Setup regularly connects professionals across the entire marketing industry spectrum with our uniquely-themed events. Whether it be a brand marketers-only breakfast, an agency-brand marketing speed dating event, or a virtual #MarketingMixer with esteemed panelists, we always have a good time connecting the best with the best.
#MarketingMixers offer a virtual opportunity for all kinds of marketers to connect + learn from experts + one another, In This Dame and Age is for women marketing leaders to virtually connect + #MarketersBreakfasts are in-person events exclusively for marketing brand leaders + Setup agency partners.
Check out our upcoming events!
Our in-person events that are catered to brand decision makers + our agency partners are below! We will regularly update this page with dates for our #MarketingMixers + Women’s Events which are open to brand-sided marketers in all stages of their journey.
Stay tuned + see you soon!
If you want to get first dibs on when + where our events are, subscribe to our Newsletter here!
Upcoming In-Person Events in 2025
Our #MarketersBreakfasts are in-person events from 8-9:30 AM EST in Atlanta reserved for Setup marketing agency partners + Client-side marketing leaders - come back soon for details on our 2025 events!
Upcoming Virtual Events in 2025
The #MarketingMixer is a chance for all Client-side Marketers + Setup agency partners to connect across various topics - come back later for updates on the next Virtual events in 2025!
November 2024 - Insights from the 2024 Setup Marketing Relationship Survey: What Marketers and Agencies Need to Know Event Recap
Last week, Setup hosted a LinkedIn Live event led by Setup Founder & CEO, Joe Koufman, that featured Courtney Lewis, the CMO of The Variable, and Elicia Azali, the CMO of Beazer Homes, to unveil the 2024 Setup Marketing Relationship Survey – an annual report that delves into the dynamics between marketing Agencies and Clients. This year’s results, drawn from over 400 responses across industries, spotlight the evolving priorities, challenges, and opportunities in these relationships.
November 2024 - Setup Happy Hour - Connecting + Celebrating
In support of our vision to connect marketers with the best people and resources, we’ve hosted a Happy Hour for the Atlanta marketing community at our office for the last two years. Partners, community members, and Clients all join together to laugh, chat, and learn more about one another.
August 2024 - #MarketersBreakfast | Unlock Your Team’s Potential
Connection in a post-Covid world is different. Most teams are remote and trying to rebuild the remnants of culture’s past. Our August #MarketersBreakfast was aimed to cure this slump by focusing on the tools leaders need to build better and more healthy communication practices to unite their teams and improve their organizations.
To do this, we incorporated fun, low-pressure improv exercises that aimed to create open and supportive atmospheres for connection and creativity to thrive. These exercises could also be utilized for onboarding, cross-departmental collaboration, brainstorming, and more. The session was led by Setup Marketing Manager, Madeline Evans, who is also a professional improviser producing, performing, and teaching all over the city.
Interest in Team Building? Learn more here.
June 2024 - In This Dame and Age | Marketing For Good
Our latest event covered the theme “Marketing for Good - Turning Passions into Action.” Attendees included Setup Agency partners as well as members from established Brands at Cox, FIS, FedEx, Great Clips, Kimberly-Clark, The Home Depot, and more.
Over the hour, the group networked with one another and discussed the following categories and how these actions help marketers do good and which Brands are succeeding in that:
Cause-Driven Marketing
Empowering Communities
Building Trust and Authentic Connections
The Role of AI in Marketing
Read the full recap blog here!
May 2024 - #MarketersBreakfast | Spring Speed Dating
The Setup Marketer Speed Dating #MarketersBreakfast is one of our most popular in-person events because attendees get to meet as many qualified people as possible in short bursts of time. Many attendees recounted that the facilitated structure of the matchmaking event made networking so much easier. Plus, to ensure that everyone’s time is valued, the roster of #MarketersBreakfast attendees is exclusive, only open to our agency partners and Client-side marketing leaders. Some of the brands in attendance included Veritiv, Cartoon Network, Primrose Schools, and more.
Read the full recap here and RSVP to the next in-person Breakfast above!
