Held in UT Austin Moody College of Communication buildings

(CMB) Jesse H. Jones Communication Center – Building B, 2504 Whitis Ave.

(HSM) Hearst Student Media, 2504 Whitis Ave.

(DMC) G. B. Dealey Center for New Media, 300 W Dean Keaton St.

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue sessions will be held in Dean’s Briefing Room

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative sessions will be held in Dean’s Presentation Room

 

9 a.m. — Light Breakfast

CMB Studio 6B

Sponsored by Trooh

10 a.m. —Welcome & Keynote Speaker

CMB Studio 6B

Fireside Chat: The Business of Live Music

Austin has long been touted as the Live Music Capital of the World. Step inside Studio 6B, directly across from the original home of the legendary Austin City Limits television program, for a special conversation that will take you behind the scenes of the music industry. Expert panelists from the city’s leading event venues, promoters, and producers will share what drives sponsorships and successful partnerships, how marketing budget allocations are decided, and the skills and experience you’ll need on your resume to break into the business.

Speakers:

• Andy Langer (Moderator) Program Director, Moritz Center for Societal Impact, UT Austin & Longtime Music Journalist & On-Air Personality
• Brian Block, Entertainment Services Manager: Austin Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment
• Gaby DeLeon, Partner Programming, SXSW
• Leila Samhat, Director of Marketing, Moody Center
• Anna Wong, Director, Regional Marketing at Live Nation Entertainment

11:15 a.m. — Breakout Session 1

DMC 5th floor

Key Steps to Effective Prospecting and a New Business Development Pipeline

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue

Bob Mackay

Learn how to identify new prospects, build an effective outreach strategy, and develop a sustainable pipeline of potential clients. This session will explore practical prospecting techniques, strategies for initiating conversations, and best practices for turning leads into long-term advertising partnerships.

Creating Smarter with Canva

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative

Markesha Wattree, Canva Learning Consultant

Learn how Canva can help student media teams create stronger, more engaging content across platforms. This interactive session will explore practical creative skills and tools students can take back and put to work within their own organizations.

12:15 p.m. — Breakout Session 2

DMC 5th floor

Don’t Sell an Ad, Solve a Problem

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue

Matt Fasano & Sarah Fowler, NEXT GEN·TEAM

Great sales start with understanding what a client needs, not what you have to sell. In this session, we’ll explore how to turn client goals into creative campus marketing opportunities, use your audience knowledge as a sales advantage, and leverage AI to help research, brainstorm and strengthen your pitch.

Take the Plunge into Building a Brand

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative

Aaron Weiss & Amanda Shaftel, Cowboy Pools

Founders Aaron Weiss and Amanda Shaftel started Cowboy Pools amidst a pandemic and accomplished a feat that only brands like Kleenex, Tupperware and ChapStick have achieved: building a name that has become synonymous with its product category. Learn what it took to start their stock tank pool company, how they’ve positioned their business in a field of emerging competition, and what advice they have for young marketers and entrepreneurs.

1:15 p.m. — Lunch Break On your own

Area Dining Map (PDF)

2:15 p.m. — Welcome Back & Prize Giveaway

DMC 5th floor

Energy drinks sponsored by SNO Sites

2:30 p.m. — Breakout Session 3

DMC 5th floor

From Followers to Revenue

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue

Sasha Kalinia & Will Louis, The University of Texas at Austin

Student media has something advertisers want: an authentic connection with the campus community. Learn how to turn that connection into revenue by developing a successful student influencer program, from building the foundation to creating opportunities for advertisers.

Spot the Prompt: AI Ads Done Right, Done Wrong, and Done Without Telling Anyone.

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative

Erik Candiani, KXAN / Nexstar

Can you tell which ads were shot with a camera and which started as a prompt? This session puts your eye to the test with real examples of AI advertising that worked, ads that backfired, and what made the difference. Learn which AI tools are worth bringing into your own creative work, then tackle the questions clients are already raising: Should you accept AI-generated ads, what should your policy say, and do you owe your audience a label? You’ll leave with the beginnings of a framework for an AI ad policy you can adapt for your own use.

3:30 p.m. — Breakout Session 4

DMC 5th floor

Beyond Advertising: Building a Development Program within Student Media

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue

Barbara “Bob” Allen

What if student media could do more than sell advertising to generate revenue? This session explores how student media organizations can build a development program focused on donations, alumni engagement, and long-term financial sustainability. Learn how creating a development team can provide students with real-world experience in fundraising, donor relations, and nonprofit development while creating a new revenue stream for student media.

Strong Brands Build Strong Social Communities

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative

Monica Boerger, Jocelyn Piz Baltazar, Laina Nghiem, Angela Osorio & Jennifer Newton; California State University, Long Beach 

In 2024, Cal State Long Beach’s 75-year-old student newspaper rebranded from the Daily 49er to the Long Beach Current. In the two years since, the publication has seen significant growth in brand awareness, social media engagement and connections with students. This presentation explores how the Current brought its new identity to life on Instagram and built an increasingly engaged audience. Attendees will learn practical approaches to establishing a cohesive online brand, developing an Instagram-focused social media strategy, and creating content that strengthens connections within their campus communities.

Happy Hour at Texas Student Media

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. — HSM

Basement Bash Student Mixer

7 to 9 p.m. — Texas Union, 2308 Whitis Ave.

