About 1,000 advertising and marketing professionals will descend on Abu Dhabi in March to “Break Boundaries” at the 44th International Advertising Association World Congress.
HE Mohamed Ebraheem Al Mahmood, the chairman and managing director of Abu Dhabi Media, which publishes The National, said the event allows the capital the opportunity to showcase “its emergence as a regional hub in media and content creation”.
ADM’s involvement in the congress goes “hand in hand with our contributions to developing the national media sector, as well as confirms our position as a major player in the advertising and media industry,” he said.
“As a leading media organisation in the region, we see it as crucial to encourage dialogue in the industry and promote best practice through exchange of expertise of leading marketing, advertising and communications experts,” said Mr Al Mahmood. The bi-annual Congress will be held at Jumeirah Etihad Towers between March 21 and March 23 next year.
The IAA, headquartered in New York and founded in 1938 to champion responsible marketing, is a “global partnership comprising advertisers, media, advertising and public relations agencies, media companies, and academics”, it says on its website.
Faris Abouhamad, the IAA’s chairman and world president, said it had “worked hard to become a forum that has a unique ability to provide information on the trends and people shaping our industry.
“Our theme Breaking Boundaries picks up on the convergence of every imaginable part of the advertising and communications challenge.”
The growing popularity of mobile devices has allowed companies including Google and Facebook to increase their dominance of global advertising revenues, with the web search company’s income from media spending more than twice its nearest competitor the Walt Disney Company, according to ZenithOptimedia rankings earlier this year. The same report showed the growing importance of China with the internet firm Baidu rising to 14th place.
Mr Al Mahmood said the March congress would provide an “ideal platform to network and meet with like-minded individuals and organisations to discuss the latest trends in the industry”.
Mr Abouhamad promised “an impressive line-up of speakers to provide the insights and forward thinking our global events are renowned for”. The programme will be announced “very shortly”, he said.
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