About this Event
The trailblazing filmmaker and powerhouse CEO who produced Straight Outta Compton and Girls Trip uses powerful and illuminating stories from the frontlines of Hollywood to offer a clear vision on how to manifest your own success—by believing there is no one on the planet more deserving of it than you.
Will Packer, one of Hollywood’s most influential record-breaking filmmakers, has produced or executive produced a wide range of movies that have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide at the box office, including ten films that have opened at number one. He is a member of the esteemed Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was selected as the Producer of the 94th Academy Awards Ceremony, for which he received an Emmy nomination. A longtime Atlanta resident, Packer serves on the board of the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and is a longstanding supporter of HBCU initiatives.
Stephen A. Smith
On The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith gives you his renowned point of view, breaking barriers beyond the world of sports, and tackling pertinent issues across entertainment, pop culture, society, business, and politics. Three times a week, you'll hear his LIVE unfiltered opinions on the day’s biggest headlines as well as straight-shooting interviews with top celebrities, game-changers, and thought leaders across the societal arena. The Stephen A. Smith Show is sure to entertain, inform, and motivate anyone who tunes in.
Smith is an author, journalist, actor, NBA analyst, host of ESPN’s flagship debate show First Take, and frequent guest on SportsCenter. In addition to this show, Smith is passionate about a range of causes, including battling illiteracy, supporting HBCUs, ending homelessness, and aiding veterans.
About the Book:
You know Will Packer’s movies. From Stomp the Yard to Ride Along to Girls Trip, they’ve grossed more than $1 billion at the box office, including ten films that opened at number one. And, in the vein of Shonda Rhimes, he did it by featuring authentically diverse stories that highlight black culture—something that Hollywood had long overlooked.
To outsiders, the hustle and unabashed confidence that fueled him since the days when he was trying to sell a micro-budget indie film in college may look like arrogance. To Packer, that’s just what he had to do to make it on his terms. With Who Better Than You?, Packer has created the success toolkit he wished he’d had back then, useful for anyone who’s just starting out or perhaps ready to make a major transition but doesn’t feel there are great career options or ready examples of people who’ve succeeded before them. This guidebook, full of reflections on the values and audacity that have carried him through his most successful projects, is filled with indispensable advice on business, leadership, and legacy.
Whether you’re aiming for the writer’s room or the boardroom (or somewhere else entirely), you will find encouragement, energy, and empowerment in his stories and lessons. As Kevin Hart says of working with Will Packer: "I became a student and learned from the way he was moving. The man helped me grow and gave me the knowledge."
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Oxford Exchange, 420 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, United States
USD 32.33