BPG Group holds its 15th annual workshop

The thrust of the new strategy, developed to better address client needs in the changing economic climate, is to deliver integrated marketing communications solutions.

The workshop, which was held at Kempinski Ajman from August 12 to 14, featured an impressive line-up of speakers. These included Mr. Toby Hoare, Board Member of BPG, CEO JWT Europe and CEO Team HSBC; Mr. John O'Keefe, WPP Worldwide Creative Director; Mr. Ken Mandel, Vice President and Managing Director, Yahoo South East Asia; Mr. Paul Bell, Chief Executive, Bell Pottinger Sans Frontiers Group and Mr. Ozgur Aksugur, Global COO, Blue Interactive, Singapore. Over 215 employees and associates from 15 different countries attended the three-day offsite workshop.

Speaking on the first day, Mr. Toby Hoare said, "The world is in turmoil. We are in a period of huge economic change. We have a financial hangover from the boom years of the early 2000 the way out for clients and our industry is through innovation, creativity, courage and sheer hard work."

He also emphasized the importance of investing in disciplines like digital, branding and public relations, which are growing much faster than the overall communications industry.

Mr. John O'Keefe, WPP Worldwide Creative Director said, "Great creativity is no longer optional. We have to keep on repeating that message; average is not an option. Great creativity is simply good business, while boring creativity is the road to ruins."

He applauded the work being done by BPG Group, as it moves from being a marketing services oriented company to a broader marketing communications solutions provider. "It demonstrates the energy and ambition that BPG is rightly known for."

Mr. Avi Bhojani, Group CEO of BPG said that in view of the challenging times, it was crucial for the company to re-invent itself.

He said, "While we re-calibrate our business to cope with the short term, the current crisis is an opportunity for us. We have to go beyond providing services to our clients and instead deliver complete and integrated solutions to the challenges our clients face."

He also unveiled a new 'thought kit' - the 4i model, which is a new way of working within the Group and engaging clients.

The event also included panel discussions covering the markets of Iraq and Afghanistan and featured experts like Dr. Humayun Khan, a retired Pakistani diplomat, Mr. Rahimullah Yusufzai, Resident Editor of The News, Pakistan, Mr. Saad Mohseni, Chairman of Moby Group, Afghanistan and Mr. Taher Khan, Chairman of Interflow Ogilvy Group, Pakistan.

BPG members also participated in a syndicated case study project that saw separate teams being tasked to conceptualize and pitch an integrated communications plan for a retail financial services product.

Short listed teams presented their work to an eminent jury that featured Mr. Amit Wanchoo, Head of Retail Banking, First Gulf Bank, Mr. Rajeev Kakkar, Executive Vice President and Regional CEO of Fullerton Financial Holdings Pte Ltd and Mr. Suvo Sarkar, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Emirates NBD.