"Agency Culture and the Evolution of a Digital Agency" with Dan Khabie, CEO of Digitaria
October 20
When:
10.20.2011, 7:45am to 9:30am
Where:
International Market Square
275 Market Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55405
Cost:
$15 members and students, $40 nonmembers. Add $10 after 5 pm on Oct. 17.
Event Files
Join Dan Khabie, the CEO of Digitaria, as he shares his story about building a successful digital agency outside of Madison Avenue. With local roots, Dan believes growing up in Minnesota had a significant impact on getting his career started.
Dan will speak about the importance of creating and sustaining agency culture. He will also discuss how Digitaria attracted clients such as NBC, MTV, NFL, Warner Bros., and Qualcomm, got into the right verticals, built the brand and strategically selected key acquisitions to help the company continue to grow and evolve. Lastly he will touch on Digitaria’s acquisition last year by WPP, the world’s largest marketing services holding company, and how it will impact business, culture and "the work" going forward.
Dan Khabie has been Digitaria's leader since the company’s 1997 launch. His strategic vision and direction is a primary reason the company experienced at first steady and then rapid growth, and is now among the most highly regarded digital design, strategy, technology and marketing firms in the United States.
Khabie built the company’s reputation through its partnership with major brands -- NBC, MTV, NFL, Warner Bros., Comcast, Qualcomm -- as well as the launch and optimization of highly effective digital strategies that build strong and sustainable online relationships between these brands and consumers.
From Digitaria’s early days as a boutique digital creative shop, Khabie has gradually added and acquired divisions in the areas of analytics, search engine optimization, sports, digital marketing and advertising to create a full service integrated digital agency, one that blends memorable creative design with innovative technology and services.
In 2006, Khabie led the acquisition of Console, a technology services firm, which helped spark the company’s record revenue run: Through 2009, CEO Khabie oversaw four consecutive years of 100 percent revenue growth, including a year of deep recession. Since then, as the company reached a point of significant critical mass, the firm’s growth has held in a steady 35-40% range, and led to its acquisition by WPP, the world’s largest marketing services holding company, in August 2010. It has since been aligned with JWT, the world’s best known global advertising network.
A charismatic and natural presenter, Khabie speaks several times a year at industry events. His thought leadership has been featured in The New York Times, Advertising Age, DM News, Adweek, Success Magazine and many other general and trade publications. During Khabie’s tenure, Digitaria has won significant industry recognition for its creative work, including Webby Awards, a national Addy, several WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association, Summit Creative Awards, and the FWA Awards.
Additionally, Khabie is involved in the fellowship program for the Entrepreneurial Management Center at San Diego State University, serves on the board of the San Diego Ad Club, and remains active with regional non-profits such as the Tony award-winning La Jolla Playhouse.
Discussion
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| 6.20.2013 | Ad Fed/Ad 2 Pub Crawl |  |
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