Brand Identity

Marketing & Communications Conference | September 10-11, 2025

ucr-communications-conference-2025

UCR Marketing & Communications Conference 2025

Don’t miss UC Riverside’s third annual Marketing & Communications Conference, September 10-11, on the 3rd floor of the HUB. 

Join us for two days of outstanding content, where you can learn from and interact with marketing and communications experts from across the campus, other universities, and outside industries. Immerse yourself in discussions on branding, storytelling, digital marketing, events planning, public relations, and more. 

Best of all, the conference is free for qualifying UCR employees and includes free continental breakfast and lunch daily, plus social and networking opportunities! 

Please note the preliminary agenda and session timings below are subject to change based on speaker availabilities.

HUB map
CONFERENCE PROGRAM DOWNLOAD
PRESENTATION DOWNLOADS

Don't Miss the UCR Brand Excellence Awards “The Scotties”

Scotty Bobblehead

Join us for the Sept. 10 lunchtime presentation honoring the UCR Schools, Colleges, Departments, and Units whose marketing efforts and communication assets best represent the UC Riverside brand through strategy, storytelling, and imagery. Four winners (one from each category) will receive a limited edition Scotty bobble head! Then you, the audience will have the chance to vote to see which of our four winners will be voted Best in Show and take home the Golden Scotty!

  • Marketing/Promotion - Static (Print or digital brochures, books, ads, etc.)
  • Marketing/Promotion - Interactive (Websites, email, social media)
  • Apparel, Branded Items & Giveaways (T-shirts, tote bags, etc.)
  • Video, Photography & Sound (Video, podcast, still photography, etc.)
Ashley Budd

Ashley Budd
Senior Director of Advancement Marketing, Cornell University

 

Day One Keynote Speaker

Ashley Budd is Senior Director of Advancement Marketing at Cornell University. She is based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., working remotely for the university and consulting with colleges, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. Known for her creative and innovative marketing campaigns, Ashley is one of the most influential voices in education marketing and fundraising. Prior to joining the team at Cornell, she worked in enrollment at her alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology. She is author of the popular newsletter Ashley in Your Inbox and co-author of the new email marketing book Mailed It! A Guide for Crafting Emails That Build Relationships and Get Results. 

10–10:45 a.m.
HUB 302 South

DAY ONE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 10, 2024 

Peter Bittner

Peter Bittner
Founder, The Upgrade

 

Day Two Keynote Speaker

Peter is the founder and CEO of The Upgrade, bridging the AI skills gap via training, consulting, and media. A Fulbright Scholar and UC Berkeley lecturer in new media, he’s passionate about teaching the latest tech for enhancing organizational processes and professional workflows. His students and clients come from Apple, NASA, UCLA, Salesforce, and National Geographic. 

10–10:45 a.m.
HUB 302 South

DAY TWO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 11, 2024