about VIRTUAL program

This FREE event is sponsored by Celebrity Focus.

Every year, brands invest billions in celebrity endorsements, leveraging the star power of high-profile personalities to amplify PR campaigns and activations. But how do you identify the perfect fit for your brand? What are the key steps to securing successful deals? And what defines a strong and enduring talent-brand relationship? Join us for an engaging discussion with four industry experts who specialize in celebrity engagement. Gain valuable insights into the strategies, challenges, and opportunities involved in building impactful partnerships.

SPEAKERS

Jim Palmer
Baseball Hall of Fame member, MLB broadcaster, and brand ambassador

Jim Palmer, a Hall of Fame pitcher, spent his entire 19-year MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles from 1965 to 1984. He won 268 games, three Cy Young Awards, and four Gold Gloves, while maintaining a remarkable 2.86 ERA. Palmer is the only pitcher to win World Series games in three different decades (60s, 70s, and 80s). After retiring, he transitioned to broadcasting, providing commentary for ABC, ESPN and MASN. Palmer has been a very successful brand ambassador, most notably as the long-time spokesperson for Jockey (19 years), The Money Store (13 years) and Nutramax Labs (16 years). He’s worked with numerous brands including AstraZeneca, Terminex, IHOP, OxyClean and many others. He continues to use his celebrity status to raise awareness for public health campaigns, including for Autism Speaks, and serves on the advisory board of MLB’s Baseball Assistance Team. He has been with the Orioles for 62 years.

Leslie Fogel
SVP, Celebrity & Entertainment Marketing Lead | Zeno Group
Leslie Fogel is the Celebrity and Entertainment Marketing Lead at Zeno and is well versed in the world of celebrity talent and partnerships. Having negotiated a high volume of talent contracts, she has deep connections in Hollywood and beyond with the top agents, managers and publicists. Leslie uses her Public Relations background to provide counsel on the best way to harness the power of pop culture. Leslie has represented Zeno clients like Lenovo, Kraft Heinz and Newell Brands in negotiations with Talent like Mindy Kaling, Joe Jonas, Queen Latifah and more. Prior to joining Zeno Group, Leslie worked at Burns Entertainment, a celebrity procurement agency, where she negotiated contracts on behalf of companies such as Unilever, ConAgra, Beam Suntory and Target, with talent such as John Legend, Viola Davis, Brooke Shields and others.

Russ Spielman
EVP & Partner | GSE Worldwide
Russ Spielman is the Executive Vice President of Talent Marketing at GSE Worldwide, a sports management agency he helped form through the merger of The Agency Sports Management (TASM) with other agencies in 2011. With a career spanning several decades, he previously worked in talent marketing at SFX Entertainment, Integrated Sports International, and Professional Sports Publications. At GSE Worldwide, Spielman leads talent marketing and broadcasting divisions, representing elite sports personalities like Bo Jackson, Steve Young, Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Jaylen Waddle, while also working with Fortune 500 companies. He remains actively involved in charitable work, supporting the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation and serving on the board of the Little St. Nick Foundation.

Della Burns
Senior Marketing Consultant & Healthcare PR Specialist
Della Burns is a Senior Consultant and Healthcare Marketing Communications Specialist with a track record of success in the full healthcare spectrum (e.g., pharmaceutical launches, medical practice development, patient advocacy, medical devices and SaaS). Clients include Eli Lilly and Company, Abbott, Sun Pharma, Ranbaxy, Zimmer, Baxter, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem, Humana, Advocate Health Care, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Over the years she has held leadership positions at Edelman, Burson-Marsteller, RF|Binder, and the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, and has been lauded with four PRSA Silver Anvils. She has created numerous celebrity-driven PR campaigns, including working with Oscar winner Patty Duke, Olympic Gold Medalist Kelly Clark, and Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. Today, her spare time is committed to her passion – serving on the Board of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation in South Dakota, where she Chairs the Development Committee.

MODERATOR

Ric Bachrach
CEO | Celebrity Focus
Ric Bachrach, CEO, founded Celebrity Focus in 1987. With more than 40 years of experience, he has successfully crafted more than 4,500 relationships between famous people and famous brands across diverse sectors including technology, F&B, pharmaceuticals, automotive, consumer brands and non-profits. His brand clients have included The Goddard School, Abbott, GSK, Pfizer, Amgen, Novartis, Pfizer, Merck, Fisher Price, Playskool, Beechnut, Pampers, Similac, Bicycle, Milton Bradley, Mattel, Nerf, Walmart, PayPal, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Ocean Spray, British American Racing, HP, Radio Shack, and hundreds of others. He has also represented ad agencies like Leo Burnett, JWT, Publicis, IPG, The Martin Agency and Omnicom, and PR firms including Edelman, Burson, MSL, Porter Novelli, Golin, Ogilvy, Fleishman Hillard, and Weber Shandwick. Ric has worked with three former Presidents, actors & actresses, entertainers, musicians, athletes, coaches, political figures, authors, lifestyle personalities and category experts.

This FREE event is a must-attend for marketers and PR professionals looking to deepen their understanding of celebrity endorsements and elevate their brand strategies. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best in the business!

When: Thursday, February 27; 12:00–1:15 p.m. CT
Where: Zoom Webinar (PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Individual webinar access details will be distributed directly from Zoom the day prior to the live event.)

Questions? Please email Programming committee at [email protected].

Program Details

Refunds:
All ticket sales are final. Substitutions may be made at any time.