65 top leaders from across 18 countries met in the Lebanese capital on May 7, to share their practices and learnings
MAY 15, 2019 –Global Advertising Agency of the Year TBWA recently held its EMEA Regional Meeting in Beirut, bringing together 65 top leaders from across 18 countries who shared their experiences, learnings and discussed future collaborations that will consolidate the collective and reinforce its determination towards a shared vision.
‘Cross Routes’ refers to the region, a true crossroads where different cultures, ethnicities, religions, languages and insights intersect on a daily basis. It also describes Lebanon, a place with a history of civilizations passing through it and leaving their mark, making the country the diverse, stimulating, spontaneous and truly rebellious place that it is today.
Three days of pure inspiration included talks and discussions on innovation and digital, as well as global and regional updates from Global Chief Executive Officer Troy Ruhanen, Global Creative Chairman John Hunt, International President Cem Topcuoglu, TBWA\Istanbul Chief Executive Officer Burcu Kayimtu, TBWA\Spain Group Vice President Claudia Safont, TBWA\Dublin Chief Executive Officer Deirdre Waldron, Global Chief Financial Officer Denis Streiff, Chief Financial Officer for Europe Erik Kellerhuis, TBWA\Istanbul Chief Creative Officer Ilkay Gurpinar and TBWA\Group Moscow Chief Executive Officer Natalia Abbasova, among many others.
Previously held in Johannesburg and Istanbul, this third regional meeting joins Western countries with the Eastern region for the first time.
Cem Topcuoglu, TBWA’s International President said: “I am extremely proud of the progress we have achieved in the past three years. Seeing people from different parts of the world come together with such synergy, speaking the same language and sharing the same vision is what makes us embrace the diversity of our collective and look forward to greater success together.”
Two guest speakers held motivational talks during the event: Ms. Alissar Caracalla, founder of the Caracalla School of Dance and choreographer at Caracalla Dance Theater, an award-winning troupe performing in the most reputable theaters, festivals and cities across the world, shared her long journey towards success.
Mr. Fred Moolhuijsen, Architect and Partner at Brand & Business Architects, a marketing consultancy firm in the Netherlands specialized in brand strategy, spoke about the advertising industry and what’s coming in the near future.
The meeting was followed by a fun trip to the Shouf mountains, a historic region in the South of Lebanon, and concluded with a hike in Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, home to Lebanon’s largest cedar forests and to the famous cedar tree located at the heart of the national Lebanese flag.
About TBWA\Worldwide
TBWA is The Disruption® Company: the cultural engine for 21st century business. Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and Adweek’s 2018 Global Agency of the Year, we create disruptive ideas that locate and involve brands in culture, giving them a larger share of the future. Our collective has 11,300 creative minds across 275 offices in 95 countries and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, The Integer Group®, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald’s, Michelin, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC).
About TBWA\RAAD:
TBWA\RAAD was established in the United Arab Emirates in 2000 to develop and expand TBWA Worldwide’s presence across the Middle East and Africa. The network operates with a team of more than 1,000 people across four main divisions – advertising, digital, shopper marketing and public relations. TBWA\RAAD has been the most awarded agency in the region in 2018 and was ranked 16th most awarded creative agency in the world by The Big Won Report, and 8th bravest agency on the planet by Contagious Pioneers and Regional Agency of the Year at the New York Festivals in 2019. Clients include: Accenture, Apple, AWR Rostomani Arabian Automobiles, Careem, CNN, du, Essence, Gatorade, Global Village, Henkel, Infiniti, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Mai Dubai, Metlife, Nissan, Pepsico, Pfizer, Qatar Tourism Authority, Singapore Airlines, Standard Chartered. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and like us on Facebook.