PR Newswire

Product Launch Excellence: Combining modern and traditional vehicles in marketing campaigns

editor — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:15:00 -0800

Supported by mediaME.com and organized by Marcus Evans, the Product Launch Excellence conference has been scheduled to be held on the 22nd and 23rd of April 2012 in Dubai, UAE.

Those days when product launches were just a matter of just putting news release over the wires are over. Consumers are no longer depending on cable TV or news prints for information, but on a wide variety of platforms. These product launches need to be integrated with traditional marketing tools with the social and online marketing tools. Product launch that is effortlessly recalled by public had proven that the brand will have a staying power. Globally, there are about 250,000 new product launches, therefore the creation of one that would wow the crowd could be a tough job.

Mr. Nasr Sulaiman who is the Director of Marketing and Business Development of RTC Coca- Cola, Kuwait and also presenting at this conference comments, “With the market expansions within the region there are a lot of new business entities as well as current operating entities trying to seed more products into the market to have or to increase their market share. A huge number of various products is being launched every day with limited success opportunity due to the heavy competition.”

His topic of presentation will be focusing on customising product launch and marketing campaign according to target markets and he goes on to explain, “This situation has created the need to have proper product launch with a unique marketing campaign using the right combination of both traditional and modern media vehicles. Marcus Evans has realized the importance of organizing this event to meet the current needs of the marketing professionals to face the challenge of making their products launches effective and successful within the current aggressive competition environment.

This event is unique and different than other traditional training events, as guest speakers from various fields will share with the delegates their own practical experience and success stories which will represent more valuable information for the delegates to help them develop their marketing strategies and improve their performance towards having future excellent product launches."

The goal of this Product Launch Excellence is to enable companies to find various avenues to promote these launches. Thus with reduced cost in their product / service launch, they are able to invest more into product development and of course in enhancing their marketing plans before and after the launch. Another speaker at this conference, Mr. Ergin Akman who is the Marketing Director of Nestle Waters, Turkey supports this conference advising, “Although most of the innovation and customization projects -- especially the ones that haven’t been based upon strategic insights -- don’t always meet most of the expectations in the marketplace, they are and will continue to be among the most dominant topics of the business world.”

Other speakers included at this conference will be from Universal Music, UAE, Zenith Watches (LVMH Group), UAE, Tiffany Foods, UAE, Unilever, UAE, Samsung Mobile, UAE, Dubai Media Incorporated, UAE and Galadari Ice-cream Co, UAE.

The Product Launch Excellence Conference is part of Marcus Evans’ comprehensive portfolio of the Middle East conferences that offer professionals the unique one-to-one networking opportunities while featuring top speakers of the industry.

For more information, check the event listing here.

Top trends revealed at Digital Media Forum 2012

editor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:04:31 -0800

The inaugural Digital Media Forum - Dubai 2012, an event to discuss the rapidly growing digital arena, has revealed a number of key trends predicted for the coming year. The event served as a meeting point for industry leaders to share concepts and ideas, as well as forecast developments in the fields of social network marketing, e-commerce and e-education, mobile applications and digital media regulations.

In addition to a number of international experts, speakers who participated in the event included UAE-based advertising and media heavyweights Raja Trad, CEO of Leo Burnett Group MENA, and Joseph Ghossoub, Chairman and CEO of MENA Communications Group (MENACOM). Commentary was also provided by Osman Sultan, CEO of du, who explored how 'social media is a tsunami that has changed everything', and Khalifa Al Shamsi, Senior Vice President of Technology Strategy for the Etisalat Group, who offered an insight into the telecommunications industry, whose expression 'customer data is today's new oil' resonated profoundly with the audience and on Twitter channels.

Those attending the forum included a mix of industry peers, business executives and students, all active participants in the region's digital growth. In addition, the event was well-received by Twitter users across the GCC, predominantly in the UAE. Discussions on the social media platform resulted in #DMF2012 (the official hash tag for the event) becoming a top trending topic in the UAE on both days of the forum, with revelations of the event being shared and distributed with a wider audience.

