2026 Sandage Symposium: Advancing Advertising Together

July 28, 2026

The 2026 Sandage Symposium: Advancing Advertising Together, presented by the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Illini Union, 2nd Floor Ballroom, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana.

The event will include professional panels featuring many Illinois alumni, a creative hackathon, networking, food, and more. Space is limited; register today! If you cannot join us in person, you can watch a livestream of the keynote and two panel discussions here.

9:30-10 a.m.—Registration

10-10:45 a.m.

Welcome and Keynote

“Advertising as the Invited Guest Who Took Over the Party”

Keynote Speaker: Judy Ungar Franks, Former Agency Executive, Professor at Northwestern University, and Author of Media from Chaos to Clarity and Back Again

10:45 a.m.-12 p.m.

“Where Advertising Goes Next”

Panelists from left to right: Jessica Jorsch (BS ’07, ADV), Global Digital Performance Media Lead, Mars; Helen Katz (MS ’86, ADV; PhD ’88, ICR), Executive Vice President, Research, Publicis Media; Mike Kelly (BA ’79, LAS), CEO and Co-founder of Kelly/Newman Advisors; Ashley McGowan (BS ’07, ADV), Head of Marketing, Audience & Growth, Meta; Greg Morrison (BS ’07, ADV), Co-founder, MXML Creative

12-1:15 p.m.—Networking Lunch (Student Showcase, Meet Your AdMatch, Bingo Card Networking)

1:15-2:30 p.m.

“From Classroom to Industry: Exploring the Possibilities of Advertising”

Panelists from left to right: Lacey Gilbert (MS ’11, ADV), Senior Vice President, Strategy Director, Leo Burnett; Adam Hamilton (BS ’11, ADV; MBA ’19) Director, Brand Communications, McDonald’s; Amy Restko (BA ’13, LAS; MS ’14, ADV), Vice President, Engagement Strategy, AbelsonTaylor Group; Bill Rouse (BA ’96, LAS), Senior Vice President, Advertising Sales, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Rachelle Pierre-Lott (BA ’03, LAS), Director II, Enterprise Digital Advancement & Innovation at AbbVie