2026 AMA Experience 

Thursday, October 29, 2026

Human by Design

Human By Design explores what it means to be a marketer in a rapidly changing world - embracing AI, innovation and emerging trends while keeping creativity, relationships, and authentic human experiences at the heart of what we do.

As Iowa’s premier local marketing event, AMA Experience brings together marketers from across industries and career levels for a day of learning, inspiration and connection. Discover what’s next, hear real-world ideas from leading marketers, expand your network and walk away with practical insights you can put to work right away - helping you thrive today and lead what’s ahead.

Marketing Conference Details

Thursday, October 29, 2026
DMU32 Olsen Center
3200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309

Register Today!

Pricing

Schedule

Subject to slight adjustments.

Meet Our Speakers:

Melissa Fors Shackelford is a marketing executive, author, and keynote speaker with more than twenty years leading growth and brand transformation at Fortune 20 brands and national nonprofits.  She is the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Harnessing Purpose: A Marketer's Guide to Inspiring Connection, and her TEDx talk on purpose has passed 200,000 views. The American Marketing Association named her the 2019 Nonprofit Marketer of the Year, and Ragan and PR Daily honored her as a 2026 Top Women in Marketing. She was also named to the Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare and received the Women's Health Leadership TRUST Leadership Award. She has spoken for the AMA, the University of Minnesota, and the University of North Dakota. Today she leads Shackelford Strategies, advising healthcare CEOs and boards on growth and brand.

Stan Phelps, CSP®, is a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and professional speaker who helps organizations stand out, communicate more effectively, and create stronger customer and employee experiences. He is the author of 20 books, including his latest, Speak Different: How to Present Ideas That Inspire Action. Stan has delivered more than 950 presentations in 25 countries and has worked with leading organizations and brands. He is a former Forbes contributor, an IBM Futurist, and a longtime instructor for the Association of National Advertisers. Stan is also one of a select group of speakers worldwide to earn both the Certified Speaking Professional® designation and Global Speaking Fellow credential.

Chris Snider is an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University. He teaches classes in digital strategy, web design, visual communication, multimedia, and other disciplines to both undergrad and online graduate students. Prior to joining Drake, Chris was a visual journalist and editor at newspapers including the Baltimore Sun, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Des Moines Register. He writes a weekly email newsletter on what's new in social media.

Emily Langenfeld, CEO of Kind Kulture

Ryan Shenefelt is the Head of Digital at de Novo Marketing. He's adept at connecting clients with solutions that change their business, with just the right amount of razzle dazzle to keep it entertaining. With more than a decade of experience, he's gone from web developer to digital strategist to account manager. His natural curiosity, knowledge of new tech, and forward-thinking approach keeps his clients and his team on the leading edge. Outside of de Novo, Ryan is an adjunct instructor at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business.

Erin Huiatt is the owner of Des Moines Parent, a trusted resource connecting Central Iowa families with places to go, things to do and local businesses to support. She is an author, speaker and community connector who has spent more than a decade building a brand rooted in trust, collaboration and genuine connection. Erin is the author of 100 Things to Do in Des Moines Before You Die and has a second book, Where to Take the Kids: Des Moines, coming in spring 2027.

Parking is free in the DMU parking ramp north of the center and clinic.