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The April Advertising – Branding Event: The Evening Keynote Roundtables Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 Keynote Roundtables: Session I: 8 pm – 8:50 pm Eastern Time Zone Microdrama at Scale: Format, IP, and Monetization Speakers Confirmed: Joanna Popper, founder, Laurel Beach, Founder, & Co-Founder, SatireAI, Moderator Shicong Zhu, Head of Studio (LA), Dramabox Speakers to be announced Session II: AI & Cinematic Creativity: A Roundtable of AI Filmmakers & Creators Speakers Confirmed Charlie Fink, Producer, Podcast Host, Author, Adjunct, Columnist, Covering AI, XR, Metaverse for Forbes, Moderator Jeff Gipson, Creative Director, Operative Games, former Creative Executive, Disney & Universal Katya Alexander, Head of Production, Fable Studios Jason Zada, founder, Secret Level Nik Kleverov, CCO, Native Foreign Larry Cutler, CTO and Co-Founder, Baobab Studios 9 pm – 9:45 pm Eastern Time Zone Session I: Brand + Agency + Technology = Next Level of Strategies & Partnerships Speakers Confirmed Dennis Bajec, Partner, User Experience & IBM Distinguished Designer Elav Horwitz, Chief Innovation Officer, WPP Mark Figlilulo, Founder and Creative Chairman, FIG Rhonda Hiatt, Global CEO, M+C Saatchi Consulting Stephanie Layser, Global Head of Publisher Ad Tech Solutions, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Sarah Buckler, Chief Operating Officer, Fifty Thousand Feet, Moderator 9 pm – 9:45 pm – Eastern Time Zone Session II: The Creator Economy & Unique Vision: Algos, Analytics & Monetization Speakers Confirmed Zach Katz, co-founder, Fixated Aaron Sisto, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Chronicle Studios Jessica Berger, Senior Vice President, Innovation, Publicis Media Francis Mekhail, Head of Creative, First Round Collective Adrienne Lahens, CEO, Infinite Studios, former, Global Head, TikTok Creator Marketing, Moderator

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PlantCon International

How Parking Lot Meetups of 50 People Became the Nation’s Largest Plant Convention with 10,000 people.

This August 2025, PlantCon is traveling to New York City backed by some of the largest global names in the plant industry, including Kunzo Nishihata, a legend in the rare plant world from Hyogo, Japan; Summer Rayne Oakes, a renown YouTube star who pioneered the trend of bringing greenery into industrial spaces; and even The New York Botanical Garden. But, this grassroots movement didn’t always start with big names or major venues, it began with parking lots, tent weights, passionate hobbyists, and plant cuttings.

In 2020, when the world was shutting down, small online communities were seeing hoards of plant enthusiasts hit the scene. Loss of connection was so tangible that a household hobby like plant care was seeing a rise. Plant enthusiasts would join online marketplaces to meet up, sell plants, and share plant care tips – Kenny Nguyen, founder of PlantCon International, being one of them.

Kenny began to organize local meet ups in a furniture store parking lot for the community to gather, trade plants, and connect. What is usually an isolating indoor hobby, became a space for those who craved connection. Quick parking lot exchanges quickly became full day events. People lingered, laughed, and formed lasting friendships. As mass layoffs began and financial insecurities burdened families, plant sellers began relying on the income from the popups. In the midst of a global crisis, plants brought a sense of stability, comfort, and togetherness.

From there, the Houston Plant Market was born, helping local sellers sustain their businesses year-round. A scrappy team of three began hosting pop-ups in breweries, parks, and creative spaces across the city. Then, in 2022, PlantCon made its official debut, a 60 booth convention with no sponsors, no keynote speakers, and just four staff members. Over 2,000 people showed up. It was clear that this passion project had evolved into a movement.

Today, PlantCon steps into New York City for the very first time and will have over 10,000 people in attendance. The same familiar faces will travel for miles to see the show and new enthusiasts join the PlantCon community each year. From its humble beginnings in Houston, to New York City, and now scoping new cities to expand to next – PlantCon’s story is truly a reminder that with vision, community, and a whole lot of heart, you can grow something small into a movement that touches thousands.

