George Lois

2022 Keynote Speaker

June 24 2022

Athens Gate Hotel

The legendary George Lois is the most creative, prolific advertising communicator of our time. Among his accomplishments are the “I want my MTV” commercials, making then unknown fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger famous with one ad and changing the perception of ESPN from a “demolition derby” sports channel to being THE number one sports channel period.

He is also the only person in the world inducted into The Arts Directors Hall of Fame, The One Club Creative Hall of Fame, with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Graphic Arts and The Society of Publication Designers.

Leadership & Communications Program 2.0 CEU

Coaching and Mentoring Employees [4 hours]                      = 0.4 CEU credits

Course Description: "Managers and supervisors play a key role in coaching all types of employees in all kinds of situations, but few have had formal training in the process or understand the benefits. This seminar introduces the basic elements of coaching and mentoring, discusses the appropriateness and benefits of each approach, and provides specific application techniques for a variety of personality types and work circumstances."

Dealing tactfully with Difficult People [4 hours]                    = 0.4 CEU credits

Course Description: "This practical skills-building seminar demonstrates how to deal constructively with people when their behavior is unpleasant and difficult. Participants learn specific strategies for dealing with such behaviors as verbal attacks and put-downs, complaining, thoughtlessness, manipulation, attention-seeking, excessive talking, withdrawal, rule-breaking, excuses, and feigned helplessness."

Managing Conflict and Disagreement [4 hours]                    = 0.4 CEU credits

Course Description: "Managing conflict is a critical part of every manager's and supervisor's job. This highly interactive seminar provides you with practice in the basics of using key techniques to resolve conflict in today's organizations. You assess your own conflict management styles and practice effective communication and listening techniques, trust building, and constructive framing of issues to assist in resolution. The instructor demonstrates tools and techniques and assists in group exercises and role playing."

Leadership Strategies for Creativity & Innovation [8 hours] = 0.8 CEU credits

Business organizations are dynamic entities that rely on effective teams to enhance company performance and execution. In order for these high performing teams to function at optimal levels, quality leaders must drive and manage the performance of the team.
Key leadership qualities are necessary for facilitating the collaborative environments that occur with teams.  Businesses are increasingly turning to the Entertainment World for methods for facilitating high performing teams.

For decades, actors utilize tools known as "Theatre Games" to foster creativity and innovation.  Better known as "Improvisation", these tools foster leadership, communication and teamwork skills that encourage creativity and innovation within an organization.

Legal Educational Program 12.0 MCLE hours

Greek Legislative Processes [4 hours]          = 4.0 MCLE hours

Course Breakdown: 

a) Parliamentary processes, i.e. legislative enactment of laws: 1.0 hrs.

b) Greek debt crisis and resolution thereof from a legislative perspective: 1.0 hrs.

c) Tour of Parliament: 2.0 hrs. 

Greek Court System and

Civil Judicial Process [2 hours]                    = 2.0 MCLE hours

Course Breakdown: 

Overview 1.0 hrs

Courthouse visit (in session) 1.0 hrs. 

Greek Real Estate

and Sales [2 hours]                                         = 2.0 MCLE hours

Course Breakdown: 

a) transactional processes including title issues and resolutions

b) financing

c) land use restrictions

d) taxation, including special taxes imposed on foreign non-residents

Overviews: One one-half hour per subtopic, 

Greek Environmental Regulatory Issues

and Opportunities [2 hours]                    = 2.0 MCLE hours

a) Current en

vironmental issues and concerns challenging the country

b) Applicable Greek and EU regulatory requirements and agencies

c) Emerging technologies deployable in Greece, with EU assistance, to create non-toxic (non-NOX) fuels

and to reduce and eliminate municipal waste 

U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

and U.S. Jobs Act [2 hours]                    = 2.0 MCLE hours

a)  Overview of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the penalties attendant to the improper influencing by U.S. firms or individuals seeking to procure government contracts in foreign jurisdictions,   Presented for one hour with corresponding MCLE credit including credit for ethics

b)  Overview of the U.S. Jobs Act as it particularly provides for the relaxation of SEC regulatory oversight on "crowd funding" as a vehicle or means to solicit capital for investment in U.S. businesses and enterprises,  Presented for one hour with corresponding MCLE credit including credit for ethics

Accommodations:

Meals:

A full buffet breakfast daily and 3 three-course dinners are provided.

Hotels:

(Click on hotel name to link to hotel website)

Vravrona – Mare Nostrum Hotel

Athens - Athens Gate Hotel

Nauplia—Amalia

Olympia— Amalia

Delphi—Amalia

Meteora Area—Amalia

Destinatons:

(Click on name to link to Wikipedia listing)

Athens, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia, Delphi, Meteora Area, Thermopylae and Cape Sounion

UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

(Click on name to link to UNESCO listing)

Meteora, Acropolis Athens, Archaeolgical Site of Delphi and Archaelogical Site of Olympia

Itinerary:

Day 1   Friday 6/17 - Athens, Greece - Vravrona

Arrive in Athens International Airport.

