IABC to host EMENAComm

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) will be hosting EMENAComm in the Middle East. Set to take place on February 11-12, 2019 in Bahrain, the communications event will provide the region’s communicators with insights and tools needed to help their organisations achieve strategic transformation through communications. The event will also seek to showcase practices and innovations that are changing how corporations, agencies and NGOs are achieving success through communications and feature keynotes by former Apple executives on how communications played a key role in the company’s turnaround.

“The way we communicate has completely changed, and the role of the communicator is transforming as well,” says Alex Malouf, Past Chair, IABC Europe, Middle East and North Africa. “Communicators have a valuable role to play in every organisation, and EMENAComm will help drive this transformation so that the region’s communicators are both empowered to do more and are recognised as change makers by their organisational leadership.”

Second edition of Digitalks to be held

Digital marketing agency, Red Blue Blur Ideas (RBBi) will host their second edition of Digitalks on November 13, 2018 at the Westin Mina Seyahi Dubai. The digital focused conference series will feature a line-up of keynotes, discussions and workshops that focus on deriving maximum value and return from digital technologies on real technology applications to any kind of industry.

“The digital world has changed the marketing and business landscape and is a critical aspect to any business with an online presence,” says Naguib Toihiri, Head of Marketing, RBBi and Event Organiser. “The cutting-edge conference provides the insights professionals need to deliver results in this environment. Apart from various talks, the conference agenda also features workshops and roundtables (exclusive discussion with experts) and will take a deep dive into some of the pressing issues for digital professionals today.”

MENA Search Awards now open for entries

The Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Search Awards 2018 is now open for entries. Set to take place on September 20, 2018 at Madinat Jumeirah, the digital awards show aims to celebrate the talent and achievements of the SEO, PPC and content marketing industries and will feature categories such as Best Use of Search, Best Local Campaign and MENA Personality of the Year.

MENA Digital Awards 2018 dates announced

The fifth edition of the MENA Digital Awards (MDA) is set to take place on May 9, 2018 at the Westin Mina Seyahi. The event aims to honour and celebrate people as well as brands that are shaping the future of the communications industry through digital innovation and media from across the MENA region. The MDA has also opened entries for submission with the deadline on March 4, 2018 to be judged by a jury of digital experts from across the world.

“Year on year, the MDA sets a gold standard for digital and media excellence in the MENA region, acting as a catalyst for innovation, creativity and transformation in one of the world’s fastest-growing and changing industries,” says Najla Semaan Mazboudi, Founder, MDA and CEO, SpotOn Media Services and Events. “The MDA was launched to recognise and celebrate those responsible for creating digital marketing campaigns that have a real impact and drive our sector onto new heights, proactively endorsing digital as a worthy marketing channel.”

Dubai Lynx 2018 Jury Presidents announced

Dubai Lynx 2018 jury presidents announced Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity has invited ten high-profile international jury presidents to lead the juries at the Dubai Lynx Awards 2018. Set to take place from March 11-14, 2018 at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena, the award aims to honour creative excellence and communications across 18 categories including PR, film craft, media and the newly launched healthcare award. Leading the panel of jurors will be John Mescall, Global Executive Creative Director and President Global Creative Council at McCann Worldgroup – Global, Nadja Bellan-White, EVP and Global Brand Management at Ogilvy & Mather, EMEA, and Sue Daun, Executive Creative Director at Interbrand, UK.

“Our juries are at the heart of the Festival, reviewing work from across the MENA region and the jury presidents play an extremely important role in guiding the discussions that define and award the most creative campaigns,” says Jose Papa, Managing Director, Cannes Lions. “Over the past number of years we’ve worked tirelessly to include highly talented women as leaders of these juries and I’m honoured to say that this year we have managed a 50 – 50 split of male and female jury presidents.”

RBBi to launch Digitalks

Digital marketing agency, Red Blue Blur Ideas (RBBi) is set to launch a new digital-focused conference series, Digitalks on January 24, 2018 at the Novotel Hotel, World Trade Centre, Dubai. Digitalks aims to address MENA’s online market, while focusing on e-commerce and the challenges it faces in the region. The conference will also include presentations by Sofiane Haddadi, Head of Media at L’OREAL, Abdelaziz Mohammed, Regional Head Digital Marketing at SOUQ.COM and Amol Kadam, Co-Founder at RBBi, to deliver new perspectives of the digital industry as well as on e-commerce in MENA and the different ways to increase investments around the Middle East.