March 2024 - Agency Capability Showcase
At Setup, we work with some of the finest marketing agencies across the nation with an array of capabilities. Our most recent March #MarketingMixer gave our partners a platform to share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into their process, strategy, and campaign results in under two hours. Ten case studies in 90 minutes, with some fun trivia in between.
How often do marketers get to experience that range of expertise representing a vast range of capabilities for a variety of industries?
Expert agency presenters walked participants through their dynamic approaches and successful strategies to pull off extraordinary campaigns. Industries included: Arts & Entertainment, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Beverages, and Software Development.
Read the event recap here! If you’re a Client-side marketer interested in the agency presentations or being connected with an agency, contact us!
February 2024 - 10 Year Anniversary!
As Setup celebrates our 10th anniversary, we reflect on a decade of pioneering the art of marketing matchmaking. From our early days as AgencySparks to our rebrand in 2019 to become Setup and all the way to today, we've been dedicated to bridging the gap between brands seeking expert marketing support and agencies capable of delivering outstanding results.
We celebrated 10 years with past and current team members, Agency partners, Clients, and friends for the momentous occasion!
Read about our 10 years and watch the video of the party!
November 2023 - Happy Hour!
We hosted our first Happy Hour in our office to celebrate the end of the year. With connection Bingo, food + drinks, and prizes, we were sure to facilitate connections and good times with our attendees!
Check out the recap video and join us next time!
August 2023 - #MarketersBreakfast | Proving Marketing’s Value
The beauty of our #MarketersBreakfast is that we gather a collection of marketing leaders with years of experience who are eager to connect and share their expertise when discussing an array of topics. For example, one of our recent breakfasts dove into “Marketing Therapy,” or marketers’ main challenges. This led to dedicating an entire breakfast to proving ROI and the Value of Marketing to the Executive Suite.
During the conversation, we were able to explore multiple areas where marketing executives struggle to prove their value, and advice to navigate it.
Read the recap of the discussion with fruitful advice here.
June 2023 - #MarketingMixer | Finding + Hiring Talent
For this Mixer, we decided to cover “How to Attract Top Talent” since employers and interviewees are curious about how to navigate the job market and how to recruit the best talent. Our partners at Hire Profile are recruiting visionaries with the experience and tools to provide marketing and creative staffing and recruiting solutions to companies in the greater Atlanta area.
Read the recap of the discussion here.
May 2023 - #MarketersBreakfast | Marketing Therapy
Several years ago, we presented the theme “Marketing Therapy” to our Setup audience. A lot has happened in the last six or seven years, and what better way to process challenges than through group therapy? Whether in your personal or professional life, it’s important to realize you are never alone, and challenges are just opportunities for growth, innovation, and insights.
For the event, we crowdsourced challenges Marketing leaders face, and then discussed those questions as a group. Talking points ranged from discussing rising AI technology, to acquiring talent, to branding strategies. Below is a brief recap of the conversation. (We kept the identity of contributors anonymous in true Therapy form.)
Read the recap of the discussion here.
March 2023 - In This Dame and Age | #ShareYourStory
The Setup Women in Marketing series highlights the thoughts and advice of prominent marketing brand and agency leaders in companies such as Aflac, Mizuno, Great Clips, Lionsgate, Blackbaud, and Regal Cinemas. The takeaways from these blogs are not only informative, but incredibly insightful for any marketer on their career path.
The contributors’ powerful stories and advice led to our all-women networking group: In This Dame and Age, where we host discussions and connect women marketing leaders with one another. After curating such a wonderful group of influential leaders, we held an event to focus on them and their stories. An hour of networking and discussion led to 4 key points women, and all marketing leaders, should keep in mind. Read the recap of the discussion here.
February 2023 - #MarketersBreakfast | Marketer Speed-Dating
Three years after our last Speed-Dating breakfast, we were finally able to return to our favorite and most cherished in-person event!
With glitter hearts decorating the tables, and guiding questions to spark the romance, we kicked off the love-filled event with several agency partners and clients like Papa Johns, Orkin, Jabra, and more.
Read the full recap here.
“The team at SetUp put on a great event. It was a fun format and I connected with smart marketers who I’d like to continue conversations with.”
