ADFEST has announced its dates and theme for next year’s festival of creative ideas. The four-day festival will be held in its spiritual home at Peach Royal Cliff Resort, Pattaya from 21-24 March 2018.
The theme chosen for the event is “Transform”, championing how creativity can help businesses connect, succeed and remain relevant in the fast-changing digital economy.
The creative advertising industry is at a crossroads and is under pressure from all sides; from consultancies, from new media, from technology and from clients. It is imperative that it adapts and changes, yet its strength lies in developing and using creativity to humanise and personalise messages.
Says Jimmy Lam, President of ADFEST, “ADFEST has always put creativity first, celebrating the wonderful impact when inspiration combines with local culture and diversity. It looks through the different lenses of craft and creativity, providing the tools and stimulus for the next generation.”
As a non-profit-making entity, ADFEST believes passionately in its role to nurture and support the creative industry in the region and has worked tirelessly to invest in different ways, from its Young Lotus Workshops that encourage and educate new entrants to the industry, to its unique Lotus Roots Awards, which celebrate the richness of ideas that draw from its local cultures.
It ensures that it remains relevant to the changing needs of both creative and production professionals through the ADFEST Collective, a group of highly awarded creative individuals that regularly meets with and advises the Operating Committee.
Says Vinit Suraphongchai, Chairman of ADFEST, “ADFEST was created and is run by industry people for industry people across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. It is our way of giving back and has been an integral part of the region’s creative community for more than twenty years.”
ADFEST has a clear role to provide an independent forum and opportunity for people to reconnect, exchange ideas and learn.
Says Tim Lindsay, CEO of D&AD, “ADFEST and D&AD have collaborated with each other for a number of years. We believe that Awards shows challenge and stimulate the industry to do better. They set a bar and a standard. They reward and motivate creative people. They encourage new talent to join our industry and help that talent prosper. They train and nurture our practitioners. They encourage innovation, experimentation and risk taking. They are woven into the fabric of our industry and deliver enormous value.”
Jimmy Lam and Vinit Suraphongchai have a strong view on why ADFEST is important to the region’s creative industry. “Creativity is a fragile balance of sensitivity, collaboration and bravery and responds to stimulation, communication and change. We think we bring all this together at ADFEST. We believe re-investment in the industry for future generations will further raise the standard and status of creative advertising in Asia Pacific.”