“PlantCon has been such a labor of love,” says Kenny. “Building it up block by block over the years within our local community in Houston to bringing it all the way to Manhattan is unbelievable. I’m so thankful that so many people have found profound value in what we’re doing, and that the reception has been overwhelming no matter where we’ve been.”

Event Details

What: PlantCon International – New York

Where: The Seaport Level 4 at Pier 17 | 89 South St, New York, NY 10038

When: August 30–31, 2025

Tickets: plantcon.org/tickets-purchasenyc

About With Heart Collective

With Heart Collective is a non-profit event and production team focused on creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses and their customers. Their mission is to provide educational resources and support in areas such as tax compliance, branding, marketing and more, while fostering connections and promoting diversity within the community. Under With Heart Collective, the nonprofit organization includes Houston Plant Market, PlantCon International, Heart of Hou, The Vendor Alliance, and The Little Plant Library. As a proud AAPI, BIPOC, and Queer-led organization, With Heart Collective is dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices and promoting equity in entrepreneurship.

Press Contact

Eli Marcus

motivatea2z@gmail.com
plantcon.org/nyc-home
withheart.co

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/nychappenings

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Circus Center is internationally recognized for training in circus arts for children and adults. Under Master Lu Yi’s leadership, the Circus Center’s training program has been built into one of the country’s best, training young performers who went on to win places in premiere circuses, circus schools, and touring companies around the world.
Highly respected within the circus industry, Lu Yi’s peers speak highly of his teachings and impact on those who have learned and worked with him.

“Among Master Lu Yi’s numerous contributions to the US circus community, one of the most visible is that he has probably taught everyone in the circus community how to hold a solid handstand – either himself or by one degree of separation,” said Jesse AlFord, incoming President of the American Youth Circus Organization.

In addition to announcing this prestigious award, AYCO is also launching a new branch of the organization, the American Circus Educators Association (ACE). This new branch is focused on supporting American circus educators. ACE is the trusted authority when it comes to all things circus education, such as professional development, safety guidelines, and networking.

“This a very exciting time for the circus community,” said Amy Cohen, Executive Director of AYCO. “With the announcement of the American Circus Educators Association, and the first ever Lifetime Achievement award given to Master Lu Yi, it is clear that the American circus education community is robust and our industry is evolving.”

This year’s award will be presented at the 2014 Circus Educators Conference, which will be held at and co-produced by the National Circus School Montreal (ENC) in Quebec, Canada. The conference runs from August 28th to September 1st and will feature a pre-conference focus group on safety, a variety of keynote speakers, social events, and 60 workshops presented by circus educators from nine different countries. Workshop examples include “Jugglers Anonymous” and “Mental Health in Social Circus”, as well as tours of the nearby Cirque du Soleil Headquarters.

Registration is currently open at americancircuseducators.org/events. For more information, or to arrange interviews and receive high-resolution photos, please contact Becki Cooper at 440-227-8794 or becki@rebeccaadele.com.

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THE AMERICAN CIRCUS EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION

The American Circus Educators Association is a branch of the American Youth Circus Organization that supports circus educators. AYCO and ACE work to connect, assist, advocate, and set safety standards for youth circus organizations, educators, and professionals across the United States. For more information visit www.americanyouthcircus.org and www.americancircuseducators.org

THE CIRCUS CENTER

Originally the training arm of San Francisco’s legendary Pickle Family Circus, Circus Center is today an internationally recognized training facility for the circus arts, offering recreational classes to thousands of adults and children year round. Its international faculty has performed in featured roles with elite circuses around the world, including the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe, Moscow Circus, Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, Teatro ZinZanni, and Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

MASTER LI YU

In his career, Master Li Yu worked for 33 years with China’s celebrated Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe, first as a star performer then as its Director. He was also Vice President of the Chinese Acrobats Association. During his long tenure with the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe, Master Lu Yi toured internationally, and his company was the first Chinese group to perform in Western circus productions, notably with Circus Knie in Switzerland and the Big Apple Circus in the US. He also taught circus arts for Circus Oz in Australia. In 1990, Master Lu Yi moved to the US to become Master Teacher and Artistic Director at Circus Center. He has judged international circus competitions in Paris, Monte Carlo, and China.

