The Experience Advantage — Why Human Connection Matters More Than Ever

As AI transforms the marketing landscape, brands are turning to experiential to create the kind of human connection algorithms can’t replicate. Hear from leaders shaping the future of experience-driven marketing as they share how immersive moments drive loyalty, cultural relevance, and measurable results. Walk away with adaptable strategies you can apply whether you’re running national programs or operating as a team of one.

Strategic Takeaways

1. Understand why experiential marketing may be the antidote to AI overload and how human-first, sensory-rich experiences cut through digital saturation to forge deeper emotional connection.
2. Learn practical frameworks and real-world examples for crafting meaningful experiences, whether you manage a large experiential budget or operate as a scrappy, resource-constrained team.
3. Leave with actionable ideas and creative tactics that apply across both consumer and B2B marketing ensuring every attendee walks away with insights they can immediately use.

Agenda

6 p.m. Doors open, networking begins
6:30 p.m. AMA Chicago president introduces the speakers
6:40 p.m. Speakers’ presentations begin
7:30 p.m. Q&A 
7:55 p.m. Wrap-up

Speakers

Meredith Diehn
SVP of Marketing
goodwipes

Meredith is a seasoned marketing leader with 20 years of experience driving growth and building beloved consumer brands. Currently SVP of Marketing at goodwipes, she’s redefining hygiene with bold, category-disrupting strategies. Previously, she led brand and omnichannel marketing at Perfect Snacks, and spent over a decade at PepsiCo spearheading innovation, integrated marketing and consumer insights across Tropicana and Quaker. Meredith holds a BBA in Marketing and Sociology from Emory University and brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic rigor and consumer insight to every brand she touches.

Meredith’s LinkedIn

Brook Jay
Founder & CEO
All Terrain

For over 25 years, Brook Jay has been a trailblazer in experiential marketing, redefining how brands authentically connect with culture and community. As the Founder and CEO of All Terrain — the first female-founded experiential agency in the U.S. — she has built a legacy of crafting measurable, emotionally resonant brand experiences for top brands including Ferrari, Bacardi, PepsiCo, Nike and Heineken. Her team also played a key role in producing the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, showcasing how creativity can unite civic pride, culture and community at scale.

Brook is equally committed to social impact, supporting organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Foundation and PAWS Chicago, and previously serving on the board of WITS (Working in the Schools). She is a dedicated mentor and advocate for women’s rights and emerging entrepreneurs. Her leadership has earned national recognition, including honors from J.P. Morgan Chase (“100 Women to Know in America”), MSN’s Top Women Disruptors, the New York Journal’s Top Entrepreneurs to Watch and Titan 100’s list of top Chicago executives. A connector and visionary, Brook continues to champion creativity with purpose — bridging brands, people and causes that move the world forward.

Brook’s LinkedIn

Andrea Orth
Founder & President
4Orth Marketing

Andrea Orth is a seasoned marketing strategist and experiential leader with 30+ years of agency and brand-side experience. As the founder and president of 4Orth Marketing, where she helps brands drive growth through strategy, organizational transformation and immersive experiences, and she’s actively driving the growth and curation of CMORoom, a community of senior marketing leaders. A certified yoga teacher and wellness retreat curator, Andrea integrates mindfulness and intentional leadership into the experiences she creates.

Andrea’s LinkedIn

Moderator

Tim Carr
Senior Director of Product Marketing
Oracle

Tim shapes the messaging, positioning, and narrative strategy for Oracle’s Consumer Industries portfolio across retail, restaurants, and hospitality. With a background that blends B2C brand building, ad tech, data strategy, and sales leadership, Tim has worked across the full spectrum of consumer engagement—from point-of-sale technology to loyalty, personalization, and real-time customer experience.

Before his Consumer Industries role, Tim spent nearly seven years with Oracle Advertising and more than a decade in consumer goods at Pfizer, giving him a rare end-to-end view of how brands attract, convert, and retain customers. His work centers on how AI, data, and real-world experiences are reshaping commerce and what it means to shop, dine, travel, and connect.

Outside of work, you’ll often find Tim running along the Lakefront Trail or participating in local races with his wife and two children.

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