Pandora is a brand everyone knows and has heard of; but what do they do that sets them apart from the others in the music streaming world? Jeff Julian sits down with the VP of sales, Gabe Tartaglia to dive into their differences and discuss the exciting new changes we can see from Pandora in the near future. The two also talk about the Midwest market and how customer engagement is key to a company’s success.

BIOGRAPHY

For the past five years Gabe Tartaglia has served as Vice President of Sales at Pandora, where he oversees the sales operations and revenue for the Central Region of the United States. Prior to Pandora, Gabe held various positions over 17 years at CBS, including running market sales for CBS Radio in Chicago, IL and Hartford, CT. Gabe holds Bachelor of Science Degrees in Marketing and Management Information Systems from Miami University.

Travis moved to St. Louis from California when he saw a region ripe for innovation. He is currently the executive director of Venture Café – St. Louis, a place where serendipitous collisions happen between brilliant minds and entrepreneurial energy. He is also the creator of Boozestorming – an interactive problem-solving session that combines brains, bottles and buddies. It’s all about drinking outside the box, and there are now half a dozen Boozestorming chapters throughout the country. Travis is the co-host of Nothing Impossible, a weekly radio show on Newsradio 1120 KMOX and often speaks and writes about innovation, economic development and community design.

The digital marketing industry is relevant to more than just small and large businesses; it affects academia on a daily basis as well. Stuart Draper, Founder of Stukent, joins Jeff in a discussion about bridging the time gap between academic text and the current industry, making the most of available resources, and MDMC’s own Perry Drake and his extremely effective teaching style. He also gives advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs.

BIOGRAPHY

Stuart Draper is the author of Internet Marketing Essentials, a book used by over 500 universities worldwide. He has experience doing digital marketing work for companies that range from mom and pop shops to Fortune 100 companies. He successfully bootstrapped GetFound First.com, and is now working on Stukent.com, an internet marketing courseware company that provides the world’s #1 internet marketing simulation.

On-site at the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference in St. Louis, Jeff Julian had the opportunity to interview many of the guest speakers. Our first volunteer was Travis Estes, the Digital and Social Media Manager of the St. Louis Symphony.

Travis and Jeff discussed the evolution of MDMC, Travis’s role with the Symphony, what marketing to a local audience looks like, how to draw the younger audiences into the performing arts, and how we may see the world of mobile devices and performing arts come together in the near future.