Ian P. Murphy

The 2017 D2C Convention got off to a somber start. With the south end of the Strip still on lockdown following the mass shooting on Sunday, Oct. 1, the slot machines at the sparsely populated McCarran Airport were muted, lending showgoers an unusually eerie entrance to Sin City. Hotels took special precautions in the aftermath of the attack, searching bags and wanding patrons at every entrance.

Every year, before the start of the D2C Convention, a new board convenes to help steer the association’s activities for the year ahead. With each member serving a three-year term, the system ensures continuity in leadership while continually encouraging the integration of new perspectives on association activities and the future of direct response. This year, the board is being led by Gerald Bagg.

When Skip the Dishes—a Canadian startup in the booming meal-delivery app space—was looking to expand its customer base, it turned to Toronto-based Kingstar Media for a direct response strategy that could amp up customer acquisition and awareness. Already on the ground in more than 30 midsize markets in Canada, “Skip” had enough of a base to leverage national cable media, so Kingstar quickly put the company on the air with a :30 spot that included a discount code to encourage trial.