Raja Trad offered his insight, commenting, "The growth of advertising on social media channels in the next few years will be profound. It is now more important than ever for professionals to find ways to make communication innovative and fresh in order to captivate their audiences across various mediums."

Zafer Younis, CEO of The Online Project, elaborated on the importance of a studied and focused approach in terms of social media, saying. "Professionals need to first evaluate what the message, audience and themes are before jumping on to the digital media bandwagon. For example, Facebook does magic for FMCGs, while B2Bs will benefit more from LinkedIn. Social Media is not all or nothing."

Dan Stuart, Managing Director of Living Social Middle East, discussed emerging e-commerce in the region, saying "The key to its success is support and collaboration with local business in order to attract a resident consumer base."

Najla Semaan Mazboudi, Managing Director of SPOTON Media Services and Events, commented on the success of the forum, "We were pleasantly surprised by the feedback we witnessed on Twitter (@DMForumDXB). Our number of followers increased drastically over the two-day period that the forum took place, and still continues to grow. Looking at this positive response, we have already started making preparations for Digital Media Forum 2013."

Nogoum FM and Nile FM bring first kids' radio station to KidZania Cairo

editor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:57:35 -0800

Budding young radio hosts now have a place to hone their skills while having fun as KidZania Cairo signed a partnership agreement with Nile Radio Productions, owner of popular Nogoum FM and Nile FM, bringing the first Kids' radio station to the city where children will have the chance to be part of a versatile informative and amusing radio programs.

"Adopting a philosophy based on exclusivity and innovation, KidZania Cairo is bringing its young patrons a miniature radio station that will teach them about the fascinating world of radio broadcast. A unique experience that will go a long way towards building-up their self-confidence and giving them a unique opportunity to voice their thoughts and articulate their ambitions," said Mr. Tarek Zidan KidZania Cairo Governor.

"With a station planned to be broadcasting throughout the city and listened to by all visitors, children can get over the well-founded fear and anxiety of setting behind the microphone and talking on the radio," added Mr. Zidan.

"Kids will read out news, comment on sports events and even interview celebrates and well-known figures. What's more, KidZania radio station hosts will have a keen eye on spotting singing talents of their fellow visitors. They will be given the chance to demonstrate their talents and perform to the listeners. As personal experience is a powerful learning tool and in order to make it a memorable escapade towards better planning for a future job, little associates of KidZania radio station can keep a copy of their contributions for the station on a CD of their own to take home and keep," Mr. Zidan clarified.

Ms. Hala Hegazi - Managing Director of Nile Radio Productions - was thrilled at the new cooperation with a miniature Nogoum FM and Nile FM radio stations coming into existence inside KidZania. "Putting that new twist on the learning process by allowing our kids to live true-to-life experiences through role-playing a wide range of jobs is such an awe-inspiring educational concept. I am absolutely glad with this partnership as it will push the knowledge horizons of young ones and help them learn about the know-how of the radio profession. The educational value offered by KidZania radio will provide far-reaching benefits for children. They will become familiar with creating radio shows, receiving calls from audiences, and understanding intricacies associated with radio broadcast, which are all of the essence on the path to radio professionalism," Ms. Hegazi explained.

"KidZania radio will present versatile programs ranging from news bulletins, climate broadcast, traffic updates, all the way to commentaries on sports games, and even star-studded interviews. There will also be entertaining music shows on the airwaves," Ms. Hegazi added.

KidZania, coming to Cairo shortly and now present in eight cities including Mexico, Tokyo, Jakarta, Seoul, Lisbon, Koshien and Dubai, will be the first in Africa and the Second in the Middle East.

