In addition, event organiser Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery has introduced live podcasts of the seminar sessions.

"The best way to build on knowledge, industry trends and skill sets is to open your mind to constant learning and to not be complacent. Our aim at Madex is to instigate learning and discussion among both seasoned marketing specialists and those new to the industry so that the fast changes happening in business can be used advantageously," says Nick Sarnadas, portfolio director at Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery.

"The Madex 2019 speakers have been hand-picked for their ability to inform and inspire the marketing, advertising and design industry," adds Sarnadas.

Discussions take place within the two Madex seminar theatres — The Fundamentals and The Marketing Academy — and the full programme can be viewed at www.madex.co.za, or by downloading the Madex app from App Store or Google Play.

Speakers include Boni Mchunu, general manager at East Coast Radio, and Kevin Fine, general manager of Jacaranda FM, who will focus on the topics ‘It takes two: where marketing ends and branding begins’ and ‘Creating micro content: Effective design strategies for mobile marketing’ respectively.

Jodene Shaer, author of the book The Holistic Entrepreneur, will aim to demonstrate what a life of courage, consciousness and a sense of humour looks like and will tackle ‘The future of social media in the world of digital marketing’.

Vlogger and seasoned sales veteran Dave Rampersand delves into ‘How artificial intelligence and machine learning are modifying modern marketing’, while Shanei Bornman, CEO of digital marketing agency Born Intelligence, provides details on ‘How lead generation drives ecommerce success’.

Brett Perlstein, who carved out a niche offering in the Google agency landscape, will take the audience on a journey of ‘Customer experience strategies to reserve, bolster and enhance market share for SMEs’.

‘Digital Marketing Trends: Experts insights on how to gain a competitive edge’ will be presented by entrepreneur and speaker Dylan Kohlstädt. Nick Gribb, chief executive of radio at Kagiso Media, will talk about ‘Relationship ROI — Expanding business growth by magnifying relationships online’.

More topics up for discussion include ‘Harnessing social media data: Insights to improve marketing strategy’ by Leon Marinus and ‘The future of e-mail marketing’, which will be presented by Karyn Strybos, the brand manager of Everlytic. Also, finalist in L'Oreal’s global Brandstorm competition Mikhaila Hunter will aim to take participants on a ‘Storytelling for a Connected World’ journey.

'Future-proofing your business: How to ensure your business delivers the results you expect’ will be tackled by Bert Weeninck, who has had a successful 30-year stint in the FMCG industry.

Mike Byron, creative director and author of the book 29 Explanations why video will deliver more success, has run numerous workshops and delivered many talks on video marketing. At Madex 2019, he will speak about ‘How video marketing changed in 2018 — and what that means for 2019’.

Consultants Darryl Comley-White and Katherine Marriott will assist the audience in the important tasks of ‘Converting prospects to customers: augmenting your digital strategy’ and ‘The art of integrating your communication platforms for a better customer experience’ respectively.

"Speakers at Madex 2019 focus on what you need to do and know now so that you can immediately excel in both the real and digital realms," adds Sarnadas.

Register to attend Madex 2019 by visiting www.madex.co.za. The entrance cost to the expo is R50, payable online, or R100 on-site at the show. Entrance will give individuals access to all of this content, the interactive exhibition floor, give-aways, competitions, the Colour-in Wall, the New Product Display and more.

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For more information, visit www.madex.co.za. You can also follow Madex on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.