Spikes Asia Names First Three Jury Presidents Amir Kassaei, Dominic Proctor, Tina Manikas

29 May 2012 – Spikes Asia, the regional event for creative excellence in advertising and communications for Asia, has announced the first three jury presidents set to take the helm at the 2012 Festival.

Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide, will lead this year’s Film, Print, Outdoor & Radio and Integrated Jury. Amir has gained experience with agencies such as TBWA Worldwide, Barci & Partner and Springer & Jacoby before joining DDB as Chief Creative Officer and Associate Partner of DDB Germany in 2003. In 2011, Amir was appointed DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer. He and his team are recipients of more than 2,000 national and international awards including 40 Cannes Lions in the past five years. He has made it his personal and professional mission to ignite a new creative revolution at DDB and for the industry as a whole. Amir is advancing innovative practices in the profession including The Power of Branded Networks and The Impact of Social Creativity that drive incredible performance for DDB clients.

Commenting on his appointment Amir Kassaei says, “It is a great honour to be leading the jury this year. I am looking forward to a lot of innovative and inspiring ideas of international endurance. Asia is going to play a very important role – not only in terms of the economy, but also in creative terms – for our industry and for business overall.”

Heading up the Media Jury will be Dominic Proctor, President, GroupM Global. Dominic overseas the management of the company’s global media agencies worldwide, which in addition to Mindshare, include Maxus, MEC and MediaCom. Prior to his role at GroupM, Dominic served for fifteen years as CEO of Mindshare Worldwide. Dominic started his career at Everett’s in 1979 before moving to JWT where he quickly progressed through from Media Director to Managing Director until at 34 years of age he became the youngest Executive to be named CEO. In 1997 Dominic launched Mindshare Worldwide which grew to become one of the world’s leading media agency networks, with 97 offices in 67 markets and in 2010 global billings of more than $27billion (RECMA).

On his role Dominic Proctor says, “Running the world’s biggest Media Investment agency is a real privilege. Our agencies are all World Class. There is no doubt that this sector has gained hugely in importance as the media landscape has become much more difficult to navigate. One thing that reflects that importance is the quality of entries into the industry awards. Spikes is no exception.”

Tina Manikas, Global Retail & Promotions Officer, Draftfcb, will preside over the Direct and Promo & Activation Jury. Specialising in brand-building and behaviour-driving activation in all its forms, Tina’s 25+ year distinguished career has seen her become a recognised leader in the industry and seasoned presenter on trends and insights at retail and integrated forums. At Draftfcb she overseas retail marketing and activation efforts worldwide with an international account portfolio including Beiersdorf, Kraft, Motorola, Brown-Forman as well as U.S. based blue-chip clients MilkPEP, Taco Bell and Del Monte. For several years, Tina has led Draftfcb to be ranked number one in Promo Magazine’s Promo 100 and to the Hub’s Top Twelve Shopper Marketing Agencies list. Under her leadership the agency’s activation campaigns have earned over 80 honours.

Tina Manikas says of her appointment, “I am very honoured to be heading up the Direct and Promo & Activation jury at Spikes this year. I look forward to seeing all of the fabulous entries and I’m excited to help the region continue to set the bar for great work.”

Terry Savage, Chairman of Lions Festivals comments, “Year on year we’re seeing Spikes Asia grow in all directions, from entries to delegates to the level of content, meaning that the Festival is firmly established as the must-attend regional event for the industry. To ensure that it remains so, and that it stays as a true reflection of the industry and region, it’s crucial that we have the right people involved. All respected in their fields, Amir, Dominic and Tina have been chosen for their proven achievements and their clear ability to determine the best in creativity and set precedent within the region.”

Entries and Delegate registration for Spikes Asia is now open, with anyone registering before 1 August 2012 benefiting from the early bird rate. For further information on the Festival and how to register, visit http://www.spikes.asia.

More about the Jury Presidents

Amir Kassaei
Global Retail & Promotions Officer
Draftfcb Global

Born in Iran, raised in Austria, and educated in France, Amir settled in Germany in 1997, gaining experience early in his career in a variety of roles ranging from Account Manager to Strategic Planner to Art Director and Designer at agencies such as TBWA Worldwide, Barci & Partner and Springer & Jacoby. At Springer & Jacoby, Amir advanced from Copywriter to Creative Director and finally to Executive Creative Director on the global Mercedes-Benz and smart accounts.

In 2003, Amir joined DDB as Chief Creative Officer and Associate Partner of DDB Germany, where he quickly helped reshape the agency and transformed it into one of the most creative and successful agencies in Germany. Under Amir’s leadership, DDB Germany has been ranked the most awarded German agency in The Gunn Report.

In February 2011, Amir was appointed DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer.

He has worked on behalf of an impressive range of the world’s major brands, including Allianz, Apple, adidas, Bosch, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Nike, Reebok and Volkswagen.

A past President of the Art Directors Club of Germany and a member of ADC New York, CCA and D&AD, he has served as a judge in some of the world’s most famous award shows.

Amir and his teams are recipients of more than 2,000 national and international awards, including 40 Cannes Lions in the past five years. He was named The Big Won Report’s Top Chief Creative Officer in 2009, and has been one of The Big Won’s Top 3 Chief Creative Officers for each of the last three years.

Dominic Proctor
President
GroupM Global

Dominic Proctor is President of GroupM Global; a role he assumed in January 2012.
Prior to taking responsibility for managing GroupM worldwide operations, Dominic served for fifteen years as CEO of Mindshare Worldwide; a GroupM agency that he founded in 1997.

