There are so many reasons to be excited about thINK 2018: the very first Inkjet Innovation Awards, more expert session speakers than ever before, new ways to connect with fellow attendees via Klik, and the list goes on. At the top of that list for me are the keynotes. Like you, I count on thINK for inspiration, and this year’s keynote speakers will certainly deliver.

General Session Keynote: Ted Rubin

To get an idea of Ted Rubin’s driving philosophies, all you have to do is take a look at his Twitter profile. His feed is encouraging, energetic, and — most importantly — powered by connection. He’s built his 500k+ following by enthusiastically advocating for more relationship building in business. In fact, he coined the term Return on Relationship™ (#RonR) as a shorthand for the benefits he’s seen from focusing less on customer acquisition and more on community building.

Ted has proven his people-centric method at companies like e.l.f. Cosmetics, where he was CMO from 2008-2010 and increased the membership community from 600k to 2.4MM during his tenure. At OpenSky, where he was the Chief Social Marketing Officer from 2010 to 2011, he grew the brand’s Twitter following by 200,000 in just one year, and he’s gone on to grow online communities for Collective Bias, Brand Innovators (where he is Acting CMO), and his new venture, Prevailing Path.

If Ted’s message resonates with you, he’s has written a book on the subject called Return on Relationship, about which Seth Godin said, “In the connection economy, trust and relationships are the new currency. It’s not a soft thing you do in your spare time, it’s the heart and soul of your business.”

At thINK, Ted will share with us the major tenets of earning #RonR, along with what he’s learned from a career of growing brands by providing value and creating community. In Ted’s own words: “Trust is built upon interaction, when you’re true to your word, authentic, and genuine. To build relationships online, you (as a brand or individual) have to offer value in return.” That is certainly consistent with the way we do things here at thINK, and I can’t wait to learn more.

Closing Keynote: Jamie Clarke

Jamie Clarke is an adventure seeker, to say the least. Performance Coach for the 2018 Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals and CEO of LiveOutThere.com, he is one of a handful of people in the world who have climbed the Seven Summits — including two summits of Mount Everest. Jamie’s outdoor retail company has been named one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies, qualifying Jamie to speak about pushing limits in both sport and business. When he speaks, Jamie channels wild places to illuminate the challenges organizations and people face daily.

One of Jamie’s central beliefs is that the passion that drives an adventurer is akin to that of a business leader. Jamie is going to share with us some of his lessons from high-risk environments, debunk common views on failure, and offer strategies for persevering in the face of obstacles. From expeditions to organizations, Jamie will demonstrate the power of teamwork, innovative thinking, and an entrepreneurial spirit to conquer any goal.

Are you as thrilled to hear from these speakers as I am? Both keynotes promise inspiration and, more importantly, actionable takeaways that we can use to push our organizations and our industry forward. Not yet registered for thINK? Request your invite here.

Find out more about Ted Rubin at tedrubin.com and about Jamie Clarke at jamieclarke.com. View the entire thINK 2018 agenda here.

Bob Radzis is Chief Customer Officer at SG360°.