January 16, 2025
Washington DC

Event Sponsors

Agenda

Thursday, 01/16

8:00 AM ET
8:00 AM ET
Registration & Coffee Service
8:30 AM ET
8:30 AM ET
Breakfast Buffet Opens
9:15 AM ET
9:15 AM ET
Opening Remarks
MCS
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
Albert Thompson, Managing Director of Digital Innovation, Walton Isaacson 
9:30 AM ET
9:30 AM ET
Panel: Buying Influence: Are Creators the New Political Media?
Podcasting took a central role in the Presidential campaign, but influencers, TikTokers, creator media generally offered more authentic connections to voters across the ballot. But how are these post-mass media outlets best organized, scaled and amplified?
Moderator
Albert Thompson, Managing Director of Digital Innovation, Walton Isaacson 
PanelistS
Taylor Black, Chief Marketing Officer, NRCC 
Elizabeth Booker Houston, JD, MPH and Creator, @bookersquared 
Alex Bruesewitz, Advisor to President Trump and CEO, X Strategies LLC 
Daniela Hernandez, Deputy Director, Digital Partnerships, Harris for President 
10:00 AM ET
10:00 AM ET
Keynote: Politics and the Art of Consumer Branding
Former Clinton pollster and advisor, now holding company CEO, Mark Penn has argued about the intersection of political with consumer brand campaigning for over a decade. But what can brands learn from the successes and failures of this cycle? About the limited effectiveness of media? About the accuracy of ad targeting, and the polling that drives it? About the future power of branding?
Interviewee
Mark Penn, CEO, Stagwell 
Interviewer
Joe Mandese, Editor-in-Chief, MediaPost 
10:30 AM ET
10:30 AM ET
Coffee & Networking Break
11:00 AM ET
11:00 AM ET
Panel: Message and Media Still Matter: Allocating Across Screens
Obscene gushers of cash flooded linear and CTV channels this cycle, and needles were moved. But is TV still just a blunt force “must-buy” or has it evolved its targeting and integration with more nuanced social, creator and GOTV efforts? Will campaigns capitalize on AI breakthroughs in video targeting and creation?
Moderator
Robert Aho, Partner, BrabenderCox 
PanelistS
Amanda Ach, Digital Director, Senate Majority PAC 
Tyler Goldberg, Director of Political Strategy, Assembly Global 
Cat Stern, Director of Paid Media, Harris for President 
11:35 AM ET
11:35 AM ET
Panel: Pennsylvania Inside & Out: A Case Study of the McCormick Campaign and SuperPAC Allies
In the definitive swing state of Pennsylvania, unseating an incumbent with legacy branding takes a village. The ways in which Republican David McCormick’s operation, the Senate Leadership Conference and independent expenditures pressed upon Bob Casey’s polling and incumbency advantage may be the playbook of the future for Republicans. The strategic role of SuperPACs in state elections and swarming the zone with key themes demonstrated how money and media still mattered in 2024.
Moderator
Tad Rupp, Partner, Targeted Victory 
PanelistS
Brendon DelToro, Founding Partner, Guidant Polling & Strategy 
Matt Gruda, Campaign Manager, McCormick for Pennsylvania 
Billy McBeath, Senior Advisor, Senate Leadership Fund 
12:10 PM ET
12:10 PM ET
Panel: The Targeting Playbook
How did Rs and Ds organize their targeting tactics? How did they segment and find their voters across the major platforms? This panel will highlight how each org/campaign utilized data to reach voters.
Moderator
Domenic Re, Political Director, Congressional Leadership Fund 
PanelistS
Andrew Claster, Consultant (Formerly President Obama's Deputy Chief Analytics Officer), Claster Consulting 
Max Docksey, Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee 
Chris Wilson, CEO, EyesOver 
12:40 PM ET
12:40 PM ET
Networking Lunch
1:20 PM ET
1:20 PM ET
Keynote: Crowdsourcing the Turnout Machine: Trump’s Next-Gen GOTV
Despite media reports of the Democrats’ doorknocker dominance in GOTV last fall, Republicans won turnout in a walk. As the RNC’s Christian Schaeffer explains, it was the result of building a digital infrastructure that empowered down ballot campaigns in the effort to register and activate beyond the base. Localized messaging off of the centralized VoteGOP site broke through the haze of nationalized appeals and helped drive historic Republican gains across the electorate.
Keynote
Christian Schaeffer, Chief Digital Officer, Republican National Committee 
1:50 PM ET
1:50 PM ET
Case Study: Personality Matters: The Rivet Campaign’s Media/Messaging Formula
Running well ahead of the top of the ticket in Michigan’s 8th District, the Congressional campaign of Kristen McDonald Rivet (“KMR”) demonstrated the power of breakthrough, personable messaging that dominates all channels. Her campaign and agency explore the ways in which her direct-to-camera approach made bread and butter issues resonate and diffused negative attacks.
PresenterS
AJ Lenar, Partner, Co-Founder, Declaration Media 
Trey Nix, Partner, Co-Founder, Declaration Media 
Shane Wolfe, Campaign Manager, Kristen McDonald Rivet for Congress 
2:15 PM ET
2:15 PM ET
Coffee & Networking Break
2:40 PM ET
2:40 PM ET
Panel: Beyond Identity Politics: Rethinking Multicultural Outreach
As ethnic voting blocs splintered and redefined themselves in this cycle, the multicultural marketing playbook had to scramble. It has gotten very complicated very quickly. How did a range of campaigns rethink cultural segmentation, identity, and messaging as a new generation of intersectional voters went off the old media grid altogether?
Moderator
Albert Thompson, Managing Director of Digital Innovation, Walton Isaacson 
PanelistS
Niamba Baskerville, Black Outreach Lead, Paid Media, Harris for President 
Tom Blake, Senior Vice President, Fenton 
Sam Oh, Vice President, Targeted Victory 
Maddison Stewart, Deputy Political Director, Republican State Leadership Committee 
3:20 PM ET
3:20 PM ET
Panel: The Bright Shiny Fundraising Objects of Campaign 2026
The Email, SMS, TV/CTV, social media channels were overwhelmed by messaging last year, and much of it was ignored, unsubscribed, skipped or stopped. And yet unprecedented billions poured in. What tools, tricks, and techniques proved most effective in breaking through the noise? Is AI poised to help? Are platforms rethinking policies? Will Campaign 2026 look much different from Campaign 2024?
Moderator
Barbie Romero, Director, Event Programming, MediaPost 
PanelistS
Gregory Butcher, President, Alamo Intelligence, LLC (Formerly Director of Digital, Congressional Leadership Fund) 
Laura Carlson, Chief Digital Officer, Democratic Governors Association 
Cliff Naylor, Chief Digital Fundraising Officer, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee 
Jason Weinstein, Chief Product Officer, Revv Fundraising Platform 
4:00 PM ET
4:00 PM ET
Cocktail Reception Hotel bar, first floor - cash bar

