NEW YORK, USA — Back in person for the first time since 2019, the 12th edition of The One Club for Creativity’s free hybrid Where Are All The Black People (WAATBP) diversity conference and career fair will take place from October 06 to 07 in New York.
WAATBP is an annual gathering that exists to address and correct the lack of diversity within the ad industry, bringing together Black voices from across the ad community — from eager students to C-suite leaders — to celebrate successes, examine setbacks, and assert their rightful place at the table alongside their allies.
This year marks the first time WAATBP will be a hybrid event, with the first day taking place online and the second in person at Convene at Brookfield Place, 225 Liberty St. in downtown New York.
In order to make the event as accessible as possible, WAATBP is free to attend.
While other industry diversity events are confined to addressing topics from the stage, WAATBP stands apart by also providing one-on-one portfolio reviews by top agency creatives, and recruiting opportunities for mid-level creatives who want to advance their careers, as well as students looking to break into the industry. For the first time, a wellness and meditation room will also be available.
Virtual panels (including one specifically focused on industry people of color in Europe), portfolio reviews, and recruiting sessions will happen on October 6. The second day kicks off with a special keynote speaker to be announced shortly, followed by additional engaging panels, recruiting booths and portfolio reviews.
Also new this year will be a pair of workshops hosted by Allies in Recruiting (AIR), which recently became part of The One Club for Creativity. WAATBP Champion and Platinum sponsors will have access to an interview prep workshop before the conference, and an inclusive hiring workshop afterwards.
The event concludes with a paid-admission networking after-party featuring a live performance from RNBHouseparty.
Event sponsors to date include 72andSunny, BSSP, McCann Worldgroup, Pereira O’Dell, Sandstrom Partners, Verizon, VMLY&R, and Walmart, with others to be announced shortly.
WAATBP grew out of a conversation more than a dozen years ago between One Club Board members Jimmy Smith, chairman/CEO/CCO at Amusement Park Entertainment, and Jeff Goodby, chairman, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, about the critical need to create job opportunities in advertising and design for minority students. The pair spearheaded the initiative for the organization, which held the first WAATBP panel on diversity during The One Club’s Creative Week 2011.
The One Club has a long track record of creating ongoing programs that address the ad industry’s lack of diversity. These include global Creative Boot Camps and mentorship programs for diverse college students and other young creatives; ONE School, the groundbreaking free portfolio program for Black creatives; and ONE Production, a free training program for BIPOC students looking to enter the world of food styling.
Other DEI initiatives from The One Club include the WE ARE ONE poster design initiative rallying creatives around the world to take a collective stand against racism and intolerance, the Young Guns COLORFUL global grant program to help young BIPOC creatives advance their careers, the Paid Internship Pledge to help aspiring BIPOC creatives get a foot in the door at agencies, and The One Show Fusion Pencil and ADC 100th Annual Awards Fusion Cube, the industry’s first global awards to recognize great work that best incorporates DEI principles in both creative content and the team that made it.
WAATBP 2022 branding was developed by Nicole Cousins and Dante Carlos at COLLINS New York.
Please visit the WAATBP website for more information and to register for this important free event.
The One Club for Creativity, producer of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Type Directors Club Communication Design and Typeface Design awards, Young Guns and Creative Week, is the world’s foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the global creative community. The One Show is a top global awards show for advertising, design and digital marketing, focusing on the creativity of ideas and quality of execution. Established in 1921, the global ADC Annual Awards is the world’s longest continuously running creative award for advertising and design, honoring excellence in craft, design and innovation. Creative Week takes place in May, and is the preeminent festival celebrating the intersection of advertising and the arts.
