'Huggin' Necks and Breakin' Bread' Tonight with Mike Jones

Esteemed designer and business owner Mike Jones will serve as the featured lecturer for Columbus State University's Department of Art tonight. His one-hour lecture, entitled Huggin' Necks and Breakin' Bread will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Crit Space 1 at the Corn Center for the Visual Arts.

Mike Jones is currently the Head of Design in AFLAC which he joined in 2017. Jones is also the Co-founder of Creative South which is an international design conference held every April in Columbus, Ga. Creative South connects people to others working in the design community, while offering an unparalleled conference in the industry for creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration.

Jones is known for his unique blend of professionalism and southern hospitality, and the value he places on these two qualities permeates everything he touches. Creative South's slogan is "Come as friends, leave as family." They mean it, too. People from as far away as Australia come to Creative South every year, and that's largely due to the work, and passion, of Mike Jones.

To say that Jones' reach is extensive in the design industry is an understatement. In 2017, Creative South brought over 800 people from 35 states and 7 countries. 2018's conference sold out completely, and 2019 is expected to do the same.

Jones has been a designer for over 18 years, and doesn't hesitate to contact industry leaders to come and address the Creative South crowd. In addition to heading up Creative South, Jones also founded and owns Serve Studios where his down-to-earth business philosophy is on display front and center.

...we consider our business partnerships relationships. We want you to know who you’re working with and that we have experience you can trust. We’re a southern company based in Columbus, GA, where it really does get that hot and folks really do say “y’all.” We take our Church values, BBQ, and college football seriously – as seriously as we’ll take your business. - a quote on Jones' philosophy from the ServeStudios.com homepage

Tonight, Jones will discuss his philosophy of huggin' necks and breakin' bread - the very thing which has fostered so much of his success over the years. In addition to addressing a public audience, Jones' talk has been added to CSU's list of convocation events for their students. This speaks volumes. Anytime a collegiate university gives credit for their students attending a lecture, it implies the university stands behind the content as essential for their students' development and professional success.

The bottom line? Jones is both an internationally-renowned artist and down to earth - a rare combination that makes Jones a gem. Don't miss this lecture. And don't forget to get your hug before you leave.◼︎