Events

Max Wastler is the Vice President of Brand at Aparium Hotel Group, where he oversees the image and experience of the Aparium brand as a whole and each individual brand within the portfolio of hotels and restaurants. Wastler has nearly two decades of branding and marketing experience, having previously consulted on strategy and storytelling for companies such as J. Crew, Madewell, Patagonia, Lands End, and Airstream.

Brand Guru. Brand Impresario. Brand Evangelist. She's written the book on branding (twice!) with bestsellers Branding is Sex and Irrational Loyalty. She's the founder and CEO of Sol Marketing, a strategy-led marketing firm obsessed with solving major business and branding problems for clients in every industry. Companies throughout the world use Deb’s Brand Values Pyramid, Ideal Customer Archetype, and “Brand Swagger Questions” to align their teams and articulate their brands to audiences.

Known for her enthusiasm and love for collaborating with people to visually articulate ideas, Heather’s unique point of view and endless imagination is contagious. She is an artist that designs at a very large scale with a design perspective that makes ideas become viable, well designed products and center pieces that turn locations into landmarks. Her work can be seen in offices, restaurants, residences, hotels and public spaces locally and nationally.

Maren is a brand and content marketer with experience leading social strategy for brands like Starbucks, The North Face and KeVita. She grew up in the Fargo-Moorhead area and attended Concordia College where she studied Public Relations, Business and Art. She has been working in social media since the birth of Instagram, building and managing digital communities that drive brand loyalty. On the weekends you can find her in the mountains: hiking, skiing and spending time with her pups.

Ashley Mary is a Minnesota-based multi-disciplinary artist, with an MA in Graphic/Web Design from MCAD. Ashley’s work expands from studio practice to product/surface design and mural installations nationwide. Her studio work focuses on acrylic paintings and collage on paper. Thick textures, vibrant colors, graphic patterns, and organic and familiar shapes are her attempts to give attention to the unintentional and leave space to be surprised: exploring themes of play, balance, movement and curiosity.

Information coming soon!

As our season gets underway, we look forward to having a variety of social events sprinkled throughout the season, including 4:01 happy hours, TV Timeout, The American Advertising Awards, and more! Stay tuned for additional event details here or contact president@aaf-nd.org to learn more about the season ahead. Thank you!