KidZania Cairo is an entire kids-scale city built to simulate real life. Children between the ages of 4 to 14 are able to choose from more than 70 real-life jobs in a wide variety of sectors including retail, media and entertainment, construction, culture, sports and industry. Children can role play activities such as doctors, firemen, pilots or chefs in fully-equipped facilities, move around the edutainment city in cars or via public transportation, practice driving at the driving streets within the city, dine at restaurants, or explore their talents at the theatre. As in the real world, children perform jobs and are either paid for their work or pay to shop, or to be certified, or entertained.

GCC governments ready to embrace social media

editor — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:20:17 -0800

Governments in the GCC are preparing for increasing use of social media to interact with citizens, spread government messages and gain feedback on policies.

In 2011 the world saw how social media has changed the world we live in: the instant dissemination of news, giving a voice to the masses and, in the Middle East, aiding the mobilisation of citizens in the Arab Spring.

While here we saw social media being used to rally people against governments, in 2012 governments in the Arab world will be embracing social media as a means of communicating with the people, according to Fadi Salem, Director and Fellow at Dubai School of Government.

"Government attitudes to social media are changing. They recognise that, like the Internet this will become an essential part of how they operate. Attitudes are changing and whereas at one time social media was distrusted, Governments are starting to recognize its potential as a communication tool," he said.

Driving this change is a social media savvy GCC population. The adoption of social media is at its highest ever rate. The UAE has the highest penetration of Facebook in the region at 30%. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum led the way with social media, embracing its use years ago. However, it has taken governments a while to follow his lead. Salem puts this down to control and distrust.

"Government departments are very concerned with privacy and cautious of new technologies so it will take time for widespread use but a change in attitudes is now coming," he said.

Ibrahim El Badawi, from Emirates eGovernment, has been expecting this shift for a while now. "In 2010 we started collaborating with government entities to produce policy guidelines on how to use social media effectively to maximise the value delivered to the public and manage potential risks and concerns attached with using social media. We launched the guidelines in early 2011 and have seen high interest from UAE government entities."

Social Media is ideal for governments who are providing services to residents and use the medium to interact with end users. Emirates eGovernment, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi Police are examples of government entities that are currently doing this. Emirates eGovernment has a Facebook and Twitter page, where users can view their current activities, connect to their portal and communicate with them. Facebook and Twitter are engrained in their communication strategy.

To support this shift in attitudes towards social media, governments across the GCC will be attending the GCC Government Social Media Summit from 9-12 April in Dubai. Communications staff will gain a 'crash course' in social media and learn how they can implement social media best practice.

Salem, who will be speaking at the conference comments, "The summit has come at a timely moment in the development of social media use. It is an excellent way for government staff to increase their knowledge on social media tools and techniques."

Ti22 Films scoops three finalist awards at the New York Film Festivals

Reim — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:23:06 -0800

The prestigious 2012 New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards announced their finalist winners on 3 February with Ti22 Films securing 3 awards within the industrial/educational/information category. Winning two accolades for direction and cinematography, The Breast Surgery Patient Exercise videos were produced for The Well Woman Clinic in nine languages and demonstrate a series of exercises to ensure a speedy recovery for breast surgery patients. Also a winner in the cinematography category, the Corporate Brand film for ENOC showcases the company and its expansion plans through the eyes of a young boy and was produced and delivered within just 10 days.

Directed by Sofia De Fay with Director of Photography Richard Latham, both of whom are multi-award winners in their fields, the films are a testament to the talent and creativity in the region. With entries from over 40 countries, the Festival presented strong competition. As only one of two UAE film companies to win, Dubai-based Ti22 Films cements its position as a company who consistently produces high-quality films that can compete on a global level. Reim El Houni, founder of Ti22 Films was proud to have been selected and is hoping they will be upgraded to Bronze, Silver or Gold status, which will be announced in March, commenting: “We’re delighted to have won the finalist awards for two of our films and I am grateful to the entire team who worked so hard on these projects. The New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards are a great opportunity to demonstrate the expertise in the UAE. ”

Ti22 Films is no stranger to the New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards having gained two Silver and two Gold medals in 2009 for two videos produced to raise breast cancer awareness in the region and receiving a Finalist Award in 2010 for the Dubai International Poetry Festival film.