Transport to the seaside resort Mare Nostrum Hotel-Club Thalasso in Vravrona.

Day 2 Saturday 6/18 - Vravrona

An 11AM Meet & Greet event at the pool where you can socialize with your fellow travelers and become acquainted with your guides.

Day 3  Sunday 6/19 - Vravrona - Athens

A 2PM Cooking Class with Chef Tzimi who will give insights to Greek cuisine.

At 8PM we will transfer to Athens Gates Hotel located in the famous Plaka District (Greece’s version of Beverly Hills) and only 500 meters (approximately 1/3rd of a mile) of the Acropolis.  We will stay here for the next 5 days and 6 nights and is where the educational seminars will be held.

Day 4  Monday 6/20 - Athens, Greece

9AM to 1PM – Executive and Legal Classes

The afternoon is open for shopping and sightseeing in the Plaka District, also known as the Beverly Hills of Greece.

7PMDinner with advertising legend George Lois who helped fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger become famous, was instrumental in MTV and ESPN cable channels become household names and created the brand “Lean Cuisine”, Stouffer’s line of frozen health food meals.

Day 5  Tuesday 6/21 - Athens, Greece

9AM to 1PM – Executive and Legal Classes

Spend the afternoon sightseeing with a local guide that features a visit to one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments, the Parthenon, that sits atop the Acropolis.  Also within are the famous gateway to the Acropolis, the Propylaea and the ancient Greek temple, the Erechtheum, with its Porch of Maidens.

Day 6  Wednesday 6/22 - Athens, Greece

9AM to 1PM – Executive and Legal Classes

The afternoon is reserved for a visit to the Greek Parliament.  A Hellenic Chamber of Commerce Mixer for networking will be held.

Day 7  Thursday 6/23 – Athens, Greece

9AM to 1PM – Executive and Legal Classes

The afternoon is reserved for a short trip to Cape Sounion which is the site of the famous Poseidon Temple and known for its spectacular sunsets over the Aegean Sea.

Day 8  Friday 6/24 - Athens, Greece

9AM to 1PM – Executive and Legal Classes

The afternoon is open for shopping and sightseeing in the Plaka District.

Day 9 Saturday, 6/25 - Athens—Corinth—Mycenae—Epidaurus—Nauplia

We will travel along the coast and cross the Corinth Canal to visit Ancient Corinth, where St. Paul wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians and the Second Epistle to the Corinthians.  We will also visit Mycenae, where Lion Gate, Europe’s oldest known monument, remains of Agamemnon’s Royal Palace, and the impressive fortifications of the Citadel are located. Finally on to Epidaurus for a tour of its 2,300-year-old open-air theater.

Day 10  Sunday, 6/26 —  Nauplia—Olympia

We enjoy the beautiful scenary as we wind our way through the Arkadian Mountains. Then, an afternoon in Olympia, the birthplace of the original Olympic Games. We will visit the museum that houses Praxiteles’ statue of Hermes.

Day 11 Monday, 6/27 - Olympia—Delphi

We drive to the seaport of Patras and into Delphi, home to the famous Oracle. We end with a visit to the Archaeological Museum to admire the Charioteer, an extraordinary 5th-century BC bronze statue.

Day 12 Tuesday, 6/28 — Delphi—Meteora Area

North via Lamia and Trikala to Kalambaka in the Meteora with its 24 rock-top monasteries. Visit Varlaam Mondastery, famous for its frescoes, and St. Stephen’s Monastery, featuring a unique collection of icons (ladies are suggested to pack one long skirt, as shorts or trousers may be inappropriate when visiting the monasteries).

Day 13 Wednesday, 6/29 — Meteora Area—Thermopylae

The highlight of the day is a guided visit to Thermopylae, the site of the famous doomed stand of King Leonidas’ 300 Spartans against King Xerxes’ Persian army.

Day 14 Thursday, 6/30 - Athens

We leave the Meteora Area and drive back to Athens for a wonderful Farewell Dinner

James Dimitriou, PhD

Program Director

In addition, Dr. Dimitriou is the Program Director for the "Journey to Greece", a travel study program for college age students, based at the University of Indianapolis Athens Campus.  He is a noted educator and scholar on Greek American studies and an adjunct professor of global studies in the School of Education at the University of Southern California. He teaches in a variety of staff training and professional development programs. As the faculty adviser to the national award winning Model United Nations, he was chosen by the "UN 50 Project" as one of the 50 Americans to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter in June 1996.

Peter Wilkins, PhD

Program Director

Dr. Wilkins is an Educational Consultant and served as Chair of the Business Department at University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus from 2005 to 2012.  His expertise lies in Education Management.  He is in charge of the Executive Education curriculum for Family Study Abroad.
 

Nicholas Vasels, JD

Program Director

His responsibility is the Legal Education curriculum for Family Study Abroad.. his professional background is in contracts; construction and design-build contract management in aviation and power sectors, both private and public; real estate transactions and financing; land use and easements;eminent domain; business entity formations and transactions; corporate governance; federal election finance regulatory compliance. 

TBA