a whiskey Coke. Meet Shane:

• Current role: Founder/Principal of IMMIX Productions, Inc.
• What he’s working on: Several project including: Corporate ID, collateral and website for International Real Estate Group, a website for Houston Grand Opera Guild, 3D Installation animated instructions for metal building company, Trade show presentation for local seismic company, and an Interactive 3D walk through for an LNG facility
• Background: Entrepreneur, designer, and animator who started a production company, IMMIX, in 2001. He formulates business solutions using marketing, brand messaging, animation, and presentation.
• Fun fact: He loves the outdoors and doing interesting, artistic photography
• Loves chatting about: Alaska

Dori Ludwig

If you’re looking for someone to beat you at craps and dish about audience segmentation with, Dori Ludwig is the one to meet. Look for her with a vodka, sparkling water, and splash of something red for festivity. What you need to know about Dori:

• Current role: Director of Marketing at Pierpoint Communications
• What she does: Handles marketing for both the client side and agency side
• Background: Native New Yorker who recently transplanted to Houston with over 10 years of experience in integrated marketing in B2B and B2C industries.
• What you can learn from her: how to tie things together and put a nice bow on top, like only a fully integrated marketer can.

Gary Dennis

Struggling to bridge the gap between your marketing and sales departments? You’ll want to track down Gary Dennis on Thursday. This Ironman and jiu-jitsu purple belt can’t stop talking about his two daughters when you get him started. 

• Current role: Business Consultant at Honeywell
• What he does: Helps companies improve the performance of their businesses with technology
• Background: Has worked in customer-facing roles for Fortune 500 companies over the past 12 years, with experience in sales and a passion for digital marketing. He has an engineering degree from Texas A&M.
• Will be toasting with his glass of: H2O

Calvin Pollard II

If you love dogs, non-profits, and fundraising, find Calvin Pollard and bring him a Tito’s with a splash of peppermint schnapps. This is what you need to know about him:

• Current role: Vice President of Fundraising and Development for the Lone Star Flight Museum
• What he does: Helps nonprofits raise money
• Background: Navy veteran with promotional marketing experience who moved back to Houston to work in non-profit fundraising. He’s helped the National MS Society, Salvation Army, NPR/PBS, and now the Lone Star Flight Museum.
• What you can learn from him: How to shape a sponsorship package with activation points meaningful to your client
• Fun fact: He was all-state choir for two years in Colorado.

Brian Hutson

If you’re dying to dish about the latest Netflix Original you’re binging or want feedback on your recent creative project, hunt down Brian Hutson. This business creative can show you how to better market and communicate with the head and the heart. Meet Brian:

• Current role: Creative Consultant
• What he’s working on: Creative consulting, book writing, content development, starting a grassroots men’s magazine called AURUM
• Background: Degree in Business Management from Texas A&M with experience in design, writing, branding, and marketing. Passionate about combining creativity with business.
• Fun fact: He has a black belt in tae-kwon do and does fashion sketching.
• Loves chatting about: Creativity, Men’s Fashion, Gold, Netflix Originals, and Middle Eastern conflict.
• Will be toasting with his glass of: Tequila, Diet Coke & Lime

Ian Dolan

Ian Dolan is the man to meet for all things PPC. He can talk your ear off about what not to do on your landing pages and Google Adwords’ new UI vs. the old UI. Learn more about him:

• Current role: Owner of Crank 11 Marketing
• Background: Degree in Business Administration from the University of Utah with experience in finance and marketing. His company helps businesses generate leads with Google Adwords, Bing Ads, and Facebook Ads
• What he’s working on: Adapting Google’s Data Studio into his client reporting
• Fun fact: He has 12 guitars and practices at least an hour a day.
• Will be toasting with his glass of: Tito’s and soda

Owais Qureshi

Track down native Houstonian Owais Qureshi to chat about blockchain, applications of AR/VR, and the history of market trends. Find him leaving the bar with a good whiskey and one ice cube. Here’s what you need to know about him:

• Current role: Principal Director of Cue
• What he’s working on: Currently involved with branding for 2 different ICOs and a blockchain project. Continuing to leverage Matterport technology in various capacities for Architectural, Construction, Engineering, Hospitality and Real Estate clients.
• Background: Graduate of Houston Baptist University who specializes in brand development, messaging, digital marketing, content strategy, and web development.
• What you can learn from him: how to become actively conscious of the types of visual messages that attract your attention, and how to start dissecting the message.
• Fun fact: He’s perfecting his slow-smoked BBQ and has a newfound interest in hiking after a trek in Spain.

Chris Molineaux

Bring Chris an eggnog with brandy and chat him up about cars and the Houston Chronicle this Thursday night. Learn more about him:

• Current role: Digital Sales Manager at the Houston Chronicle
• What he's working on: Launching several campaigns for new clients that have signed on this busy holiday season.
• Background: Chris is a digital media and sales expert, with specialties in SEO, SEM, social media, web design, and more. He attended Montgomery College, where he studied vocal performance and business.
• What you can learn from him: All about how the Houston Chronicle has doubled down on its efforts around the arts and entertainment with its relaunch of Preview! 

What a group of impressive resumes and creative minds. You can meet all of them and more this Thursday at Cedar Creek. Check out the event details below.

Event Details

• Who: Open to all — H/IMA members, BMA Houston members, IABC Houston members, STC Houston members, marketing aficionados, and friends
• What: In Cahoots Holiday Mixer
• When: 5:30-10:30 p.m. Dec. 14
• Where: Cedar Creek, 1034 W 20th St., Houston, Texas 77008
• What to Bring: a canned good or non-perishable food item to donate to the Houston Food Bank
• RSVP: Click here

Will you be there, too? Leave a comment letting us know, and share this with your network.

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