WASHINGTON, DC — The Entrepreneurs’ Forum, which will kick off our PRovokeGlobal summit on Monday October 24, will feature discussions on the current climate for mergers and acquisitions in the PR industry, PR agency marketing and thought leadership, the challenges posed by non-traditional hires and more.

Law firm Davis+Gilbert will be leading a session examining the state of PR agency M&A in the post-pandemic world, featuring four individuals who have been active in the acquisitions arena in recent years:

  • Nick Burton, group strategy and M&A director at Enero Group, parent company of Hotwire;
  • Maurizio Maione, chief of the CEO staff at SEC Newgate, which has bought several firms in Europe and Asia and recently acquired Global Strategy Group in the US;
  • Megan Wallach, vice president of Shamrock Capital Advisors, which last month made a strategic investment in Highwire PR; and
  • Jim Weiss, founder and chairman, Real Chemistry, which made numerous PR and digital acquisitions on its way to becoming a top 10 global PR agency.

“The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is designed to address the challenges facing independent agency founders and principals,” says Paul Holmes, PRovoke Media founder. “This year we are going to be looking at the financial challenges facing agencies in these tumultuous times, some of the tricky talent acquisition questions, and how firms can differentiate themselves in the market. These are issues every independent PR firm owner is thinking about.”

The remainder of the EF program includes sessions focused on:

  • “Beyond the Barometer — a New Look at Trust,” presented by Entrepreneurs’ Forum founding partner thenetworkone;
  • “New Opportunities in the Asian Market,” presented by IN.FOM;
  • “Maximizing the Success of Non-Traditional Hires,” presented by Global Strategy Group; and
  • “Future-Proofing Your Agency,” presented by international agency network PROI.

Those panels will feature a host of successful entrepreneurs from around the world, including leaders from Day One Agency, Global Strategy Group and Sourcecode Communications in the US; Hope&Glory and Lynn from the UK; and IN.FOM and Progressive Communications in Asia — with additional speakers to be announced.

Tickets for the Entrepreneurs’ Forum on October 24, the PRovoke Global Summit on the 25 and 26, and the Global SABRE Awards dinner on the evening of October 26 are available now.