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Recipient and Finalists to Receive Cash Honorariums, with Generous Support and Resources Provided by the GRAMMY Foundation^®‘s Education Champions Box Tops For Education^®, Converse,

Ford Motor Company Fund, Journeys, And Microsoft Surface, With Additional Support From Universal Music Group

Inaugural Award will be Presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception during GRAMMY^® Week 2014

WHO:             A total of 10 music teachers from ten cities across eight states have been announced as finalists for the first annual Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy^® and the GRAMMY Foundation^®. In total, more than 30,000 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.

WHAT:           The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. A joint partnership and presentation of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation, this special award will have its inaugural presentation at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception honoring recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY^® Award during GRAMMY Week 2014.

As announced on the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® by President/CEO of The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Foundation Neil Portnow, TV and radio host/producer and GRAMMY Foundation Honorary Board Chair Ryan Seacrest, and six-time GRAMMY^® winner Justin Timberlake, the award was open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone could nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers were also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers were notified and invited to fill out an application.

One recipient will be selected from 10 finalists each year, and will be recognized for his/her remarkable impact on students’ lives. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award, attend the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony, and receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists also will receive matching grants. The honorariums and grants provided to the finalists and schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Foundation’s Education Champions Box Tops For Education^®, Converse, Ford Motor Company Fund, Journeys, and Microsoft Surface, with additional support from Universal Music Group.

WHEN:           A complete list of finalists is below. The winner will be announced in January. Applications for the second annual Music Educator Award are currently online; to nominate a teacher, visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. The deadline to nominate is March 31, 2014. The application process will adjust each year to allow the broad array of effective teaching styles and methods used in the discipline to be recognized and awarded.

First Name      Last Name                  School                                                 City                             State

Lisa                  Bianconi                      Kurn Hattin Homes for Children                     Westminster                 Vt.

Charles            Cushinery                    Ed W. Clark High School                     Las Vegas                    Nev.

Andrew                        DeNicola                     John P. Stevens High School               Edison                         N.J.

Vivian              Gonzalez                     South Miami K-8 Center                      Miami                          Fla.

Kent                 Knappenberger                        Westfield Academy and Central School          Westfield                     N.Y.

Kathrine           Kouns                          Horizon High School                           Scottsdale                    Ariz.

Glen                 McCarthy                     George Mason University                    Fairfax                         Va.

Steve                Vutsinas                       Grassfield High School                                    Chesapeake                 Va.

Jo                     Wallace-Abbie             Plano West Senior High School                       Plano                           Texas

Mary Jo           West                            George Mason High School                 Falls Church                Va.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like “The GRAMMYs” on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs’ social communities on Foursquare, GetGlue, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy^®, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students’ musical experiences, The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation are partnering to present their Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in kindergarten through college, the first Music Educator Award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception during GRAMMY Week 2014. To nominate a teacher for the second annual Music Educator Award, please visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like “GRAMMY in the Schools^®” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/grammyintheschools, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter @GRAMMYFdn at www.twitter.com/GRAMMYFdn and join us on Instagram @GRAMMYFdn at www.instagram.com/GRAMMYfdn.

America’s schools have earned more than $558 million through the Box Tops for Education^® program since the program started in 1996, including $80 million in the 2012–2013 school year alone. More than 90,000 schools use that cash to purchase items such as computers, library books, art supplies, and playground equipment. Schools can earn up to $20,000 by clipping Box Tops from 250 products and can earn eBoxTops® by shopping online through the Box Tops Marketplace. To learn more and for a list of participating products, visit www.btfe.com. Facebook at www.facebook.com/BoxTopsforEducation, Twitter at www.twitter.com/BTFE and Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/Boxtops.

