AdCongress22 in CamSur topbills media game changers
TECH-DRIVEN MEDIA. Camarines Sur Gov. LRay Villafuerte and Naga Mayor John Bongat (center) join the AdCongress22 executive committee at Tuesday’s press conference at Passion Restaurant of Resorts World Manila. The chair of this year’s ad congress is Sandy Prieto-Romualdez (seated, second from right). The other members of the executive committee are (seated, from left): Barbie Atienza, Merlee Jayme, AdBoard chair Andre Kahn and Blen Fernando. Standing (from left) are Doris Bermudez, Connie Kalagayan, Monette Hamlin, Jose Sy, Ricky Alegre, Margot Torres and Miguel Belmonte of the Star. Contributed photo
“Change the game.”
Amid rapid advances in technology and ever-shifting market moods, it’s the sink-or-swim challenge underlining this year’s biggest gathering of the country’s advertising and media industry players.
With this theme, organizers of the 22nd Philippine Advertising Congress are pushing participants to not only keep up with the evolution but be its very catalysts in a world where competition intensifies by the day and customers drowning in choices demand more for less.
Running from Nov. 16 to 19, “AdCongress22” will be held at the world-class CamSur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur province, which last year dislodged Boracay as the top destination in the country for both domestic and foreign tourists.
The 2011 congress will be hosted by the media sector, along with the Advertising Board of the Philippines.
‘Love of industry’
“This is something we do for love of the industry,” according to Philippine Daily Inquirer president and CEO Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, overall chair of AdCongress22.
“The pursuit of excellence—personally and professionally—drives the industry people to offer their services to the ad congress,” Romualdez said.
Among the key participants are five media associations: United Print Media Group (UPMG), Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), Independent Blocktimers Association (IBA), Cinema Advertisers Association of the Philippines (CAAP) and Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP).
Online registration, booking
A total of 1,444 delegates had registered online, an innovation marking this year’s event and in keeping with the tech-driven theme, Romualdez said.
The e-registration finally did away with the long queues and tedious paperwork at the AdBoard office. The new system also included online bookings for accommodations in CamSur, she explained.
The administration committee chair Blen Fernando, vice president for marketing of Alaska Milk Corp., said the online registration proved to be “very convenient” for the organizers.
Int’l speakers
This year’s local and international speakers include leading voices in marketing, advertising, mass media, and sports and the arts.
A featured speaker, Charlene Li, is a coauthor of the best-selling book “Groundswell.” A pioneer in social media, Li was cited in 2010 as one of Top 100 Most Creative People in Business.
Also addressing the congress is Patrick Shult, president of FremantleMedia Southeast Asia, the company that brought smash TV franchises like “American Idol” to Asian households.
Other foreign speakers include Charles Cadell of McCann Worldgroup; Ricky Ow of SPE Networks-Asia; Laura Wendt of Disney Channels; Jason Choi of Chell Worldwide Inc.; John Miller of Nestlé Philippines Inc.; Joeri Van den Bergh, cofounder and “Gen Y” expert of InSites Consulting; Mark Tutssel of Leo Burnett Worldwide and Geoff Tan of Singapore Press Holdings.
Local speakers include broadcast bigwigs Eugenio Lopez III of ABS-CBN, Felipe Gozon of GMA and Manuel V. Pangilinan of TV5.
Game changers
Filipino “game changers” in the arts and sports will also share their learnings in a panel discussion.
They include award-winning film director Brillante Mendoza, furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, and Philippine “Azkals” national football team members Alexander Charles Luis Borromeo and brothers Phil and James Younghusband
Panelists representing the fashion industry include designer Marlon Rivera, president and chief creative officer of Publicis Manila; and Preview Magazine’s Pauline Suaco-Juan and Vince Uy.
Preparations are also underway on the part of the local government of Camarines Sur.
The CamSur Watesports Complex is currently adding 70 cabins in its Villa del Rey Hotel to accommodate at least 200 delegates at a site close to AdCongress22 venues. Those who cannot be accommodated within the complex may stay in hotels in nearby Naga City.
