Past eventHeld Thursday, October 1, 2026, 9:00am–4:00pm
The Expectation Gap: Marketers, Consumers, and AI in a Time of Rapid Change 2026
One-day conference where marketing executives were scheduled to examine the gap between marketer expectations and consumer reality around AI adoption.
Chicago, Illinois
- Held
- Thursday, October 1, 2026, 9:00am–4:00pm
- Venue
- Chicago, Illinois
TL;DR
- The Expectation Gap brought marketing leaders to Chicago on October 1, 2026, for a single-day session at DePaul University.
- Attendees were billed as client-side ANA members and marketing professionals, with speakers from Bank of America, CDW, Mars, Sprout Social, and Sara Lee.
- The event was billed as focusing on how marketer expectations diverge from consumer sentiment regarding AI deployment.
About
The ANA Educational Foundation and DePaul University's College of Communication co-hosted this single-day conference. The program was billed as centering on the gap between marketer strategy and consumer perspective as AI adoption accelerates, bringing C-suite and director-level marketers together to examine the disconnect.
Who was in the room
Client-Side Marketers
ANA members and marketing professionals from brand side companies.
Marketing Leaders
C-suite and director-level executives from major brands including financial services, technology, retail, and consumer products.
Featured speakers
5 listedTerez Stewart
SVP, Digital Director · Bank of America
Nicole Meyerson
AI Fluency Lead · CDW
Curtis Midkiff Jr.
Director of Social Marketing · Sprout Social Inc.
Johnni Rodgers
Chief Marketing Officer · Sara Lee Frozen Bakery
Sarah Reinecke
SVP, Salty Category & Global Brands · Mars
Venue & travel
Venue
DePaul University, 1 E Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604Questions people ask
8 answeredThursday, October 1, 2026, 9:00am to 4:00pm.
DePaul University, Room 8005, 1 E Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604.
The event was billed for marketers and ANA members, including client-side professionals and executives from major brands such as Bank of America, CDW, Mars, Sprout Social, and Sara Lee.
Attendees were billed as senior executives and directors from financial services, technology, consumer products, and retail sectors. Speakers represented roles such as SVP Digital, CMO, Director of Marketing, and AI Fluency Lead positions.
No refunds were granted for cancellations or no-shows. Unused registrations could not be credited to future events.
The ANA Educational Foundation and the Public Relations and Advertising Program in the College of Communication at DePaul University co-hosted the event.
It was most useful for client-side marketers who wanted to hear how brand teams are handling AI, since the speakers came from Bank of America, CDW, Mars and Sara Lee Frozen Bakery and the day was billed as centering on the gap between marketer and consumer expectations. Agency staff and vendors, or anyone wanting hands-on AI tool training, would have gotten less from a single-day program with a strategic focus, and the no-refund policy made it a firm commitment.
Marketing professionals at a one-day university-hosted conference in downtown Chicago usually wear business casual, with a layer for October weather.
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