Converse Inc., based in N. Andover, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as “America’s Original Sports Company” and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor^® All Star^® shoe, the Jack Purcell^® shoe and the One Star^® shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including lifestyle men’s, women’s and children’s footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 78 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information, visit media.converse.com.

Ford Motor Company Fund & Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. For more than 60 years, Ford Motor Company Fund has operated with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through national programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and dealers work on projects each year that better their communities in more than 40 countries. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com.

Journeys is a leader in the teen specialty retail scene, with more than 800 stores in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Journeys uses fashion savvy and merchandising science to keep in step with the fast-paced footwear and accessories market for 13- to 22-year-old guys and girls. Journeys offers a wide variety of trendy, relevant brands that cater to teens that seek the hottest, new styles. However, the Journeys store is more than a retail environment — it’s an extension of the teen lifestyle. From the plasma TVs playing exclusive content and the latest music videos, to the visual merchandising strategy and promotions, to the employees whose image and style reflect the customers’ lifestyle and attitude. In addition, Journeys reaches its customers through www.journeys.com, a mobile website, catalog, national advertising, strategic cross-promotions, social media and grass-roots events like the Noise Tour. Journeys — An Attitude You Can Wear! Journeys is a division of Genesco Inc.

Microsoft’s Surface tablet is designed to be the one device for everything in your life. Every Surface offers ports, Office, and covers on which you can type. Whatever you want to imagine, create, and share—Surface makes it possible to do it all. And more. For more information about Surface, please visit ww.surface.com.

Universal Music Group is the global music leader, with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry’s premier music publishing operations worldwide. Universal Music Group’s labels include A&M/Octone, Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note Records, Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, EMI Records Nashville, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Harvest, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, Manhattan, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world’s most popular artists and their recordings. UMG’s catalogue is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division and Bravado, its merchandising company. Universal Music Group is a fully owned subsidiary of Vivendi.

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Details on all these below….

Conference Schedule is Live

The DKC schedule provides you detailed insight on how to create best-selling digital toys, games and media services for kids. Sessions include:

– Deciphering Trends and Numbers
– The Toy Model Disruption
– Reinventing a Heritage Brand for Young Digital Consumers
– Personalized Play: Making Kids the Star of the Show
– Revenue Models: Maximizing Acquisition, Retention, and Revenue
– “Digital Kids” Live on Stage!
– Keynote:  Content That’s Over-the-Top (OTT) – Todd Yellin, VP of Product Innovation, Netflix
– The Truth About Effective Using Social Media to Reach Mom, Dad and the Kids in the App World
– Digital Family Entertainment
– Keeping Children Safe with The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
– Tales from Toy Fair: A Sit-in with Journalist, Analysts and Buyers

View the full schedule at http://digitalkidscon.com/schedule/

Keynote From Netflix 

Todd’s current role as VP of Product Innovation for Netflix revolves around changing the way tens of millions of members find great streaming content to watch over the internet on their TVs, computers and mobile devices.  He is responsible for the member and non-member experiences across hundreds of devices and the algorithms that make it easy to find something great to watch.

Three years ago he created a great place for kids to watch a wide variety of great content on Netflix. Don’t miss this session to learn how streaming devices such as smart TVs, tablets, smart phones, gaming consoles and set top boxes (over-the-top —OTT—devices that stream Internet-based content) have redefined how kids consume their video entertainment. Todd will speak at 9:00 am – 9:45 am on Wednesday, February 19, 2014.

Save $400 with Early Registration by November 15th

We are offering a special Super Early Bird Registration rate of $495 until November 15th. This is our lowest rate, saving you $400 off the onsite price. You DKC ticket also gets you into  Toy Fair – a $175 savings!

Your Digital Kids Conference ticket includes:

– Access to all Digital Kids Conference sessions (2 days)
– Access to Toy Fair show floor (4 days)
– Access to Exclusive networking and parties

Plus more to be announced soon.

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