With the ArabNet Digital Summit coming up, Team TMN sits down with Rana Yaacoub, Media and Partner Manager at ArabNet, to find out what to expect from the upcoming event…
Tell us about ArabNet Digital Summit…
The ArabNet Digital Summit is the region’s most influential conference for digital business and innovation and will be hosting it’s fifth edition to bring together 80 top speakers, 50 exhibitors, over 1200 attendees, and more than 50 key talks and sessions. The summit will involve discussions on the latest in the fields of media, marketing, e-commerce, financial technology, internet of things, big data, investing in technology, and digital business transformation across four separate forums, AdTech, Smart Economy, Digital Commerce, and Innovation and Investment. The event will also feature 18 of MENA’s most promising startups competing at the ArabNet Startup Championship, as well as leading investors from across the world discussing the state of the industry.
When did the summit launch in the region?
The first ArabNet Digital Summit to took place in Dubai in 2013, while ArabNet conferences launched across the region with Beirut in 2010, Riyadh in 2012 and Kuwait in 2016.
When and where will this year’s event take place?
The ArabNet Digital Summit will take place on May 16-17 at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference and Events Center, Dubai.
How will this ArabNet Digital Summit 2017 be different as compared to the previous years’? Please tell us about the four forums…
This year’s summit will include four forums that will cover different tracks within the economy, digital, media and advertising as well as innovation and investment fields. The forums will be categorised into;
- Smart Economy Forum: This full track explores the smart economy covering smart cities, smart governments, the future of cars and transportation, and the digital enterprise as well as the blockchain and machine learning technologies driving this transformation.
- Digital Commerce Forum: This forum explores the emerging trends and opportunities in e-commerce, e-retail and payments in the MENA region. It also dives into the digital transformations taking place in the banking sector, and the fintech innovations that are changing the financial services industry.
- AdTech Forum: This forum features two full tracks covering the latest trends in digital media and advertising, including the AdTech Showcase, which is a convergence of new advertising and media technologies from around the world to improve the impact and efficiency of campaigns, and help publishers maximise revenues.
- Innovation and Investment Forum: This forum features a full track for investors, with high-level discussions that includes, limited partners (LPs), private equity investors and family offices — to help the corporate community understand how they can invest in or collaborate with startups to stay ahead of disruption.
Also included will be the ArabNet Startup Championship, with pitches from 18 of the most promising startups from across the MENA region, handpicked through local pitching rounds and winners given the opportunity to go global.
What was the idea behind introducing four forums under one summit?
The regional market is changing. Audiences today prefer content and networking opportunities that are more specialised, which is why this year, we have shifted and spread the summit across four separate and specialised forums, which are the AdTech, Smart Economy, Digital Commerce, and Innovation and Investment.
What is the concept behind the AdTech Forum?
The concept of the AdTech Forum is based on analytics, content distribution, programmatic, native, bots and automation, which are all technologies that are reshaping how publishers, agencies and brands do business. The focus of the forum will be on topics such as measurement and attribution, content strategies in a world of distraction, ephemeral content; strategies and best practices, technologies changing the consumer journey and showcase of AdTech technologies.
What will be the key topics of discussion at the AdTech forum?
The main topics of discussions at the event will be, New technologies in online advertising, Influencer marketing: Popularity vs impact, Online brand strategies, Consumer experiences: Marketing and commerce
Who will be speaking/participating at the same?
The top regional and international speakers that will be participating in this year’s event will include:
- John Stoneman, General Manager at Triplelift, Europe.
- Lauren Maillian, Entrepreneur, Global Marketer, Startup Advisor, Speaker, TV Personality and Author.
- Sarah Cunningham, Marketing Manager and Head of Demand Generation at AdRoll.
- Sebastian Schindler, Global Insights Lead at InSKin Media.
- Scott Lamb, Vice President of International at BuzzFeed.
- Tim Wolfs, Chief Digital Officer at Altavia Group.
- Liely Bullock, Enterprise Partnerships Manager – EMEA at Statiq.
The full list of speakers can be found on ArabNet’s official website.
Can industry professionals of the region participate as speakers at the event? What is the procedure to apply?
ArabNet has a track record of bringing together globally renowned speakers to discuss cutting-edge topics in web and mobile, through interactive panel formats, talks, and workshops. We are always on the search for innovative experts who can share their work and research. For speakers interested in showcasing a case study or research, whether on social media, at the Digital Summit or any future event, they may apply on the website.
Is the forum open for anyone to attend? What is the registration process?
ArabNet Digital Summit is an exclusive event, with two registration categories. The investors and corporates participation fee varies according to the registration time.
Young professionals, students and entrepreneurs can request an invitation and attend for free. The reason we chose to launch such an initiative this year is to support new entrepreneurs and young professionals who are in the process of establishing their business, but have no means to afford a ticket.
