Upcoming Speaker Events
January 2020
Matthew Emerzian, CEO at Every Monday Matters
Virtual AAF Talks Professional Speaker Event
January 19, 2021, from 11:45 AM to 1 PM
Online via Zoom
Matthew's Bio
Matthew Emerzian is the founder and CEO of Every Monday Matters (EMM), a not-for-profit organization committed to helping people and organizations understand how much and why they matter. Emerzian's work has been hailed by Oprah.com, The TODAY Show, Fast Company Magazine, Hallmark TV, Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, and several other media outlets.
Past Speaker Events
November 2020
Tyler Riewer, charity: water
Virtual AAF Talks Professional Speaker Event
Online via Zoom
Tyler's Bio
Tyler Riewer is the Creative Director at charity: water, the nonprofit bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in need around the world. He travels the globe to meet the people charity: water serves, collects stories about the transformative impact of clean water, and dreams up new ways to share those stories with the world.
October 2020
Austin Kleon, NYT Bestselling Author
Virtual AAF Talks Professional Speaker
Online via Zoom
Austin's Bio
Austin Kleon is a writer, artist, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. His work has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS Newshour, TIME, The Atlantic, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. He’s brought his depth and range of experience as a creator to his book, Steal Like An Artist, an illustrated manifesto for creativity in the digital age.
July 2020
Mike Caguin, Colle McVoy
Virtual AAF Talks Professional Speaker
Online via Zoom
Mike's Bio
While Mike Caguin has worked at agencies from coast to coast, including Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and TBWAChiatDay, it’s his impact as CCO at full-service creative agency Colle McVoy that shows the power of his diverse and dynamic, yet subtle, approach to creativity.
April 2020
Claudine Sokol, Nielsen
Virtual AAF Talks Professional Speaker
Online via Zoom
Claudine's Bio
Claudine Sokol is a self-described Evangelist of Nielsen and has worked for over twenty years in the media industry. With a wide range of experience working in the media, including national, mobile, movies, digital, local television and local audio.
January 2020
Joe Cox, The Pop Marketer
Sanctuary Events Center
670 4th Ave N Fargo, ND 58102
Joe's Bio
Joe is the founder & creator of The Pop-Marketer, a content strategy consulting firm based out of Kansas City. Joe has worked with brands like Hershey, Dairy Queen, Anheuser Busch, Square Enix, Wingstop, Red Bull, and Coca-Cola. He's a co-host of the Explicit Content podcast & the Pop100 vlog and talks w/ brands and marketers about the power of Pop Culture marketing across the country.
December 2019
Mark Freid, Think Creative Inc.
Sanctuary Events Center
670 4th Ave N Fargo, ND 58102
Mark's Bio
A 28-year veteran of the marketing industry, Mark Freid is the owner of Think Creative, an award-winning branding and marketing firm that is driven by a “Culture of Gratitude” and the founder of Happiness Counts (happinesscounts.com), the company’s consulting arm that focuses on organizational culture and leadership.
Other Past Events

Please join us for a night of distinction, ceremony and celebration with our creative advertising and marketing community.
Another year of wonderful and inspired work is behind us. Come and celebrate the best of our region at the American Advertising Awards. This year we will be feature a delicious buffet for your dining option. The buffet will include options for vegetarians. If you have other dietary needs, please let us know so we can accommodate you properly. We can’t wait to see you there!
When: February 28, 2020 – 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Where: Avalon Events Center | 2525 9th Ave S | Fargo, ND 58103
Cost: Professionals $70 — Students $40 — AAF-ND Members — Free (1 ticket per membership)

It’s time for the fourth annual TV Timeout event, brought to you by the American Advertising Federation of North Dakota (AAF-ND).
Join us for a play-by-play critique of the best & worst commercials showcased during football’s biggest game of the year. As if the commercials weren’t already entertaining enough, this event is brought to the next level with all of the colorful commentary and comedic banter from our handpicked moderator and panelists.
When: February 6, 2020
Where: Sanctuary Events Center | 670 4th Ave N | Fargo, ND 58102
Cost: $20 — Member and $25 — Non-Member

Portfolio Review Day is an annual FREE event hosted by the American Advertising Federation of North Dakota (AAF-ND) for current college students, of all levels, in North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota in the design, interactive, advertising, copywriting, print and photo journalism and video related fields. During the event, students can have their portfolios reviewed by area professionals and receive feedback in 30 minute one-on-one sessions.
When: Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | 10:00 – 3:00 PM
Where: M State – Minnesota Community & Technical College | 1900 28th Avenue South | Moorhead, MN, 56560
Cost: $0