SBP 151: Live From 'The Gathering' 2025

Recorded live in Banff at The Gathering 2025, this special on-location episode of The Sleeping Barber Podcast brings together three conversations and a recap from hosts Vassilis Douros and Marc Binkley.

The episode explores how belonging, creativity, and technology are shaping the next chapter of marketing — from AI and the creator economy to the deeper values that connect brands and people.

Ryan Gill, co-founder of The Gathering and Cult, shares the philosophy behind the event’s enduring success and what it takes to preserve its soul as it grows. His perspective on leadership, belonging, and the responsibility of “being good guests” in Banff underscores a broader lesson for marketers — scale only matters if it deepens connection.

Vanessa Hope Schneider, Head of Marketing at Descript, reframes AI not as a threat but as a creative ally. She challenges marketers to take an “AI vacation” — dedicating uninterrupted time to learn and experiment — and reminds us that curiosity, not fear, should guide adoption. Her examples of AI co-creation, from “vibe-coded” design tools to custom GPTs for audience personas, reveal how AI can amplify human creativity rather than replace it.

Caroline Murphy, CMO of Meta4 Interactive, takes us inside the evolving world of in-game brand experiences. She describes how brands can authentically show up inside ecosystems like Fortnite and Roblox by co-creating with gamers, designing “playable stories” that enhance — not interrupt — gameplay. It’s a new kind of “digital physical availability,” meeting audiences where they already live, play, and connect.

Together, these conversations capture the evolving state of marketing: human connection grounded in creativity, powered by technology, and measured by meaning — not just metrics.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome to The Gathering 2025 in Banff, Alberta
• 02:10 – Reflections on connection, belonging, and “no badge attacks”
• 05:35 – The state of marketing effectiveness & long-term partnerships
• 09:25 – Ryan Gill on scaling connection without losing soul
• 16:40 – Leadership, values & “unreasonable hospitality”
• 22:50 – Vanessa Hope Schneider on AI, creativity & taking an “AI vacation”
• 31:00 – Coexisting with AI — where humans add the magic
• 36:40 – Carolyn Murphy on the creator economy & in-game brand storytelling
• 44:10 – How brands show up authentically in Roblox & Fortnite
• 51:15 – Measurement, co-creation, and the next era of engagement