IAA hosts second successful Apprentice Conference in Dubai

On November 7th and 8th, the International Advertising Association held its second professional development and career conference for university students planning to work in the advertising, marketing and communications industries. The two-day conference in Dubai, UAE brought together students and senior industry executives from media, advertising and technology firms. Students heard first-hand about employer hiring strategies, recruitment practices and expectations of new staff.

A prominent theme that emerged through the talks was how students could better prepare themselves for an advertising industry that is changing rapidly in the face of digital evolution and growth in new technology.

Faris Abouhamad, IAA Chairman and World President said, "This conference has brought together the who's who of the advertising industry for an informative, interactive session with the next generation of advertising and marketing professionals. The IAA is determined to help the advertising industry attract the best young talent available, and the Apprentice Conference is a strong addition to the IAA's global education portfolio. It represents our commitment to providing an interactive career insights program that really makes a difference for up and coming professionals."

More than 130 people from around the world attended the conference at the Emirates Aviation College Campus, including students from the American University in Dubai, UAE; Ecole Supérieure de Publicité, France; Effat University, Saudi Arabia; Edith Cowan University, Australia; Jeddah College of Advertising and King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia; Lebanese American University and Notre Dame University, Lebanon and Zayed University, UAE.

Diane Slade, IAA Vice President Learning, said, "The IAA has pioneered a global dialogue between the classroom and the workplace, through its focus on young professionals. We are responding to a need in the industry for more young talent, which we are uniquely qualified to deliver through our global and regional chapter network and commitment to education and professional development."

The event was made possible through the presenting sponsorship and support of leading regional media company The Choueiri Group, together with Emirates Group Security, Edith Cowan University, the American University in Dubai, Gulf News and AGA/ADK advertising and marketing.

Speakers included: Faris Abouhamad, IAA Chairman and World President; Michael Lee, IAA; Jake Thomas, LinkedIn; Raj Kapoor, American University in Dubai; Nassib Boueri, Wunderman; Rayan Karaky, Google; Samah Ahmed, BBC Worldwide; Joy Sahyoun, AGA ADK; Hicham Fakhoury, Choueiri Group; Paul Boulous, Commercial Bank of Dubai; Diane Slade, IAA; Mansour Salameh, Facebook; Gregory Bolle, City Football Marketing; Kamal Dimachkie, Leo Burnett MENA; Gokul Krishnamurthy, Campaign Middle East; Mazen Hayek, MBC Group and Ricarda Ruecker, MCN.