November 2022 - #MarketingMixer | Seasonality in Marketing
We love the opportunity to bring together the best and brightest minds to share their experiences and, in this case, we heard from three unique brands about their perspective on “The Seasonality of Marketing.”
A number of brands attended from companies like The Honey Baked Ham Company, Zep Inc., Reverie, Curative, and Piedmont Healthcare. Our three featured panelists were:
Lisa Hake | Vice President Marketing & Communications, Great Clips Inc.
Catie Gillis | Vice President of Slot Marketing, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
Angela Johnson | Chief Innovation Officer, Edible Brands
Read the event recap and discussion here.
“Nice way to meet new people within scope of relevant subject matter.”
August 2022 - #MarketersBreakfast | Fostering Human Connection
At Setup, we love to facilitate environments where people can network and embrace themselves freely, so our #MarketersBreakfast for August 2022 was all about “Getting Back to the Basics to Find Human Connection.”
At this breakfast, no one was a stranger.
With a balance of attendees from both marketing agency and brand leadership teams, the breakfast consisted of open networking and an “improv” activity led by Setup’s Marketing Manager, Madeline Evans, who is actively teaching and performing improv professionally in Atlanta.
Read the full recap here.
“The #MarketersBreakfast provides a great format for marketers to engage with each other in a concise format that includes solid networking and appropriate topics for discussion.”
June 2022 - In This Dame and Age | Creativity + Connection Event Recap
As many companies have turned to remote work or shifted culturally due to lay-offs or newly onboarded members over the last few years, leaders are searching for innovative ways to foster connection. Based on survey responses from our event attendees, we decided to facilitate an environment where leaders could share their successful methods with one another through discussion and networking.
“I loved getting to network with others, it feels like it’s been so long since I’ve had that opportunity. I learned a lot from individuals in the agency world on how they’re fostering creativity, and I think that is something we’re lacking on the Brand side. I’m excited to take these tips back to my team.”
May 2022 - Show + Tell
For our first in-person event since 2020, we revisited a classic theme at the Miami Ad School @ Portfolio Center: Show + Tell, to share the marketing strategies, thought processes, and success stories of incredible brands like Aaron’s, NCR, The Coca-Cola Company, and ParkMobile.
Setup takes the pressure out of networking. I felt at ease, and the attendees were smart and interesting professionals.
- Jaclyn Osterloh | Director, Social Center | The Coca-Cola Company
March 2022 - In This Dame and Age | Mentorship
The women of Setup hold quarterly virtual events with women in the marketing community to discuss our experiences, journeys, and share advice. This particular event about Mentorship explored the attendees’ experience mentoring and being mentored, and who to look to as a mentor when acting in a more senior role.
“It’s a great environment (even virtually) to connect and network with other people in marketing.”
February 2022 - Speed-date Bingo
In February during pre-pandemic days, we would host “speed-dating” events for marketing agencies and brands to connect with and learn about one another’s needs, business, and personal goals. After two long years of no speed-dating, we decided to bring this beloved event back, but with an added twist: Bingo!
This Mixer focused on connecting attendees in unique and creative ways.
“I always enjoy the Marketing Mixer events. I know the format was a lot different this time around, but I liked it! It kept everyone on their toes, broke the ice and added some extra excitement to the standard ‘meet & greet.’”
October 2021 - Beating Burnout
According to Insider, more than 61% of American employees said they were currently "at least somewhat burned out." Workers are getting burnt out at alarming rates, causing burnout to be a hot topic discussed in every industry.
The blurred lines between work and home, and the exhaustion of the past year has led to the so-called “Great Resignation,” with a monthly total of 4 million employees quitting their jobs from April to June 2021.
At Setup, we noticed Zoom fatigue and exhaustion from our network, so we hosted a Zoom event to create a safe, inspirational space for leaders to discuss how they deal with burnout on a personal and professional level.
“I always like sharing ideas and meeting new people and these events always fit the bill.”
August 2021 - An Inside Look into the Client-Agency Relationship
As the expert marketing matchmakers, Setup prides ourselves on knowing the ins and outs of the agency-client relationship. After countless matches and conversations with both parties + yearly surveys tracking trends in the relationship, we’ve managed to highlight a few common themes.
