In this episode of Experiential Alchemy, we sit down with Jimmy Knowles, the Global Head of Experiential at Canva, to explore his journey from producing iconic parades to building a global creative community. Jimmy shares how he transitioned from the agency world to the brand side and the strategic moves behind transforming "Canva Create" from an internal meeting into a worldwide creative celebration.

Meet the Guest

Jimmy Knowles is the Global Head of Experiential at Canva, where he leads the brand's global creative activations and community-facing events. With a decade of agency experience at Civic Entertainment Group and an origin story that began with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Jimmy brings a unique blend of theatricality and strategic brand-side leadership to the table. He was recently recognized as one of Variety's New Leaders and a BizBash Industry Innovator.

What You’ll Learn

• The Power of Mentorship: How a job offer from the commencement podium at Ithaca College launched a career in large-scale event production.

• Agency vs. Brand Side: Key differences Jimmy discovered during his transition and how his agency tenure prepared him for the brand-side "beast".

• Scaling "Canva Create": The process of taking a safe internal company culture and scaling it into a vulnerable, high-stakes external global event.

• Fashion as Identity: Why Canva uses costuming and high-concept fashion to extend their brand visual identity on stage.

• Maintaining Human Touch: Jimmy’s perspective on the future of human-to-human connection in an increasingly AI-driven world.

  
  

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