the cohort, Pittsburgh’s only community for content creators, will hold their first annual “the platform” conference on March 14, 2024 from 12:30 pm-6:00 pm at the newly built luxury event venue, Franklin on Penn, which will host the platform as its inaugral event.
Featuring panels of both successful influencers and brands looking to connect and understand the goals of each side, the creator panel will feature three content creators reflecting on their experience with brand partnerships, monetization, audience engagement and the pros and cons of working with brands. The panel will be moderated by Brooke Hyland (4M on Instagram), and panelists will include creators Barbie Brignoni (365K on Instagram), Chloe Xandria (571K on Tik Tok), and Kati Nairn (250K on Instagram).
The brand panel will include brands like Dick’s Sporting Goods who will detail the qualities of influencers they look for, as well as the meaning of return on investment for them in the digital age. Additionally the brand panel will include Saheedat Abdul, a creator and marketing expert who has worked with Airbnb, Google, Neiman Marcus and many other global brands. Attendees will learn how brands and creators can work together through unique opportunities like product launches or user generated content.
The conference will feature Hitakshi Shah, US Marketing Associate at Duolingo, as a keynote speaker. As someone who leads influencer marketing efforts for Duolingo and a content creator herself, Shah has a fresh perspective on the role influencers play for brands and best practices when working with them.
The conference will also feature networking opportunities, a gifting suite offering samples from Pittsburgh-based brands as well as food from DiAnoia’s Eatery, beer from Trace Brewing, and wine from Pittsburgh Winery.