“The cutting-edge conference covers a wide range of topics that influence business decisions and will demonstrate the best in corporate digital strategies and tactics,” says Naguib Toihiri, Organiser and SEO Department Lead, RBBi. “With the e-commerce market estimated to be worth up to $10bn by next year, the topics are set to revolve around new innovative ways of thinking and formulating cutting edge digital strategies.”

PRCA MENA Awards 2018 now open for entries

Nominations for the PRCA MENA Awards 2018, hosted by Public Relations and Communications Association Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA), are now open for entries. The deadline for the entries is November 29, 2017, with the finalists to be announced in early 2018. The awards aim to recognise teams and individuals for PR and communications campaigns across the MENA region that can demonstrate creativity and effectiveness across 16 categories including Best PR Campain-B2B, Best PR Campaign – Digital, Influencer of the Year and PR Leader of the Year. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony to be held on February 21, 2018.

Nominations for the awards are currently open and can be made directly through their website www.prca.mena.global

Let’s Talk Cairo agenda revealed

Dubai-based PR, marketing and communications agency, Fekra Communications has revealed the agenda for the Cairo edition of its industry event series, Let’s Talk Crisis Communications Forum. The conference will take place from November 6 -7, 2017 at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza, Cairo, Egypt and host several leading communication and media experts from Egypt and across the region to come together and shed light on one of the industry’s most important topics. The forum will feature speakers from a diverse group of industries including international organisations, government, tourism, media, telecom and FMCGs to share their insights and best practice on how to protect an organisation’s reputation. The full list of speakers can be found on letstalkevent.com.

“With the continuing evolution of communication platforms, news and word of mouth spread faster and even wilder than it used to a decade ago,” says Mohammed El Batta, Managing Director, Fekra Communications. “Today we live in a world where both government and corporate reputations are more fragile and where crises seem to be occurring more frequently. One of the biggest challenges for communication professionals is the early recognition of crisis and how to successfully manage it using effective communication techniques.”

Panel of judges announced for Effies 2017

The MENA Effie Awards has announced its panel of judges for the 2017 edition. With the ceremony set to hold on November 15 2017, the panel of judges have been selected from across 147 sectors to judge the most effective marketing efforts in the region. The list of judges will include, Fahd Osman, Marketplace Leader at IBM MENA, Hani Alaita, Regional Marketing Manager at Danone Middle East, Abdallah Touqan, Director PR, Communications and Events at Dubizzle and OLX MENA. The full jury list is available on the MENA Effie Awards website.

“Our judges are absolutely crucial to the success of the Effies, because it is only by working with the finest minds in the marketing world that we are able to identify the best work that has been achieved in our sector this year,” says Alexandre Hawari, Co-CEO, Mediaquest. “Entries are open and the deadlines are fast approaching, so we urge all companies to seize this opportunity to display their innovative, effective approaches to everything, ranging from sector-specific marketing to branded content and media ideas.”

Effies 2017 open for entries

The MENA Effie Awards (Effies), hosted and organised by MediaQuest, is now accepting entries for its ninth edition, set to take place on November 15, 2017. Aiming to recognise effective and innovative marketing in the region, the programme will honour brands across 29 industry-specific award categories, including a newly launched addition for the 2017 ceremony, ‘Renaissance’. Winners of the MENA Effie Awards 2017 will become part of the ranking process for next year’s Effie Effectiveness Index, a comprehensive global ranking of marketing effectiveness. The first deadline for entries is September 7, 2017, followed by the second deadline on September 14, 2017 and the final deadline on September 28,2017.

“We are delighted to be opening the call for entries for the ninth edition of the MENA Effies, which has become one of the most prestigious award programmes in the region’s marketing calendar,” says Alexandre Hawari, Co-CEO, MediaQuest. “The programme has been designed to encompass the entire marketing world and gives companies a real opportunity to display their innovative and effective approaches to everything ranging from sector-specific marketing to branded content and media ideas. The entries have been of an increasingly high calibre year-on-year and we are confident that 2017 will be no exception.”