Connect

Wunderlich Kaplan dropped Thrive Philanthropy as a client after it was revealed that a purportedly celebrity-studded conference that Thrive was organizing had never confirmed any of the celebrities it was using to promote the event. The Connect Summit, scheduled for June 23 and 24, touted the participation of George and Amal Clooney, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, Charlize Theron, and Steph and Aisha Curry. Deadline has confirmed that none of them said they had agreed to appear at the conference. Tickets for the event were going for as much as $1799. “Regrettably, due to fraudulent information provided to us by our client Stephanie Lapensee the founder of Thrive Philanthropy, the creator of the Connect Summit, our agency, Wunderlich Kaplan Communications no longer represents this project,” Wunderlich Kaplan president and partner Dara Kaplan said in a statement. “We are horrified about the situation and will be working diligently to make sure that all information put out there is corrected.”

Weber Shandwick Master Class

Weber Shandwick is offering college students and recent grads a way to combine the media savvy they already possess with an understanding of the real-life implications of developing media technologies and the issues facing digital communicators. Hosted by chief innovation officer Chris Perry, the Fellows Edition of the agency’s Media Genius Master Class aims to raise the “media IQ” of participants through insights from its media experts, interviews with special guests and interactive experiences. The five-week online class will address such topics as the impact of disinformation, emerging media formats, the shifting influencer landscape, the role of culture in PR and marketing, and how brands are navigating major industry changes. The one-hour sessions will run Wednesdays at 11 a.m. from June 24 through July 22. Prospective students can apply for spots in the class until June 5 by clicking here. Those who are accepted will be notified by June 12.

Australia

Steller.co CEO Pete Bryant and Wagstaff Media and Marketing president Mary Wagstaff are partnering on a program in support of the South Australian Tourism Commission, a longtime Wagstaff client. #LoveWhereYouLiveSA is a platform that lets South Australian operators and creatives inform and motivate travelers. Assets include a mobile-first platform dedicated to travel storytelling; distribution to on-line social and marketing channels, and influencer connections. Initially focused on COVID-19 recovery, the program will be executed on-site at the destinations once international travel restrictions are lifted. “Through this partnership, we will be able to share the South Australian experience, digitally, building awareness of our destination while the world recovers, and driving demand domestically and internationally, once we are all able to travel again,” says SATC executive director of marketing Brent Hill.