PressPass launches platform that helps people find the right journalists

valencio — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:02:29 -0800

Every now and then, people need help in getting their message out to the public. Be it a non-profit that’s raising awareness for their cause, a local business launching a new product or service or a citizen with a newsworthy photo.

Aimed at making it easier for small businesses, non-profits, start-ups and citizen reporters to get their news-worthy stories out to targeted reporters, PressPass launches beta version of its live open directory of journalists and media professionals from across the globe.

Organized by the outlets they work for, the beats they cover, and regions they’re from, PressPass aids these people in quickly finding the journalists who are relevant to their story. The platform is starting with over 7600 journalists from 240 media organizations.

PressPass tracks what the journalists are sharing online, what they're reading, where they rank in comparison to their peers, the topics they care about and who’s getting their attention. This information enables the user to get a more in-depth understanding of the reporter, ensuring that they’re sending their content to the right people.

The website also helps users to get in touch directly with the journalist, by letting them reach out via Twitter. Since journalists are often on tight deadlines, this helps skip long emails and start the immediate conversation.

At the time of launch, PressPass is tracking an average of 75,000 tweets a day, with each tweet continuing to build and refresh each journalist’s profiles.

PressPass’ founder David Haddad says “Our goal is to help strengthen the process of people submitting information to trusted sources in mainstream and local media, and contribute to news organizations in receiving original content from the public.”

“Journalism is penetrating into areas it’s never been before, and has started to invite others to participate in the story-telling process. Through PressPass, I’m hoping that everyone who has a newsworthy story will be able to not only find the right reporters to get their word out, but build trustworthy relationships with them.” said PressPass’ co-founder, Valencio Cardoso

PressPass is a self-funded start-up based in Dubai, founded by David Haddad (a product manager and software engineer) and co-founded by Valencio Cardoso (interactive designer) - both of whom are enthusiasts of participatory communication via technology.

Promotions reshape Omnicom Media Group’s investment management structure

editor — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:39:43 -0800

Omnicom Media Group MENA, the holding of communications planning networks OMD and PHD, has named its new Regional Executive Director-Investments. Chadi Farhat, currently the General Manager of OMD’s office in Beirut, is taking over from Karim Koraytem.

Farhat has been with the Omnicom Group in the region of more than 10 years and, in that time, has built an impeccable reputation for integrity, trustworthiness and talent management. In the last five years, he has managed the group’s media resources in the Levant area out of Lebanon, leading OMD’s Beirut office to the leadership position it enjoys today. Farhat’s brief is to lead the group’s teams and trading resources across the region to even greater heights. He will start his new role on March 1 and will work closely with his predecessor over the subsequent weeks to ease the transition and ensure the most efficient of handovers.

Wissam Najjar, OMD Lebanon’s Group Director-Investment, has been promoted to the role of General Manager. After several years in OMD UAE and a stint in Canada, he has worked closely with Farhat in Beirut managing their clients’ media investments. His experience in the market and the region has fully prepared him for this progression in his career.

OMD UAE’s Ziad Chalhoub has also been promoted to Executive Director–GCC Investments. He will work closely with Farhat to drive OMD’s investment agenda in the region, paying particular attention to its digital investment function. One of his missions will be to develop a wider network of influential digital media partners.

“Filling Karim’s shoes was always going to be a challenge but we are very fortunate to have talented and experienced professionals like Chadi in our group to step in, not only to ensure continuity but also to build on Karim’s solid foundations,” explained Elie Khouri, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA. “With Karim’s guidance and learnings, as well as his own expertise and experience, Chadi is the perfect fit for this pivotal role in our business. I know he will excel in this new challenge.”

