A game-changer is a visionary. He changes the way something is accomplished, thought about or made. He has noble, novel and diverse ideas that rise above the clutter. He has an idea that completely alters the way a situation develops. Businesses employ innovative thinking to generate ideas or events that change the outcome of a plan. As a visionary strategist, he uses creative innovation to alter plans, or conceives an entirely new roadmap by exploring new locations and different products.
Game changing is what creates opportunities and wealth. And it had better create the opportunities and wealth because it’s so damned difficult to do. You are into it if you put meaning in what you do, jump to the next curve, are not afraid to polarize people, break down barriers, and do what you ask other people to do. Try testing your game- changing capability against this list as you attend the Philippine AdCongress22 in CamSur’s Water Sports Complex from Nov. 16 to 19.
This week could very well be declared Advertising Week as people in the advertising industry gather in Camarines Sur for a lot of game-changing talks to be delivered by Tourism Secretary Mon Jimenez, ad agency leaders from the McCann Erickson Worldgroup and Leo Burnett Worldwide, movers of multinational companies like Nestlé, social media experts, content providers like Disney and SPE Networks, branded entertainment gurus from Freemantle Media Asia, Filipino game changers Dante Brillante, Kenneth Cobonpue and members of Team Azkals, among others. And, of course, there is the most awaited session, “The Future of TV, The Future of Media,” starring the heads of the three competing TV networks: Gabby Lopez of ABS-CBN, Felipe Gozon of GMA and Manny Pangilinan of ABC. The AdCongress22 will definitely have a balance of learning and fun activities. Here are some of them:
1. Creativity + effectiveness = Araw Awards. The culmination of the Philippine Advertising Congress is the Araw Awards. It recognizes the best creative works of the last two years, all the byproducts of stressful days and sleepless nights brainstorming, strategizing, executing, presenting, revising and re-presenting, revising again and re-presenting again until final approvals are given. In past congresses, advertising entries are judged purely on creativity, but in this AdCongress22, effectiveness was added to the evaluation criteria. So now, scoring for the close to 2,000 entries will be based on 40 percent effectiveness, 20 percent strategy, and 40 percent creativity and execution.
This time, the judging process went “e.” It was online all the way. As Merlee Jayme, creative committee chair, said, “It’s not easy to do it, but we had to start it. Going digital, doing everything online, including the first phase of judging, made us realize that this is for the long-term. There has to be continuity. You cannot be online now, only to go back to manual later. Someone’s got to pave the way, go through the headaches, and hopefully from the lessons picked up from the process it will be a lot easier for everyone in the next congress.”
2. Day pass for sale. If you can’t do the whole stretch of AdCongress22, here’s good news for you. Day passes will be made available at P1,500 each. It will gain you entrance to the day’s talks and plenary sessions and unlimited access to the AdCongress22 trade exhibit. As the program schedule reveals, each day features very informative and relevant sessions to be handled by local and international experts. It will also give passholders the opportunity to enjoy the amenities and facilities of the Camsur Water Sports Complex.
3. Ready for the groundswell? One of the buzzwords of AdCongress22 is “groundswell.” Get familiar with it as Charlene Li, co-author of the best-selling book Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, delivers her plenary talk. Li, an expert in the business of social technologies, defines “groundswell” as “a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions.”
Groundswell embarks on knowing and enlisting the new social media realities in order to thrive in an ever-changing digital terrain. It provides a prescriptive direction on how to be quick and supple in a rapidly transforming and often confusing business landscape. The budding theme is not about technologies per se, but about relationships you are able to build, embrace and nurture using the newfangled tools.
Groundswell brings together the structures, information, and sample cases to steer businesses on how to work with, but more importantly, flourish in the emerging environment. One of the key structures covers how companies can better understand the behavior of people in the groundswell.
4. Learn hard, play hard. Indeed, this is a tandem that works. There will be learning sessions upon learning sessions, but there will also be play, play, and more play. You can run, bike, and get wet, wild and wacky. Five sports events will bring the action in to get those hearts pumping, and the adrenaline madly rushing and gushing.
You may either join the Petron Amazing Quest, the Fun Run, the Lago Relay Water Obstacle, the Ultimate Frisbee, or the cycling event courtesy of Naga Smiles. Or you may opt to join all. Naga will be the event’s host city — applause, applause, and louder applause for that. Registration for all the sports competitions ends at noon of Nov. 17, and on the same day, it will be off to the Lago Relay at 4 p.m., where five teams will test their strength, stamina and synergy on the lake waters of CWC. On the morning of Nov. 18, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., to be exact, the Fun Run and cycling will surely bring in exciting sports tales and industry athletic records. On Nov. 19, the first five registrants to Ultimate Frisbee will get to try their luck at this extreme game. “The most exciting and game-changing congress is about to take place, so you are encouraged to gear up and get your teams ready,” urged Ricky Alegre, overall chair for special events,
5. Merchandising pieces with a difference. A couple of items customized for the participants will surely generate attention. There’s the ID bracelet or wristband, a trendy and functional trinket that will be used to identify the registered delegates. It will give the wearer access to the plenary sessions, trade exhibit, meals and all other ad congress activities. And then there’s the souvenir planner. Traditionally produced in magazine format, it will be jazzed up this year (courtesy of the souvenir program sub-committee) to give delegates something they can use all through 2012. It’s designed with blank calendar pages to write on and a sturdy flap pocket to hold loose paper. It can also be used to keep track of speakers and participate in online AdCongress22 activities and discussions via Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare.
Bring comfortable clothes, an open mind, ready smiles, happy hearts, firm handshakes and sincere beso-beso as you churn, baby, churn in the game-changing event that is the Philippine AdCongress22. See you there.
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E-mail bongosorio@yahoo.com or bong_osorio@abs-cbn.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating.