Learn How to Create Brand Buzz During NYIGF with Gourmet Business Experts

Join executives from Gourmet Business when they share their expertise on social media and brand building during seminars at the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) this month.

With their fingers firmly on the pulse of business today, Jack Wrigley, director of custom media, will participate in a social media panel discussion, while Brian Igoe, executive vice president of Gourmet Business, will be the main speaker at a seminar on brand building.

Igoe (pictured right) presents "Building a Business Through Brand Awareness with Gourmet Business" on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the Javits Center, room 1A02-03. The seminar will feature an overview of branding, including the importance of defining a brand image, how brands influence perceptions and how to utilize brands through product development, packaging and marketing. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on-site.

Igoe has more than 30 years of experience in branding, marketing and promotions. He held progressively senior executive positions with Nike and Reebok during their high-growth stages. He then started his own marketing and promotions firm, and merged with TMP to work with a variety of international brands, including Reebok, Guinness, New Balance, Sam Adams, Snapple/7Up, VW and Diageo. 

Check out "Social Media: Building Business by Building a Buzz" on Sunday, Aug. 19 at noon at the Javits Center, room 1A02-03, where Wrigley, who is also a co-founder of Qwiqq, a social media app, is part of a panel that will help business owners make sense of a vast array of social media tools. Business owners can learn how to choose which sites are right for their business and identify those that will bring traffic into their stores and strengthen relationships with customers. The panel of digital buzz-building experts also includes blogger Hollister Hovey; Joanne Domeniconi, co-founder and chief discovery officer for dailygrommet.com; and Ian Borowski, product manager for SnapRetail. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on-site. 

Right out of college, Wrigley invented several innovative housewares products. This brought him to a role as national sales director for a prominent New York gourmet products consulting firm, where he led the sales strategy for numerous domestic and international companies. A love of technology and a passion for creating new products and "businesses next" led to a career in digital entertainment.