THE FULL VIRTUAL BLC AGENDA AND SPEAKERS WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON.
This online adaptation of our traditional bicycle industry's executive conference will include an interactive networking experience and two exciting keynote speakers – Birkenstock CEO David Kahan and StoryBrand’s Kristin Spiotto. The agenda will also feature diversity, equity and inclusion in the bike industry, e-bike market adoption, sales and ridership data, and continuing the momentum of the current boom in bicycling.
David Kahan, CEO, Birkenstock
David Kahan, is the CEO of the Birkenstock shoe brand. Kahan, who has led Birkenstock since 2013, has engineered a dramatic resurgence - including sales growth of 10X – for this casual shoe brand. He led efforts to solidify previously separate U.S. operating units, converting to one operating platform for ease of service (especially for independent retailers); spurred the launch of new products; and revolutionized the brand’s marketing, which has led to industry-wide recognition. Birkenstock was named Brand of the Year by Footwear News in 2013 and 2017. Kahan previously headed the North American region for Reebok, managing a $1.3 billion business, and was part of the management group that led Reebok to be acquired by Adidas in a $3.8 billion transaction, one of the largest in the history of the footwear industry.
Kristin Spiotto, Facilitator, StoryBrand
StoryBrand is a framework that helps your brand tell a clear and compelling story. Kristin Spiotto is a StoryBrand facilitator who will lead the audience through a paradigm shift around marketing and storytelling that you can take home and implement in your business. Take the guesswork out of marketing by learning why inviting customers into a story is a key strategy to grow your business.
The major paradigm shift you will experience is understanding that your customer is the hero in the story and you are the guide who will show them the way. According to the global business consulting firm Deloitte, customer-centric companies were 60% more profitable than companies that were not focused on the customer. When we position our customer as the hero and ourselves as their guide, we will be recognized as a sought-after character to help them along their journey. It’s a small but powerful shift that focuses on the path and struggles of our customers, and allows us to provide the product or service they need to succeed.
As a history professor, college Associate Dean of Students and employee trainer at a software startup, Kristin Spiotto has used the power of story to help learners move to new places of clarity and understanding. She knows that there are few things more precious to a business owner than their company. Kristin now uses her experience in education and technology to help companies clarify their message so that people are truly motivated to take action, which often results in thriving businesses.
