Van den Driest is the co-founder of the Institute for Real Growth (IRG), an organisation aimed at providing a variety of innovative programmes to connect leaders with peers and experts and foster an environment conducive to more humanised growth strategies.

In recent years the concept of business growth has changed as organisations look beyond just delivering dividends to shareholders - and more towards how they can contribute to addressing escalating social issues.

At this year’s conference, Van den Driest will provide insight on how those driving marketing agendas can facilitate a more human-centric and multi- stakeholder approach to business - one that focuses on employees, consumers and communities without losing focus on a company’s financial growth.

Recent IRG research found that those companies that performed best on revenue growth also cared most about the growth of their people (and their communities). The humanising shift is one that should permeate any organisation, from encouraging employees’ passions to creating brands with purpose that can authentically engage with consumers.

A self-proclaimed pragmatist, van den Driest has facilitated countless practical and purpose-led growth journeys for leading global brands. Tebogo Motsepe, Executive Head: Marketing Strategy at Nedbank, the conference naming sponsor, has experienced the IRG programme first hand.

“I greatly benefited from Van den Driest's vast knowledge and creative thinking, particularly when it comes to how marketing can play a crucial role in driving business growth in South Africa,” he said.

Van den Driest’s skills go well beyond the boardroom. He has co-authored a number of respected Harvard Business Review articles and is an accomplished author of several books. His expertise has made him a much sought-after global keynote speaker on the stages of Cannes Lions, BrandWeek, ESOMAR, the MMA, the ARF, and PMRG.

The conference will be held at t Focus Rooms, Modderfontein Johannesburg https://focusrooms.co.za/ OR online on the 19th September 2024.

In-person tickets priced at R3000 (excl VAT) until 31 May 2024.

Limited seats available

Virtual tickets priced at R1 499 (excl VAT).

For more information visit: www.imcconference.com

The annual Nedbank IMC Conference is Africa’s foremost integrated marketing conference. The Integrated Marketing Council (IMC) believes that Marketing is Business© and that marketing deserves its place at the boardroom table. This conference has more CMOs, senior marketers and agency leaders attending than any other in Africa and is relevant to anyone in the business of communication.

One day of 15-minute presentations (with some exceptions), the conference is known for its hard-hitting global agenda with no sales pitches.

The Nedbank IMC is presented in association with MASA, in collaboration with the ACA, in partnership with the DMASA and is endorsed by the IAB. The 2024 theme is ‘Challenge Yourself. Keep Learning. Keep Leading’ and is relevant to anyone in the business of communication.