ADCOLOR, the organisation dedicated to celebrating and promoting professionals diversity in the creative industries, has announced that its 2020 event will be hosted, for the first time, in Atlanta this year. Following last year’s call to ‘Take a Stand, this year’s theme is focused on ‘Here for It‘, encouraging attendees to state their intentions in the face of ‘inequality and misrepresentation’.
The conference will be held from 10th-13th September 2020, with the 14th Annual ADCOLOR Awards taking place on Sunday evening at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The location of this year’s conference has huge historical significance. In 1967, the Hyatt Regency Atlanta was the first hotel to open its doors to leaders of the Civil Rights movement, which included Martin Luther King Jr and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Afterward, King called the hotel his ‘Hotel of Hope’, and it is now widely known for continuing the tradition of bringing groups together to build community and share unique ideas.
STRIVING FOR PROGRESS
“Bringing ADCOLOR to Atlanta, and more specifically to the ‘Hotel of Hope’, was an easy decision for the organisation,” stated ADCOLOR’s Founder and President, Tiffany R Warren. “The culture within Atlanta and the hotel’s shared purpose of fostering connections made it a perfect fit. Our 2020 theme is about showing up, being present, continuing the fight and striving for progress. As we head to Atlanta, we’re saying that we’re here for it, together, as an ADCOLOR community.”
Now in its 14th year, the ADCOLOR Awards will honour individuals and companies who indeed are ‘Here for It’, those who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the creative, marketing and tech industries. Carefully selected from a large population of diverse influencers from across these industries, honourees not only excel in their own careers, but also give back to the community and support their peers. The night will celebrate their accomplishments and how they have embodied ADCOLOR’s mission of ‘Rise Up, Reach Back’.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Nominations for the 2020 ADCOLOR Awards will open on 16th March and be accepted until 5th May, 2020. Individuals can choose from the following eight different categories when nominating colleagues, mentors, agencies and corporations:
• RISING STAR – A Rising Star is an up-and-coming young gun with less than seven years of experience. They stand out among their peers as someone who is brilliant, whose personality shines and whose differences only makes them and those around them stronger as they move forward in their career.
• ROCKSTAR – A Rockstar is someone who, whether through their primary role or extracurricular activities, shows brilliance as a leader and visionary in the industry. They have a positive track record and the potential to accomplish so much more. Falling between the Rising Star and the Legend, this individual is creating their own path and encouraging others to shine.
• INNOVATOR – An Innovator is an employee who embodies progress and imagination. They stand out among peers as an inclusion game changer and brilliant pioneer in their role, creating breakthrough developments and/or improvements, whether tangible or intangible.
• CHANGE AGENT – A Change Agent is the individual within a company who is using their talents and position to enhance the corporate culture and create a more inclusive environment – calling attention to the talents of all types of people. This can be part of or beyond the scope of that persons’ primary role.
• MOST VALUABLE PARTNERSHIP – The Most Valuable Partners (MVP) are two people/companies that work together to provide exceptional and highly effective diversity solutions within their organizations and industries. They may be an agency, marketer, media company or diverse supplier with NMSDC or WBENC certification that teams up for a short or long-term project that furthers diversity and inclusion.
• ADCOLOR | ONE CLUB CREATIVE AWARD – The ADCOLOR | One Club recipients are creative professionals of multicultural background who have demonstrated noteworthy talent and achievement within the media, creative, digital and traditional advertising disciplines.
• ADCOLOR IN TECH AWARD – The ADCOLOR in Tech Award recipient is a champion of diversity & inclusion in the tech industries, who has pushed the boundaries and created positive change, setting the stage for other generations to take the opportunities made by this change agent even further.
• AD OF THE YEAR – The Ad of the Year is a campaign or single execution that is truly brilliant. It pushes boundaries, promotes conversation and highlights the lives of multicultural, LGBTQ+ and/or other under-represented Americans in the mass media.
Registration for the conference and award show will open in late March.
Click here for more information.