Briefly…

Master the art of winning new business: The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS), is offering the first of its programme of masterclasses to its subscribing agencies on March 3, 2011 in Gauteng. The topic is Winning New Business. “The new business world is very different from how it was 10 years ago, five years ago or even one year ago. The agency marketplace continues to grow with start-ups, break-aways and new divisions regularly being launched by existing agencies,” says Johanna McDowell, IAS MD.

There are now in excess of 650 agencies in South Africa across all disciplines: Advertising, PR, DM, Design, Media planning & buying, Brand Activation and Digital and crucial for all to continue is to win new business. With this increased competition, the prospect of winning new business can be even more daunting. However, there are methods and systems that agencies can adopt that will increase pitch opportunities and conversion rates dramatically. This class will provide with locally and internationally sourced information that can assist in winning new business.
The classes will be facilitated by Brenda Ross, an advertising and marketing expert with 25 years of business experience working in leading South African agencies and internationally for the Virgin Group and TBWA/Chiat Day along with Johanna McDowell founder of the IAS, who herself has more than 30 years of local and international experience in advertising and marketing..
For more info, contact Jodie at Independent Agency Selection (IAS)
jodi@agencyselection.co.za

Spikes Asia returns to Singapore

The organisers of Spikes Asia have today announced that the 2011 Festival will take place September 18-20 and will return to the Suntec, Singapore, with the Awards Ceremony taking place at the Esplanade Theatre. A hugely successful 2010 Festival saw 3 058 entries judged across 10 categories – TV/Cinema, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Design, Digital, Direct & Sales Promotion, Media, Craft and Integrated, with close to 1 500 delegates attending a busy two-day programme of seminars and workshops led by high profile speakers from around the world.

With networking playing an important part of the Festival, the delegate programme also continued into the evenings with Networking Cocktails, Networking After Dark and the much anticipated Spikes Asia Awards Ceremony and After Party. “Last year proved that Spikes Asia is a genuinely inspiring Festival. Both as an award and an educational gathering of creative minds, it is unrivalled in its region. In 2011, we aim to make the Festival even better and we are pleased that we can continue to use Singapore as the base to do this from,” commented Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions who with Haymarket Asia organise the event.

Delegate registration is set to open on April 21 with a special early bird discount available.