Campaign Middle East will be hosting its annual Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Talent and Technology, gathering key stakeholders across brands, agencies and adtech players for a morning of networking and in-depth discussions at The Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai on 11 April 2025.
Join us for an insightful event focused on bridging the gap between the rapidly evolving technological landscape and the lack of nuanced, skilled and specialised talent required to navigate the new realities in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), large-language models (LLMs), predictive analytics, dynamic content optimisation and transparent AI-based programmatic advertising.
Clients and brands are now demanding cross-device retargeting to serve their CTV customers with targeted conversion-focused ads on their mobile devices. Consumers are demanding culturally relevant interactive elements such as augmented reality (AR) filters and virtual reality (VR) experiences to get a ‘feel’ for the brands they want to associate with. The days of relying on last-click attribution are numbered, as we’ve begun to witness MENA consumers engaging with brands across multiple touchpoints.
The industry has woken up from its stupor of wasted ad spends to connect with the right communities across the right platforms in the right way at the right time through relevant, first-party data led storytelling approaches. However, this has also necessitated a high-level of expertise within marketing teams, a clearer understanding of emerging channels, a conscious move toward brand safety, and a consensus to reduce – if not eliminate – ubiquitous ad fraud. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear from the industry’s finest and find out how to not only catch up but also stay on par with the constantly changing tech landscape.
See you there!
When: 11/04/2025 8:00 AM
Where: The Metropolitan Hotel, Dubai (location map)
THE AGENDA
08:00am: Registration & Breakfast
09:00am: Welcome Address by Nadeem Quraishi, Publisher, Campaign Middle East
09:05am: Chair’s Opening Remarks by Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
09:15am: Keynote – Beyond borders : Breaking barriers, driving business growth with technology and cultural intelligence
Speaker: Deric Wong, Chief Business Officer, EternityX
In today’s hyper-connected global economy, capturing the attention of high-value consumer segments requires more than just innovative marketing — it demands a deep understanding of their decision-making journey and the touchpoints that drive engagement. This keynote will explore how leveraging advanced technologies and cultural intelligence can empower brands to penetrate sought-after markets and achieve sustained business growth.
09:30am: Panel – Harnessing advanced analytics and multi-touch attribution to maximise marketing ROI
Moderator: Natale Panella, Head of Digital, Fusion5
Speakers: Alka Winter, Vice President ‑ Destination Marketing and Communications, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
Tina Chikani Nader, Head of Digital Marketing, Media and Ecommerce, Unilever
Sourav Dey, the Vice President of Growth for Wego
The time has come for the brand and marketing industry to embrace a more sophisticated approach to leveraging data analytics for crafting precise, audience-centric campaigns. By focusing on performance metrics that align with business outcomes and bottom-line impact, the industry ought to highlight the importance of moving beyond vanity metrics to deliver tangible business growth.
This panel will dissect the need for proprietary tools optimise campaigns and budgets, reduce waste, and deliver customised, efficient solutions tailored to each brand’s unique goals. Moreover, the session will explore why last-click attribution must be shelved, and discuss modern alternative solutions that enables the distribution of weighted credit, tracking of real-time consumer engagement, and an understanding of deeper metrics that drives value along the consumer journey.
10:00am: Panel – Contextual advertising: Making marketing meaningful
Moderator: Nader Bitar, Director of Digital Solutions, SRMG
Speakers: Hussain Abdrabalnabi, Executive Director – Marketing & Digital, Alat
Abdelnabi Alaeddine, Regional Director – Digital & Partnership, UM MENAT
Sherry Mansour, Managing Director – MENA, Seedtag
Yasmine Al-Turk, Advanced DOOH & Digital Supply Lead at GroupM MENA
Unlike traditional ad targeting methods that rely heavily on user data, contextual advertising places ads based on the content of the webpage the user is viewing. This approach enhances user experience by ensuring that ads are relevant to the immediate interests of the audience, thereby increasing engagement and reducing ad fatigue.
This session will discuss how through aligning advertising content with the context of what users are actively engaging with, brands can foster more meaningful interactions, enhance brand perception, and drive higher conversion rates without the need for intrusive data practices.
10:30am: Panel – Shaping talent and teams in a tech-leaning landscape
Moderator: Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
Speakers:
Mariam Farag, VP – Corporate Communications at DAMAC
Ashfaq Bandey, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Talent Acquisition, Mashreq
Sophie Marshall, Group Head of People, noon
Ahmed El Gamal, Senior Director – Marketing
In the Middle East’s dynamic advertising landscape, the race to connect with diverse and culturally nuanced audiences is more competitive than ever. However, quite often, marketers – and the agencies supporting them – find that talent within the industry lacks the knowledge and specialised skills in a market where technology is far outpacing current capabilities.
This panel will explore how the industry must upskill its current talent pool, ensure succession planning, and improve team structures. From nurturing specialised skills in digital storytelling and data analytics to building agile teams capable of delivering hyper-personalised experiences, industry leaders will share insights on capabilities required to create impactful connections with the right communities, on the right platforms, at the right time.
11:00am: Closing comments by Anup Oommen, Editor, Campaign Middle East
11:05am: Networking session
For sponsorship opportunities and for event tickets details, please email Tarun Gangwani at [email protected] or call 052 1466150