The NEXT Conference

2022 NEXT Conference

Thank you to all the TXST Brand Champions who participated in our TXST NEXT Conference!

 

The brand is how we showcase the great work you do every day to the rest of the world. Your insights, your questions, and your dedication to elevating our students and our school is the foundation of our brand story.

 

Stay tuned for the next NEXT Conference!

Sign saying "Welcome to the NEXT Conference"
Audience speaker at the 2022 NEXT Conference
NEXT Conference attendee holding poster
NEXT Conference badges
Man in military uniform chatting at the 2022 NEXT Conference
Kelly King-Green and Elissa Fontenot speaking at the 2022 NEXT Conference
Buttons saying "Spell check cannon save you"

Elias Martinez, Assistant Vice President for University Marketing

Elias speaking at the 2022 NEXT Conference

“This is a campaign that’s about what we do. At this university, we create NEXT. Our students are NEXT, the research we do is NEXT. We are a catalyst for what is going to be happening in the future.”


Kelly Damphousse, President of Texas State University

Kelly Damphousse speaking at the 2022 NEXT Conference

“NEXT is not sitting on the sidelines waiting its turn. It’s actively engaged with the world around us, changing people’s lives.”


Session Descriptions

Opening Remarks

Dr. Kelly Damphousse, President of Texas State University

State of the Brand Address

Presenter: Elias Martinez, Assistant Vice President for University Marketing

With special remarks from Dr. Beverly Woodson Day

The Texas State brand: What it is, where it’s going, and why it’s important.

Brand Basics

Presenters: Elissa Fontenot, Assistant Director, Digital; Kelly King-Green, Associate Director, Creative

Many components go into the Texas State brand experience. We’ll break it down to the basics — colors, logos, fonts, and more — and give you guidance for using these brand building blocks in your own work.

Writing with NEXT

Presenters: Rodney Crouther, Writer; Nicole Hefner, Copy Editor; Eddie Sanchez, Digital Content Writer

What we say and how we say it is one of the most fundamental aspects of our brand. This session will show you how to use Texas State's voice and tone to craft compelling copy and to reach different audiences through TXST NEXT.

Web Content 101

Presenter: Lauren Mikiten, Web Production Manager

Our websites are an essential part of our brand. This session will break down the top five content mistakes website editors make and how to avoid making those mistakes yourself.

How to Keep Your Work (Mostly) Error-Free

Presenter: Nicole Hefner, Copy Editor

Reviewing your own work can be a minefield. This session will offer tips, tricks, and warnings to help you spot errors and teach you how to live in harmony with the Texas State Editorial Style Guide.

Marq (Lucidpress) Template Demonstration

Presenters: Callie Lewis, Project Manager; César Limón Delgado, Senior Designer

Watch as a staff member with little previous design experience uses one of our Marq templates to create a flyer. This session will also present some pointers for working with pre-designed templates.

Stretch Break

Stretch Leader: Lauren Mikiten

Give your brain a break and get your blood flowing during this stretching session.

Social Media Deep Dive

Presenter: Elissa Fontenot, Assistant Director, Digital

Find out what's now, new, and NEXT in social media marketing. This session will teach you how to find inspiration, manage channels, and create an engaging community online. Plus, you’ll get advice for creating a content strategy that is user-friendly, accessible, and appealing to multiple audiences.

Ask Us Anything

A panel of experts from University Marketing answers your questions.

Meet the Presenters

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Rodney Crouther

Writer

A journalist turned marketing writer from Mississippi, Rodney has nearly 30 years of experience. For the last seven years, he has been shaping the university’s voice and tone and seeking out stories that highlight Bobcats’ impact. Rodney enjoys the constant creative challenge that comes with telling TXST’s story to so many different audiences.

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Elissa Fontenot

Assistant Director, Digital

A TXST alum, Elissa has over a decade of experience in digital marketing. She shapes the content strategy for a half-dozen social media accounts, our digital advertising efforts, and our high-profile web properties. She's thrilled to be a part of the Bobcat community and to lead the digital presence of the university.

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Nicole Hefner

Copy Editor

Nicole has more than 15 years of experience as a copy editor. For the last seven years, she’s been editing University Marketing’s many projects and maintaining the Editorial Style Guide. Her work lets her experience (and mostly enjoy) the constant evolution of words, style, and the English language.

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Kelly King-Green

Associate Director, Creative

Kelly has more than 20 years of experience as a graphic designer and creative director, including eight years at Texas State. She’s been leading University Marketing’s creative team during a particularly exciting time, as we steer a dynamic new direction for the brand. She’s inspired by the youthful energy of Bobcats discovering new knowledge and loves translating that spirit into authentic, beautiful communications that resonate with people.

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Callie Lewis

Project Manager

Callie, a Texas State alum, wanted to serve her alma mater and work in an environment that pushes her to reach higher. As project manager, Callie coordinates every aspect of our projects, from inception to completion, and keeps the world from falling down around our ears.

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César Limón Delgado

Senior Designer

As our longest-serving designer, César has seen and done it all when it comes to the Texas State brand. His steady patience and vast experience make him a perfect fit to guide university partners through the workings of Marq, our new pre-designed template tool.

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Elias Martinez

Assistant Vice President for University Marketing

A native of New Mexico, Elias has nearly two decades of experience in advertising, marketing, and brand building, working with some of the world's most iconic brands. He’s leading TXST’s efforts to grow awareness and appreciation for its endeavors and impact. Elias is ecstatic to work at a Hispanic-Serving Institution that welcomes first-generation college students like him.

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Lauren Mikiten

Web Production Manager

A Texas State alum, Lauren has a decade of web and design experience. She manages our most high-profile, public-facing university websites and works with a team to create and maintain the look and behavior of the university’s website template system. She takes pride in improving the website user experience for the benefit of the community she loves.

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Eddie Sanchez

Digital Content Writer

Eddie's love of hip-hop ignited his passion for writing, and he's transformed that into a 13-year career that includes six years in digital marketing. He crafts content for a range of digital properties, including websites, digital advertising, and our social media channels. Eddie’s passionate about finding new ways for Bobcats to tell their stories.