As GroupM President, Dominic oversees the management of the company’s global media agencies worldwide, which in addition to Mindshare, include Maxus, MEC, and MediaCom. GroupM’s regional heads, as well as the CEOs of the company’s four major media agencies, all report to him.

Dominic began his agency career at Everett’s in 1979, before eventually moving to J. Walter Thompson in 1986. In 1989 he became Media Director of JWT London before becoming Managing Director in 1991, and then Chief Executive in December 1992; a position he held for five years. At the time he was the youngest Executive (34) ever to be named CEO. He also held a seat on the Board of Directors of JWT Worldwide.
In September 1997, Dominic Proctor launched Mindshare Worldwide, WPP’s first-ever media planning, buying and research agency. During the next ten years, Mindshare grew to become one of the world’s leading media agency networks, with 97 offices in 67 markets with 2010 global billings of more than $27 billion (RECMA). The network includes offices throughout the USA, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific; each dedicated to forging competitive marketing advantage for businesses and their brands.

Dominic is a graduate of the University of Durham, UK. He is an avid sports fan with a special affinity for rugby, which he played at Durham. Dominic splits his time mainly between London, New York and the emerging markets. He lives in London with his wife, with whom he has four grown children who currently are scattered around the globe.

Tina Manikas
Global Retail & Promotions Officer
Draftfcb Global

As an innovator of integrated, through-the-line marketing communications, Tina Manikas specialises in brand-building and behaviour-driving activation in all its forms. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has become a recognised leader in the industry and seasoned presenter on trends and insights at retail and integrated forums.

As global retail and promotions officer for Draftfcb, she oversees retail marketing and activation efforts worldwide. She leads teams creating integrated and retail campaigns for an international account portfolio including Beiersdorf, Kraft, Motorola, Brown-Forman as well as US-based blue-chip clients MilkPEP, Taco Bell and Del Monte.

Her 25+ year career spans many brands and “firsts” including innovating loyalty with launching the first expectant mom loyalty program in the formula industry with Similac; activating the Olympics partnership for M&M’s and Snickers; building a shopper marketing practice globally; and leading digital, mobile, and social innovation in the promotional marketing field with Mars and Kellogg’s.

For the last several years, Tina led Draftfcb to the number one position in Promo Magazine’s Promo 100 ranking and to the Hub’s Top Twelve Shopper Marketing agencies list. Under her leadership, the agency’s activation campaigns have earned 80+ honours including multiple Effies, Reggies, Globes, Ogilvy and PRO awards, POPAI in-store awards and an Edison Innovation award.

Tina plays a key role in crafting strategic ideas and the creative processes used to optimise the consumer’s path. A member of the PMA, the Path-to-Purchase Institute and Google’s Shopper Marketing Council, Tina also helped develop the Promo & Activation category for Cannes Lions.

The Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity celebrates and inspires Asia Pacific creativity in creative communications.
Suntec Singapore, 16-18 September 2012

Building on 25 years of the illustrious Spikes Awards, the Spikes Asia Advertising Festival is the result of a collaboration between the Lions Festivals, organisers of Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx and Eurobest, and Haymarket, publishers of Campaign Asia Pacific. The Festival provides the region’s growing creative and advertising industry with a platform to network and exchange ideas, bringing together some of the finest creative thinkers from across the region and around the world.

Spikes Asia, attended by over 1,700 delegates in 2011, offers a challenging programme of seminars and workshops focusing on creativity and learning, exhibitions of creative work from Asia Pacific, networking events in the evening and the Spikes Asia Awards show.

The Awards, judged by leading international and regional creatives, honour the best creative work in the categories of Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Digital, Integrated, Direct, Promo & Activation, Media, Print Craft, Film Craft, Design, Mobile, PR, Branded Content & Entertainment and Creative Effectiveness.

Haymarket Media Group
The Haymarket Media Group established in 1957 is the largest privately-owned magazine publisher in the UK, and one of the fastest growing media companies globally. The principal business is centred around its consumer, business, professional and customer publications. These are complemented by digital platforms and live events, including extensive exhibitions, conferences and awards. The Group’s global expansion comes from wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and extensive licensing of key magazines to other publishers. In Asia from their offices in Hong Kong, Mumbai and Singapore, Haymarket Media Ltd publish market-leading titles Campaign Asia-Pacific, Finance Asia, Asian Investor, CEI Asia Pacific and Campaign India. In addition Haymarket organise a number of the region’s leading industry awards and conferences relating to the communications and finance sectors. For more information about the Haymarket Media Group see www.haymarket.com.

Lions Festivals
Lions Festivals is the organiser of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Eurobest as well as the co-organiser with its joint-venture partners of the Dubai Lynx International Advertising Festival, Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity, Asian Marketing Effectiveness Festival and the Digital Media Festival for APAC. The business is managed by i2i Events Group, which delivers world-class exhibitions, large scale events and festivals in key sectors including the home and gift, fashion, retail, healthcare, energy, environment, education, technology, media and creative industries. Its portfolio of world-wide events includes World Retail Congress, Spring Fair, Naidex, BVE, BETT and Pure. It prides itself on opening up possibilities for its customers and each year brings more than 250,000 decision makers together to network, source, test, buy and sell brilliant products, services, ideas and solutions. i2i Events is powered by Top Right Group, formerly known as Emap International Limited. www.i2ieventsgroup.com

Key 2012 Dates
Delegate Registration: Open
Entries: Open
Entries Deadline: 20 July 2012
Delegate Early Bird Registration Ends: 1 August 2012
Festival Dates: 16-18 September 2012