The 2021 Des Moines Ad Day conference was nothing short of inspiring. After having to take 2020 off due to COVID, DMAD returned with high-caliber speakers and our highest attendance to date of both students and professionals excited to further their career. The event was held at the Science Center of Iowa on Friday, October 15, 2021. This year’s speakers included Von Glitschka, Diane Gibbs, Hank Washington, and Morgan and Mason McGrew. 

Ad Day was focused on all of the creative aspects of advertising. Our keynote speakers were full of expert advice, and attendees heard the thought process behind some of the best ad campaigns around. This conference was a chance for attendees to step back from their day-to-day work, re-energize their knowledge base, and gain a new perspective to take back to their team.

‘Hank’ Washington is the owner of Hank Designs Studio based in Birmingham, Alabama. Over the last eight years, Hank has provided creative services for brands such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, TGI Friday’s, and Marriott, and has worked as the Art Director for Sociallyin, a social media advertising agency. Hank and his work have been featured in multiple publications, including Jet Magazine, Dribbble, and Adobe Live.

Diane Gibbs has been a designer for over 20 years and has more than 24 national and international design awards. She is an entrepreneur with her own design firm, Little Bird Communications. She coaches professional design entrepreneurs from all over the United States through growing their businesses. Diane has taught graphic design at the University of South Alabama since 2003. She is the host of a video podcast called Design Recharge, interviewing creatives and industry leaders from around the globe. Diane has appeared as a guest on many other podcasts, spoken at four national conferences, emceed AIGA events, and facilitated workshops. 

Morgan McGrew and his brother, Mason McGrew, released a full-length, stop motion remake of Pixar’s Toy Story 3 in 2020. With over 13 million views and counting, “Toy Story 3 In Real Life” has been recognized by numerous media outlets, including Good Morning America, MTV, and Buzzfeed.

Von is the creative director of Glitschka Studios, a small, two-person boutique design firm located in the Pacific Northwest. Their diverse range of illustrative design is sought after by some of the most respected brands in the world. They creatively collaborate with ad agencies, design firms, in-house corporate art departments, and small businesses to produce engaging visual narratives.