“It is hugely exciting to be given this role that Karim has built over the years, it’s also a huge responsibility to carry on in his footsteps,” Chadi Farhat added. “One of the reasons why I chose to make the move is that I know our office in Lebanon is in very safe hands. Wissam has clearly demonstrated his abilities not only as a media professional but also as a leader. His skills, including in talent management, make him the obvious choice for this new role.”

Karim Koraytem, who decided to leave the industry after more than 15 years, will act as a consultant until the end of the year. These promotions are effective March 1, 2012.

Three more jury presidents named for Cannes Lions 2012

editor — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:01:09 -0800

The organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity are pleased to announce the appointment of three more jury presidents for this year’s event taking place 17-23 June.

Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions, says about the appointments, "The recognition of fresh ideas and the successful use of creativity advance the industry paving the way forward for the future. We are honoured to welcome such eminent authorities as David, Mainardo and Iain to steer their juries to debate and award the most ground-breaking work in their respective categories."

David Jones, Global CEO of Havas, Global CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide and Co-Founder of One Young World will lead the judging of the Creative Effectiveness Lions category, which launched last year.

At the forefront of the next generation in advertising, David Jones is the youngest global CEO in the history of advertising. In his role at Havas, he is responsible for all creative, marketing, media and design companies throughout the network of more than 16,000 people.

David was the driving force behind the hugely successful 'Tck Tck Tck' campaign for Kofi Annan for the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit, with 18 million people signing up as climate allies, and is the co-founder of One Young World, the premier forum for young leaders across the globe. He worked closely with David Cameron and the UK Conservative Party from 2007 up to and including Cameron's election as prime minister in 2010.

"Over the past decade creativity has emerged as one of the most significant competitive advantages in business," said David Jones. "Today you can no longer buy attention, you have to earn it. And in a world of more and more messages, shorter and shorter attention spans, and smaller and smaller screens, powerful creative ideas that cut through have never been more important. I'm delighted to chair the effectiveness jury that will reward the truly brilliant creative thinking that has driven proven profitable growth."

The Media Lions category will this year be chaired by Mainardo de Nardis, CEO of OMD Worldwide. An internationally recognised thought leader in media innovation and trends, Mainardo de Nardis has led OMD since 2009.

During Mainardo's tenure, OMD has twice been named Global Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, and US Agency of the Year by Advertising Age, while also earning top local honours in many of its 140 offices across 80 countries. In 2011, OMD was named the world’s top ranked media agency for the third consecutive time by RECMA. OMD has also been recognised as the world's most creative media agency for an unprecedented five consecutive years by The Gunn Report for Media.

Prior to joining the Omnicom group of companies, Mainardo de Nardis was the global CEO of Aegis Media and before that he ran Mediaedge:cia worldwide. In 1993 he published "The European Media Map", one of the first books on the development of the European and global media scene.

Commenting on the value of awards in today's challenging business environment, Mainardo de Nardis says, "Beyond the aspirational and inspirational value, awards are also a critical key performance indicator for agencies, measuring our ability to deliver creativity and innovation that drives brand demand and transactions."

Iain Tait, Global Interactive Executive Creative Director of Wieden+Kennedy, will be jury president of the Cyber Lions jury.

Iain’s most recognised piece of work is the Old Spice ‘Responses’ campaign where ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ created real-time video responses to fans. The campaign has been recognised around the world not only for its innovation but also for its effectiveness.

His role at Wieden+Kennedy is to oversee and guide the work coming out of all of the network’s offices, pushing to develop the work into ever more interactive and challenging areas. He works across the spectrum of the agency’s clients including: Nike, Coca-Cola, Target, P&G, and many more. In recognition of his contribution to the agency he was made a partner at the end of 2011.