Make your way to the Texas Union’s basement for food, games and a video game tournament! The tournament will be Gang Beasts, and we are giving out $150 in Visa gift cards! Not competing? There are pool tables, air hockey tables and a taco bar. Whether you’re looking to grab a bite or play some air hockey, come on down to the Basement Bash!

Register your team for the Gang Beasts tournament

Sponsorship available

Adviser Dinner

7 to 9 p.m. — Santa Catarina Mexican Restaurant, 2901 Manor Road

Held in UT Austin Moody College of Communication buildings

(CMB) Jesse H. Jones Communication Center – Building B, 2504 Whitis Ave.

(HSM) Hearst Student Media, 2504 Whitis Ave.

(DMC) G. B. Dealey Center for New Media, 300 W Dean Keaton St.

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue sessions will be held in Dean’s Briefing Room

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative sessions will be held in Dean’s Presentation Room

 

9 a.m. — Light Breakfast

CMB Studio 6B

Sponsorship available

10 a.m. — Welcome Back & Keynote Speaker

CMB Studio 6B

The Moment You Choose to Lead

Chantell Preston

What does leadership look like when you’re still figuring out who you are — and no one has handed you a title? In this candid, practical talk, Chantell Preston — an entrepreneur, investor and leadership strategist — shares how trust, self-awareness and a willingness to take responsibility can turn everyday moments into opportunities to lead. Students and mentors alike will leave with fresh ways to help a team do its best work — and a challenge to start leading wherever they are.

11:15 a.m. — Breakout Session 5

DMC 5th floor

Beyond the Rate Card: Rethinking Your Media Products

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue

Piper Jackson-Sevy, Leire Bascaran, Nathan Engebretson, Erin McCarthy; flytedesk

How do clients view your media products and what makes them valuable? This interactive panel with the Flytedesk sales team will challenge students to step outside their usual sales perspective and look at their product offerings through a client’s eyes. We’ll explore which products clients value, what makes a product more compelling, and how student media organizations can expand or improve their offerings. Through real-world examples and interactive discussion, attendees will also see how other media organizations package and sell their products and leave with ideas they can take back to their own organizations.

What’s the Value of Student Media?

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative

Kieran McClean, North Carolina State University

This presentation breaks down why student journalism, podcasting and creative media actually matter, and how to continue to establish your importance. I’ll dive into how student run outlets keep campus alive, tell the true stories about how my student media was affected and what our community responded with. Plus, I’ll show you how to pitch the resume value of what you’re doing, with skills like investigative reporting, media production, and project management that land actual tech and media jobs. You’ll walk away with proven tactics to secure institutional funding, prove your impact, and keep your outlet independent and thriving.

12:15 p.m. — Lunch Provided

DMC 1st floor

Lunch sponsored by SNworks

1:15 p.m. — Welcome Back & Prize Giveaway

CMB Studio 6B

1:30 p.m. — Roundtable Discussions

CMB Studio 6B

• Building Strong Teams/Being an Inspiring Leader
• Personal Storytelling 101: How to Craft an Authentic Personal Story
• “Sell me this pen” 5-minute sales pitch
• Event Planning
• Media Kit Critique
• Innovation in Student Media
• CRM & Client Management
• CMBAM Education Program
• Issues Students Face
• Issues Advisers Face

Roundtables sponsored by Empower Local

Snack break sponsored by Overlooked

2:45 p.m. — Breakout Session 6

DMC 5th floor

Conference Wrap Up – Ideas into Action!

Track 1 – Leadership, Sales & Revenue

Piper Jackson-Sevy, flytedesk

You’ve learned new strategies, hearing different perspectives, and filling your computer or notebook with ideas. Now comes the most important part: deciding what you’re going to do with them. This interactive closing session will help you turn conference takeaways into an actionable plan. Participants will review and organize the ideas they’ve collected, identify which ones have the greatest potential impact, consider their team’s capacity and resources, and prioritize what is realistic to tackle when they return home.

Conference Wrap Up – Ideas into Action!

Track 2 – Marketing, Media & Creative

Jake Sorensen, flytedesk

You’ve learned new strategies, hearing different perspectives, and filling your computer or notebook with ideas. Now comes the most important part: deciding what you’re going to do with them. This interactive closing session will help you turn conference takeaways into an actionable plan. Participants will review and organize the ideas they’ve collected, identify which ones have the greatest potential impact, consider their team’s capacity and resources, and prioritize what is realistic to tackle when they return home.

3:45 p.m. — Sales Pitch Competition

DMC 5th floor

Competition sponsored by Flytedesk

Got a big, ambitious idea your publication has never tried? Now’s your chance. Flytedesk is bringing its sales team to CMBAM in Austin, and they want to hear your pitch. You’ll get a brief based on a real brand, build a media plan, and pitch it live to the people who sell campus media to national brands every day. The winning team gets $5,000 and LinkedIn recommendations from the Flytedesk sales team. Teams of one to five students. Sign up by Nov. 4 at flytedesk.com/cmbam26.

4:45 p.m. — CMBAM Annual Meeting

DMC 5th floor

Please have at least one representative from your school in attendance at the annual meeting.

7 p.m. — Awards Dinner

CMB Studio 6B

Dinner sponsored by Flytedesk