Venue

Washington Marriott at Metro Center
775 12th Street NW
Washington, DC, District Of Columbia, 20005

In a city where access is currency, Washington Marriott at Metro Center ushers you to the front of the line at the intersection of D.C.'s political and social scene. Our hotel's premier downtown location near Metro Center gives you easy passage to Washington's key players, whether you've come to lobby Congress or see the National Mall. With their signature Commitment to Clean, guests can enjoy a heated indoor pool and 24/7 fitness center that cater to active lifestyles. Stylish hotel rooms in Metro Center offer Marriott's luxury bedding package and spa-like marble bathrooms with Washington D.C. views as a dynamic backdrop.  It is not only about where you are staying, it's about where you are going.

Booking your Room at Washington Marriott at Metro Center
To secure a room for MediaPost's Marketing Politics, you MUST be a registered attendee of the conference. If you ARE NOT registered in our event system you will NOT be able to retain any reserved room under our discount booking link below.  Any reservations made WITHOUT event registration will be revoked. You may register for the event here.

To book your discounted room at Washington Marriott at Metro Center, go to:
https://book.passkey.com/e/50933560

This discounted room block will EXPIRE on Friday, 12/17/24!!

If your room is not booked by this time, you will run the risk of prices increasing and hotel inventory becoming unavailable, so please book as soon as possible.

Washington Marriott at Metro Center

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Speaker Consideration

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Sponsorships

For questions regarding sponsorship of this event please contact Seth Oilman, SVP, Chief Revenue Officer at seth@mediapost.com.

Press

For press inquiries, please contact Ken Fadner at ken@mediapost.com.

General

For general summit inquiries please contact Seth Oilman, SVP, Chief Revenue Officer at seth@mediapost.com.

VIP Program

For questions about or to apply to the VIP Program please contact Kevin Massa, Manager of Brand & Agency Relations at massa@mediapost.com.

Quality Pledge

MediaPost strives for excellence in its coverage of media, marketing and advertising. Our mission is to critically engage key questions for brand marketers, media buyers, sellers and emerging platforms. We choose speakers exclusively for their ability to bring perspective and insight to our stage. All conferences are programmed by proven, expert, unbiased journalists. MediaPost has never and will never engage in "pay to play" conferencing.