Iain’s work has been awarded at Cannes Lions, The One Show, the Clio Awards, Art Directors Club, D&AD, Creative Circle and the Andy Awards. Media Age magazine named him the most influential person in new media in the UK in 2009. He's also included in the 2010 and 2011 Creativity 50, Ad Age's 25 Media Mavens and is one of Fortune Magazine's 2010 '40 Under 40’. In 2011 AdWeek named him one of the ten most creative minds in digital. And Iain was recently inducted into the AAF Hall of Achievement. He's also a member of the World Economic Forum Council on the Future of Entertainment.

"I'm excited to guide a Cyber Jury that brings together the best talent from around the globe to recognise the greatest work in the world. There's so much change taking place so rapidly in our space that it's going to be tough to make sense of it all. But I'm confident we'll prove this category is where creativity is vibrant, thriving, and shaping the industry," comments Iain.

Entries for Creative Effectiveness Lions can be submitted until 17 February. Entries are open for all other categories.

Sharjah Media Centre announces two-day agenda for first Government Communication Forum

editor — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:28:12 -0800

The first Government Communication Forum to be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, will seek to benchmark the emirate's government communication standards against global best practices and examine ways for infusing fresh methodologies into the communication mechanism among government departments in Sharjah.

The forum's objective is in line with the overarching mandate of Sharjah Media Centre, the communications arm of the Sharjah government and the organisers of the two-day event.

Scheduled to be held from 26-27 February at Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Government Communication Forum will witness dignitaries and experts in government communication as well as top-tier regional and international media headlining the workshops and panel discussions. Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, former Prime Minister of Malaysia, will deliver the keynote speech during the opening session of the forum.

The first 'Government Communication Forum' will include eight sessions and two workshops. Globally accredited certificates will be given away to participants of the workshops comprising mid-managerial executives from the Sharjah government departments.

Osama Samra, Director, Sharjah Media Centre, said: "The first edition of the forum will deliberate upon a series of topics that focus on best practices for upgrading intra-departmental as well as external communication among government entities in Sharjah. Towards this purpose, the forum will highlight the latest tools, skills and applications to practitioners and professionals, besides offering government institutions in Sharjah with a guideline for improving its standards."

Day-1 of the Government Communication Forum will open with a session on 'Management of Risks and Crisis in Government Media Communications' that will include panelists Dr. Nabil Al Khatib, Executive News Director at Al Arabiya, and Brad Staples, President of APCO International, Chair of Global Development. In addition to outlining the strategies and mechanisms for risk analysis and crisis, the two industry thought-leaders will analyse best ways to build an integrated risk management system as a proactive approach to managing risks. The session will also tackle participants' professional skills in crisis management and throw light on how to transform potential crises into real opportunities.

Dr Nabil Al-Sharif, Member of the Jordanian Senate, and Dr. Rafic Chlala, former Press Advisor to Presidential Office, Government of Lebanon, will lead the second session on 'Spokespersons in Government Institutions - Fundamentals and Skills'. Substantiating their viewpoints with case studies and real-time experiences, the experts will underline the competencies required for communication practitioners and reiterate the importance of continuous training for the purpose of stepping up the quality of government services.

Dr. Ahmad Al Dbeiban, Plenipotentiary Minister of the Secretariat General for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and Firas Al-Khatib, Media, PR and Information Officer, UNESCO, Beirut Office, will headline the third session on the opening day of the forum. Titled 'Coordination Strategies of Communication Efforts among Government Institutions', the distinguished speakers will address decision makers in governmental departments and review international communication models that meet the gap for speed, quantity and accuracy, as well as ensure seamless coordination between organizational units.

Samir Al-Baha'i, Policy and Government Affairs Manager of MENA at Google, will talk about the future of 'Digital Media in the Government Sector' during the fourth session. The session comes at a time when industry experts are expecting digital content to be responsible for 17% of the total media spending (around $1.4bn) in the UAE. Digital commercial ads are expected to increase by 3% to 5% and reach 22% of total commercials by early next year. Against such projections, the session will highlight the use of social media outlets and e-commerce practices as well as analyse emerging trends in the sector.

