Festival of Media to launch in Asia
The Festival of Media, an event that for for five years has recognised the best of media creativity in Europe, is coming to Asia. The Festival of Media Asia will be co-run by C Squared, the event’s founder, and Lighthouse Independent Media, the publisher of Marketing Magazine in Asia.
The announcement:
London, 15th April 2011: in an announcement at Global Advertiser Week in Beijing yesterday, the organisers of the Festival of Media revealed their plans for the first ever Festival of Media Asia, to be held later this year.
Speaking alongside the Presidents of the CANA and CAAC in a conference convened with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), conference chairman – and Founder of the Festival of Media – Charlie Crowe, announced that the world’s first festival of media creativity and innovation would be coming to the Asian market. The launch, he said, followed a successful launch for the Latin America media industry in 2010 in Miami and came after the event had reached its fifth birthday in Europe.
“Our research has shown the clear need for a dedicated media event that will unite the Asian industry in much the same way as The Festival of Media LatAm did for media operators and advertisers in that region,” said Charlie Crowe. “Asia is obviously larger and more challenging but in fact many of the dynamics and media business challenges are similar. The time is right for a major event that brings the people and issues together, as well as celebrates the new kinds of communication activity happening in the region.”
The company behind the Festival of Media, C Squared, has joined forces with Lighthouse Independent Media, the publishers of Marketing Magazine in Asia to create an event which address global issues as well as their specific relevance regionally.
Details were unveiled online swiftly after the announcement, highlighting the event as the most important event in the region for the most influential marketers, media owners and media agency networks. The 2-day Festival in November will combine a high-level conference and exhibition with networking sessions and an awards ceremony. The organisers say that the agenda is taking shape, based on feedback from some of the most senior industry professionals about the topics they want covered and the issues their businesses face.
The Festival will offer the chance for delegates to reflect on the many changes taking place in the region’s communications landscape, understand the global trends that are influencing the industry, and learn how prominent brands tackle a region so diverse in culture and reach.
Founder of the Festival and CEO of organisers C Squared, Charlie Crowe comments that “Whilst of course facilitating knowledge sharing and celebrating achievements in advertising innovation within Asia, The Festival of Media Asia will also reflect on the many changes taking place in the region and impart an understanding of the global trends that are influencing the industry. Featuring some of Asia’s leading decision-makers, this will be the most complete and future-facing event for media creativity and innovation.”
Asian participation in the Festival of Media brand is already evident from the increase in entries from the region to the Global awards. Whilst entries from the region went up 11% from 2009 to 2010, this year they have increased by 41% from last year. The region also has one of the most dynamic media industries in the world with Asia Pacific expected to overtake Western Europe as the second largest advertising market in 2012, representing 24.4% of global ad revenues.
In the supporting “pre-launch brochure” supplied to the industry, Chris Burggraeve, CMO, AB-InBev (President, The World Federation of Advertisers) comments: “Anheuser-Busch InBev welcomes the launch of the Festival of Media Asia. The Asian region is one of high growth and innovation, especially in the area of connections. Our global brands Budweiser and Stella Artois – and the marketing industry as a whole – will benefit from raising the bar across Asia on Connection Strategy, Planning and Measurement. This is what the Festival of Media Asia will offer to all who will participate.”
Also in the document, Jack Klues, President, Vivaki says: “The Festival of Media is the only event designed to specifically measure and benchmark the most outstanding media strategies and activations in the world. With a keen focus on industry best-practices, marketers’ perspectives and the future of consumer contact, FOM exposes participants to insights and intelligence that can be applied in real time. I am delighted the Festival of Media is now launching in the Asian region.”
Since the first global event five years ago in Venice, the Festival of Media has doubled in size and established itself firmly on the media industry’s calendar. Over $200 billion of global ad spend was represented at the global Festival of Media in Valencia earlier last year[1] and 73% of delegates were drawn from C-suite or Director level.[2]
The Festival of Media Asia is organised by C Squared, founders of The Festival of Media brand and Lighthouse Independent Media, the publishers of Marketing Magazine in Asia.
