Stellar Line-Up Unveiled for Middle East and North Africa Rebrand Conference

Transform Awards MENA – Extra Time for Middle East and North Africa Rebrand Experts

March 25, 2014: The MENA edition of Europe’s prestigious Transform Awards has revealed an international lineup of guest speakers for the most influential rebranding event in the region. The announcement comes as Transform extends the deadline for entries to the MENA 2014 Awards, the first time the event has been held outside of London.

Brand and advertising agencies from across the region are looking to secure one of 30 awards, ranging from ‘Best Rebrand of a Digital Property’ and ‘Best Creative Strategy’ to ‘Best Brand Evolution’ ’Best Use of Copy Style’. Andrew Thomas, founder of Transform and Managing Director of Cravenhill Publishing, publisher of the European Communicate magazine believes the Middle East and North Africa has a vast pool of talent and some of the most exciting creative teams in the industry.

“The response we have had to the Transform Awards MENA and the interest from agencies who want to be a part of it has been phenomenal. We’re absolutely delighted with the enthusiasm and the energy, which makes it very easy for us to say ‘yes’ to an extended deadline of April 3rd,” he said. “It speaks volumes about the depth of branding and positioning in this part of the world, when you realize that the interest has been across the entire region, rather than just focused on the GCC, which is exactly what we were hoping for.”

Running alongside the Awards, the Transform conference includes session such as the implications of multi-market branding, the effects of Gen-Y on employer branding and the challenges and opportunities of building brands in the Middle East.

An impressive line-up of key speakers includes former CEO of Virgin Atlantic, Steve Ridgway, who will speak about his experience with a company that became one of the best-loved brands in the world, Wael Allahou, from petrochemical company EQUATE, who will talk on employee engagement and change management and in an innovative twist, Bruno Maag and Ahmed Kandil will go head to head, offering insights on calligraphy vs. typography, how fonts can bring brands to life and how typographical spell trouble for companies that ignore cultural differences.

The conference is billed as an essential experience for those involved with branding and rebranding, both in the MENA region and internationally, and provides businesses with the opportunity to learn from their peers, competitors and predecessors.

Liz Foggitt, Publishing and Events Manager at Cravenhill Publishing, said: “The Transform Conferences have always been hugely successful, thanks to the guest speakers and the delegates whose experiences contribute just as much to the sessions. At this year’s MENA event, we have some great industry gurus as well as some slightly off the wall workshops which will make people think twice about what they may already take for granted. As well as the deep industry insights, it’s also going to a real eye opener and a lot of fun.”

The conference and Transform Awards MENA will take place at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, in Dubai’s Business Bay, on Monday 2 June.

For full conference agenda please visit: http://www.transformawards.com/conference/programme

For more information on the awards visit: http://www.transformawards.com/mena