The first day of the forum will conclude with a workshop led by international trainer Arwell Owen. The segment will focus on 'Skills of Dealing with Media for Senior Officials and Heads of Institutions'. It will primarily examine how public sector employees can develop their media-relationship skills. It will also look at best practices for building synergy with regional and global business leaders for the purpose of enhancing the government's image and manage its reputation.

The second day of the Government Communication Forum will also host four sessions. The agenda will kick-off with a segment on 'Case Study of the Governmental Awareness Campaigns in the US and UK'. Sue Wolstenholme, elected president of 2013 for CIPR, UK, and Gerard Francis, CEO of the Public Relations Society of America, will lead this session.

Ilker Ayci, President of Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT), and His Excellency Abdul Qadir Al Sheikh, Minister of Information, Malaysia, will take the podium in the second session. Both speakers will share Turkey and Malaysia's experience in developing the government media sector.

Turki Al-Dakhil, founder and owner of Dubai-based Al Mesbar research and study centre, along with Zaven Kouyoumdjian, Lebanese TV celebrity, talk show host and producer of acclaimed programme 'Sirée Wenfatahet', will highlight the 'Role of Broadcast Media in Supporting Government Institutions' Vision of Social Development' during the third session on day-two of the event.

'The Role of Caricatures in Correcting Misconceptions and Raising Levels of Awareness' will be discussed during the fourth session that will draw out the perspectives of Omaya Juha, Chairman of Juhatoon, Rasha Mahdi, Egypt's first female cartoonist, and Emad Hajjaj, well-known cartoonist in Jordan and the Middle East.

Nicolas Georges, Founder of Reputation Institute, will host a workshop on 'Organizing the Government's Image and Managing its Reputation'. This session will conclude the forum's agenda on the second day and bring the two-day event to a close.

Intaj, RSICA launch 'Creative Industry: Innovation Cluster' in Aqaba

editor — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:37:01 -0800

The Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (Intaj) is working with USAID Jordan Economic Development Program and The Red Sea Institute for Cinematic Arts (RISCA) to launch 'Creative Industry: Innovation Cluster' in Aqaba on Thursday 9th of February 2012.

The "Creative Industry: Innovation Cluster" is aiming at building Jordan's emerging screen industry and its linkages with the media, ICT, Education and digital content industries by engaging all stakeholders, initiatives, and financing sources for maximum impact.

RSICA plays a major role in providing the skills that are based on industry-best standards and designed to provide graduates with a broad set of professional abilities to enhance employment opportunities and the Creative Industry development.

The event is structured to provide some background on the industry itself, in addition to identifying industry dynamics and echo system to set main priorities that will formulate the cluster main milestones to push for to better enable its growth.

Furthermore, the cluster will ensure bringing all stakeholders to work together and reveal potential opportunities which will help in clarifying the different roles and responsibilities of them.

Innovation clusters in general are currently packaged as a major tool for economic development, as in the core it's all about "Prosperity Pathway", which links innovation to increases in productivity, competitiveness, and ultimately prosperity. This methodology allows the members of innovation clusters to focus on the creation of prosperity, of which competitiveness is a natural progress, but not the end result. Countries can be competitive in one or more industries, but still not be prosperous as a whole. However, prosperous countries are almost always competitive.

The Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan - Intaj is an ICT and ICTES industry-support association founded in 2000 with the aim of improving the dynamics of Jordan's ICT & ICTES markets and developing the Kingdom's ICT & ICTES related activities, and includes more than 210 local and global companies working in IT, Telecom, and IT enabled services (Outsourcing).

Since its establishment, Intaj has been exerting a high effort level aiming at advancing the Jordanian ICT & ICTES sector. Intaj has been looking for various partnerships with different institutions on the local, regional and international levels aiming at creating better ICT and ICTES industry in Jordan, increasing the awareness of ICT and ICTES services and products and stressing on the benefits of integrating ICT and ICTES in other sectors.