Athar Festival Announces Lineup of Initiatives to Empower Senior Marketers and C-Suite Executives in Saudi Arabia

Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity, the Kingdom's largest gathering of the creative marketing industry, is set to present an array of initiatives during its second edition from 5-6 November 2024. These initiatives aim to develop professionals at every level ultimately elevating the Kingdom’s creative sector and strengthening its role as a key driver of Saudi Vision 2030.

Athar Festival 2024’s line-up of initiatives has been meticulously curated to cater to various segments of the industry, and includes the Future CMO Academy, powered by Omnicom Group, a collaborative Workshop in partnership with Google, CMO Roundtable, powered by Bloomberg Media, CEO Roundtable, powered by RAIYN, the Maheerah Women's Programme, powered by Publicis Groupe, and two masterclasses; Build Impactful Products Masterclass by Tajalla Creative Agency and the Influencer Masterclass by Vamp.

Ian Fairservice, Chairman of Athar Festival and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, emphasised the festival’s commitment to advancing the industry, stating, "The drive to continuously learn, grow, and expand one’s horizons is what distinguishes top performers in our field, whether they are early careerists or seasoned C-level executives. This mindset is also at the core of what Athar Festival aims to foster in the years ahead. Our festival will once again serve as a gathering place for creative marketing professionals seeking an experiential learning environment, one that lays the groundwork for an ambitious, forward-thinking nation." 

The Future CMO Academy by Omnicom Group’s Riyadh-based Regional Headquarters is an intensive one-day programme designed for senior marketing leaders poised to step into Chief Marketing Officer roles in the near future, while connecting with other marketing leaders from KSA. Athar Festival is excited to partner with Omnicom Group’s Regional Headquarters who are empowering the Saudi marketing industry. By uniting the expertise of Omnicom Media Group (OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science), BBDO, and TBWA, who are investing in talent development and delivering innovative advertising, media, and communication solutions. 

The Athar Festival of Creativity is collaborating with Google to host an exclusive one day workshop - 'Global Saudi: An AI-Powered Global Marketing Summit' for leaders of Saudi Arabia's 10 top brands along with their agency partner. As part of the workshop, leading Google experts will run sessions on global advertising best practices and strategies, including building scalable campaigns for different audiences based on data insights. The experts will also share insights into how best to leverage Google’s AI powered products & services including Search, YouTube and Display Network to help more Saudi business & initiatives reach a global audience.

Commenting on the exclusive summit, Basel Hijazi, Google’s Marketing Lead for Saudi & Retail in MENA said “We're excited to work with the Athar Festival of Creativity to help equip Saudi Arabia’s vibrant industry with  the latest in AI powered marketing and data-driven advertising".”

The festival’s C-suite roundtables will facilitate exclusive, high-level discourse between senior executives. Bloomberg Media will lead the CMO Roundtable, bringing together senior marketing leaders in a closed setting to explore the latest trends, strategies, and challenges in the marketing sector, with a special focus on the Saudi market. Meanwhile, RAIYN will host the CEO Roundtable, where 10 prominent brand leaders from the Kingdom will discuss the evolving communications landscape. Key topics will include the impact of Vision 2030 on business strategy, the importance of fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning, and strategies for positioning Saudi brands on the global stage.

The 90-minute Masterclasses at Athar Festival, part of this year’s eclectic Festival, are designed to provide targeted learning and networking opportunities for a wide range of industry professionals. Each masterclass caters to a specific field, allowing participants to connect with peers who share a similar focus on growth and self-improvement. These sessions aim to bridge brands and agencies with subject-matter experts to deliver curated insights on key topics. Together, the Build Impactful Products Masterclass by Tajalla Creative Agency and the Influencer Masterclass by Vamp offer actionable strategies and valuable industry expertise.

Dedicated to advancing the careers of ambitious women in Saudi Arabia’s marketing communications industry, the Maheerah Programme—powered by Publicis Groupe, is a dynamic initiative that returns for its second edition. Select mid to senior-level professionals will engage in focused coaching sessions and individualised workshops, mentored by a global team of esteemed industry leaders. The programme also provides exclusive networking opportunities to empower participants with the tools and connections needed to advance their careers and make a lasting impact in the industry. 

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