In our latest virtual #MarketingMixer, we presented these findings to a group of marketing leaders from both the client and agency sides.
June 2021 - Marketing Group Therapy
At Setup, we prioritize creating a safe space for communication between our client-side and agency-side marketers, and what better way to do that than through a therapy session.
Prior to our group therapy session, we had to identify what problems our community was facing. We asked attendees to submit challenges they encounter from different aspects of their business. During the event, we shared several challenges submitted with our marketing professionals, and together we conceptualized ways to overcome them.
“It was nice to hear how other people in marketing are facing the same challenges that I do. Makes you feel like you’re not on an island.”
April 2021 - The Marketing Multiverse: Marketing in Small, Medium + Large Companies
The Marketing Multiverse: Marketing in Small, Medium + Large Companies featured a panel of marketers with similar job roles from different sized beverage companies sharing their unique perspectives and experiences. The CEO of Arden's Garden, Leslie Zinn, represented the small company, the CMO of SweetWater Brewing Company, Brian Miesieski, represented the mid-sized company, and the Group Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Freestyle at The Coca-Cola Company, Eric Lewis, represented the larger company.
“Love this group, love the happy feeling, interesting people to meet! Always great content and something to learn and share.”
February 2021 - Business Matchmaking + Networking
In preparation of our favorite holiday, we hosted a virtual speed-dating event that featured a business matchmaking presentation by Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, followed by a brief networking session.
“These types of thing are not my comfort zone, but the format made it natural to connect.”
November 2020 - Ins[peer]ation Discussion Recap
Our November #MarketingMixer focused on providing an avenue for marketers to share their trials and triumphs during 2020. This intimate event allowed marketing professionals to network directly with one another in breakout rooms, and then share their successes and obstacles with one another in the main room. Marketers walked away with new insights, connections, and the desire to learn more from different industries and perspectives.
Read the full recap with key points from the discussion here!
“It’s great to pause and talk to other marketing and advertising executives.”
September 2020 - Network + Learn Featuring Melissa Proctor
We leaned into our matchmaking mantra and hosted a virtual interview and networking event featuring the EVP + CMO of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, Melissa Proctor. In this special virtual event, Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, shared a conversation with Proctor, and then attendees were broken out into seperate rooms to network.
“Pleasantly surprised with the format and thoroughly enjoyed the interview of Melissa Proctor. It was the most productive hour I’ve had in a long time.”
July 2020 - Capability Showcase
At Setup, we work with some of the finest marketing agencies across the nation with an array of capabilities. Our virtual July mixer gave our partners a platform to share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into their process and gave viewers the opportunity to experience 14 different case studies from established brands in 90 minutes. Expert agency presenters walked participants through their dynamic approaches and successful strategies to pull off extraordinary campaigns.
“I enjoyed the breadth and variety of campaigns showcased and I learned something new from each of them.”
May 2020 - The Bright Side: Promoting Positivity During the Pandemic
In true Setup fashion, we hosted a virtual panel focusing on the "bright side" of the current challenges faced by marketers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 100+ attendees joined to hear the relevant and insightful dialogue between esteemed panelists Julie Bowerman, the Chief Global Digital Consumer and Customer Experience Officer at The Kellogg Company; Tim Minahan, the EVP Business Strategy and Chief Marketing Officer at Citrix; and Douwe Bergsma, the Chief Marketing Officer at Piedmont Healthcare.
“Setup™ creates a truly unique forum for marketers and agencies to interact and learn from each other with a nice mix of education and entertainment.”
February 2020 - Valentine’s Day Speed Dating
Our favorite day of the year is Valentine’s Day! We celebrate it by hosting our annual speed-dating event to matchmake the finest marketers around!
“I always find value in the Setup™ events. They provide a great forum to connect with peers and agencies in a non-sales environment.
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October 2019 - Getting C-Suite Buy-in
A marketer without an aligned team can oftentimes be powerless. By gathering a number of decision making marketers to pick their brains and assess how they deal with their executive teams, we unlocked key secrets to developing a successful relationship with the C-Suite.
“An innovative approach to collaboration that breaks down the traditional walls between marketers and agencies.”
August 2019 - Show + Tell
For our Show + Tell breakfast, we invited six marketing leaders from different industries - The Coca-Cola Company, Salesforce, Atlanta Braves, ParkMobile, High Museum of Art, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber - to share a recent successful marketing initiative.
“I love attending these events where I can meet other members of the Atlanta marketing community and share best practices.”
May 2019 - Marketing Talent
Annelle Barnett, the CEO of Setup™’s recruiting partner Marketing Mob, lead a discussion on how to find, select, and retain marketing talent. Marketers from both the client and agency side engaged in the conversation with best practices and insights regarding recruiting top-tier marketing talent.
“I enjoy and appreciate the discussions with industry peers on topics that affect my day to day operations as well as bigger picture initiatives. ”
February 2019 - Speed-Dating
Valentine’s day morning, marketers entered the Miami Ad School @ Portfolio Center ready to network their hearts out at our ever-popular speed-dating #MarketersBreakfast event. Read the whole event recap here!
“Setup™ does a great job figuring out the best ways to start meaningful conversations that lead to long-standing relationships. ”
December 2018 - New Year, New Marketing Initiatives
This quarter, the breakfast served as a reflection of 2018 marketing efforts. Attendees discussed many topics, including the value of specialist agencies, the growing number of in-house agencies, and the key differences between client-side marketers and agency-side marketers.
“You sure know how to pull great marketers as well as inspiring agencies together. It was a ton of fun and great conversations. First class, hands down.”
August 2018 - The Agency-Client Relationship
Over the past four months, Setup has been conducting its first annual Marketing Relationship Survey, where we talk to senior-level marketers from major brands about their agency relationships. At this #MarketersBreakfast, we gave attendees a sneak peek of the fascinating insights we've uncovered.
Read the full recap, event photos, and preview some of the key insights discussed here.
“Setup™ puts on great events that educate clients and agencies on emerging marketing trends and allow for low pressure opportunities to meet marketers in the community.”
May 2018 - Marketing Tools
To lead this breakfast’s discussion, Setup invited Christien Louviere from SellPersonal to discuss marketing tools and the best practices for selecting a proper tool for a company. Louviere answered several questions about how he helps clients evaluate and select new tools and the process to replace tools.
“Setup™ delivers value from their personal introductions, partner referals, staffing introductions, education, and networking that provides a big bang. ”
February 2018 - Marketers Speed-Dating
This year, we brought back our famous "speed-dating" format, pairing senior brand marketers with each of our agency partners for five minutes. We gave each table conversation cards - but the conversations grew organically! Although speed dating can seem “forced,” attendees described the event as “easy-going.” The format encouraged natural conversations with people who may not have met otherwise. You can find pictures from the event and read the full event recap here.
“Setup™ takes the ‘work’ out of networking.”
December 2017 - Creating a Customer Experience Breakfast
Kelley Mitchell Price, the Global Director of Digital Product Strategy & Experience Design, from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) was the centerpiece of the discussion, sharing insights from her 15 years focusing on exceeding customer expectations. Read the full event recap/pictures here.
“Setup™ is masterful pulling together marketers for events that have real value.”
August 2017 - Creativity in the Workplace Breakfast
Marketing is all about creativity. The goal of this particular event was all about igniting creativity in attendees. The discussion revolved around how to stay creative in marketing. Then, we challenged each marketer to create something with modeling clay. The results were intriguing! Read the full event recap here.
“It was an inspirational topic, good people were in attendance, and it was a nice venue with good food! 10/10”
May 2017 - Marketing Measurement Breakfast
During this event, we wanted to gain insights from senior marketers and agency leadership about how they measure the performance of their marketing initiatives. Setup solicited questions in advance from the marketers to serve as a catalyst for the discussion. Read the full event recap here.
“Setup™ makes me smarter. They connect me with people, tools, and resources that enable me to be more effective in my job.”
February 2017 - "Group Therapy" Valentine's Breakfast
The relationship between marketing agencies and their clients has always been notoriously disconnected. Marketers are known as masters of mass communication, yet ironically, many are amateurs when it comes to communicating with one another. So for this Valentine's event, Setup (formerly AgencySparks) aimed to address some of the common issues marketers face on both sides of the industry. Read the full event recap here.
