Dubai Lynx has announced the line-up of speakers for the inaugural LYNX Live Virtual, taking place from 5-7 October 2020.
Hosted on Cannes Lions’ global platform, LIONS Live, the programme will welcome speakers from across MENA to share inspiration, knowledge and insight, and explore how creativity can unite the region.
Thea Skelton, Festival Director at Dubai Lynx, commented, “We’re delighted to announce our talented line-up of creative minds, innovators and thought-leaders for LYNX Live Virtual that truly represent the brilliance of MENA's creative industry. Over the course of three days, these speakers will share with our audience honest accounts of their successes and learnings, thoughts on the future and guidance on the collective challenges facing businesses today.”
As part of the ‘LYNX Stories - My Creative Journey’ series, MENA’s greatest storytellers and creative stars will reveal their lessons from, and secrets behind, a long-lasting career in creativity. Ali Rez, Regional Executive Creative Director, Middle East and Pakistan, IMPACT BBDO will walk through his creative journey spanning across four continents, sharing along the way his business insights and the importance of courage in helping him become one of the world’s most awarded creatives. Commenting on LYNX Live, Rez said: “Dubai Lynx has always endeavoured to raise the creativity bar in the region – LYNX Live is a fantastic boost to inspiration, knowledge, and perspective on the power of creativity at a time when we need it the most. I’m looking forward to some really compelling and informative content from some of the region’s finest thinkers and doers.”
Others sharing their creative journeys include Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, VMLY&R, MENA who will reveal his guiding principle and how it has influenced his story of taking chances, facing setbacks and putting his faith in his work; and Humanitarian, Author, and Media Personality, Zainab Salbi along with Shant Oknayan, General Manager, Global Business Solutions, ByteDance MENAT will ask ’What’s Next for MENA?’.
Delving into why humour matters in creative strategy, Tahaab Rais, Regional Head of Strategy & Truth Central, President – MENAT SLC, FP7 McCann MENAT and Sagorika Heryani, Head of Strategy, Grey MENA will be joined by Maria Dodero, Regional Senior Brand Manager, Nestle and Rayyan Aoun, ECD, J. Walter Thompson KSA for a keynote session ‘Humour: The Smart Shortcut to Brand Fame’ hosted by WARC.
During a ‘Marketers From MENA’ session, Campaign Middle East’s Editor, Austyn Allison will discover what keeps Christine Harb, VP Marketing CEMEA, VISA awake at night.
While in a keynote session not to miss, MENA’s industry leaders, including Patou Nuytemans, Chief Executive MENA, Chief Digital Officer EMEA, Executive Partner Worldwide, Ogilvy, Ghassan Harfouche, Group CEO, Middle East Communications Network and Dani Richa, Chairman & CEO, BBDO Middle East, Africa and Pakistan will debate the impact of the global pandemic on regional creativity and how creativity might just be the driving force for change, looking forward.
