DUBAI LYNX'14 to be themed around 'Stories of Creativity'

The Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity is the Middle East and North Africa region’s annual must-attend event for the advertising and communications industry to learn, be inspired, network and celebrate.

This year’s seminar and workshop programme will be themed around ‘Stories of Creativity’ bringing tales of success, failure, drama and comedy that will inspire delegates with fresh learnings and new opportunities.

“Latest studies show that the most successful campaigns of 2013 were those that benefitted consumers, brands and society alike and that 44% of MENA consumers pay more for a brand with a social cause. With this in mind, one of the hot-topics that will be widely discussed at Dubai Lynx this year will be advertising and communications with a social conscience,” says Emma Lancaster Farmer, Dubai Lynx Festival Director.

The highly awarded Jamie Rosado, VP and Creative Director of JWT Puerto Rico, will present brands that are doing social good whilst exploring the effects of religious, cultural and political values, such as the Arab Spring and Ramadan, on brand marketing. A member of the Cannes Chimera, having won the Cannes Lions 2012 PR Grand Prix for 'The Most Popular Song’ for Banco Popular, his socially conscious work is both imaginative and effective.

Discussing ‘Creativity with a Purpose’, Humberto Polar, VP and Chief Creative Officer of Mayo Draftfcb Peru, is one of the leading creative voices in Latin America today and was recently named seventh among the 24 most important people in advertising in the world by Business Insider. His creative works create positive social change in addition to enhancing the reputations of his clients. His award-winning ideas include helping the Peruvian Cancer Society reach its fund-raising goal by reaching out to an unlikely group of donors: occupants of the country's most dangerous prison; and his innovative work for a Peruvian engineering university, for whom he helped erect a billboard that harvested humidity from the surrounding air to produce clean drinking water.

The Freedom Theatre, is a community-based theatre and cultural centre in Jenin Refugee Camp in occupied Palestine, offering a unique programme of activities in performing arts and multimedia, including acting, psychodrama, playback theatre, filmmaking, photography and creative writing. Jonatan Stanczak, Co-founder and Managing Director and Mustafa Steti, Filmmaker, will tell The Freedom Theatre’s story of how a creative project has grown to become the backbone of a community, a story of inspiration that promotes creativity and innovation, empowering youth and women in the community and demonstrating the potential of arts as an important catalyst for social change. The Freedom Theatre was set up in 2006 and includes Michel Khleifi and Noam Chomsky on its Board of Directors.

Also taking to the stage will be photographer Euan Air; Alistair Beattie, Head of Strategic Planning for Europe, Middle East and Africa, DDB Europe; Tom Bowman, Senior Vice President of Sales Operations and Commercial Production, BBC Worldwide; Mark Holden, Worldwide Strategy & Planning Director, PHD; Karen Corrigan, Co-founder and CEO, Happiness Brussels; Chad Dick, Partner of the brand consultancy agency, Eatbigfish; Ben Fender, CEO, Drive Productions UK; Graham Fink, Chief Creative Officer China, Ogilvy Shanghai; and former BBC One controller, Lorraine Heggessey, Executive Chair, Boom Pictures (incorporating Twofour Arabia). Additional speakers will be announced shortly.

The Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity takes place 9-12 March at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE.