Cindy Smith

President

A veteran Public Relations and Special Events consultant, Cindy has worked for over 20 years with senior executives, business owners and organizational leaders in such industries as Entertainment, Hospitality, Jewelry and Home Improvement Services. For nearly three decades she has created and implemented brand-building campaigns for such clients as Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation, KFC, Brother International Corporation, the New York Lottery and Häagen-Daz. Cindy’s experiential approach to marketing and Special Events reflects lessons learned early in her career and continues to evolve. As a young floor manager in department and specialty stores, she learned from watching veteran sales people turn browsers into buyers by fostering sensory connections – getting shoppers to touch the fabric rather than chat about it. As a regional marketing director with Blockbuster Entertainment, she opened over 200 new stores in the Northeast, priming the market prior to each opening through use of Local Store Marketing – matching inventory to neighborhood demographics – and creating media-worthy, celebrity-driven Grand Opening events. As a vice-president with The EGC Group in Melville, N.Y., she founded the Retail Marketing Group, developing award-winning programs that established brand recognition for consumer product companies and service firms. As part of her marketing efforts she also created or reinvigorated interactive programs including product launches and franchise conventions. Since 2005, she has been spokesperson for the Oyster Festival, the East Coast’s largest waterfront festival and manages the Public Relations programs of leading outdoor fairs and events including the Mattituck Strawberry Festival, Feast of Mother Cabrini and the Belmont Fair. She has won numerous awards including Top 50 Women of Long Island. She is a frequent speaker at national trade groups. Cindy co-founded ImageQuest Communications in 2006.

Warren Strugatch

Vice President & Media Strategist

Warren has maintained high-profile careers in both journalism and marketing. a prize-winning columnist, he has written over 3,000 articles for a variety of business and general interest publications, covering marketing, public policy, technology, education and the arts for such publications as The New York TImes, Newsday, Long Island Business News, Crain’s New York Business and New York magazine. His column, "Long Island at Work," ran from 2000-2005 in The New York Times. His first book, "The Perfect Smile," was published in 2004. Since the mid-90s Warren has created and moderated a series of conferences and other public events featuring interviews with newsmakers. Among these events was "Out of the Question," a live talk show featuring celebrity-audience interaction produced at Guild Hall and other Hamptons locations from 2002 – 2004. In 2004 Warren produced and hosted "Getting to Work," an interview-based series about people and their jobs, broadcast on National Public Radio. He co-created and hosted The M&A Forum, a conference on private investment held in Southampton (N.Y.) in 2008. As a copywriter and creative consultant, Warren has helped many high-tech and other specialized companies define and redefine themselves around real-world user benefits explained in readable, jargon-free English – consistently boosting sales as a consequence. He has also helped create more effective communications programs, including Web sites, newsletters, fundraising programs and online marketing campaigns for arts organizations, nonprofit service groups and business coalitions. Warren is a sought-after speaker among business networking groups, professional associations and other organizations. Warren co-founded ImageQuest Communications in 2006.