Omnicom Media Group launches its first annual Media Innovations Forum

The Omnicom Media Group Media Innovations Forum is produced in association with the London-based C Squared consultancy, the organizers of the Festival of Media and publishers of Media & Marketing and the Cream Global Database.

Designed to bring word-class thinking and experience to marketing and media decision-makers, the event will share learnings from award-winning case studies and international experts.

The theme of the inaugural Omnicom Media Group Media Innovations Forum is "From channel to content: transcending platforms to engage".

As today's consumers are faced with an explosion of media choice, both in terms of content and platform, particularly with the emergence of mobile, they need to operate a selection to get the information or entertainment they seek.

In order to find them as they navigate the mass of content out there, brand now follow their target's preferred content rather than specific media channels such as TV or print or event online. This gives rise to powerful integrated cross-media campaigns, moving from just channel planning to communications planning. This opens the door to more relevant and innovative ways to communicate with audiences.

The half-day program has been designed to stimulate the audience of marketing and media professionals invited by Omnicom Media Group and its agencies, OMD and PHD. It will include presentations by Insidemobile's Dusan Hamlin, Jason Dawes of Naked Amsterdam and Charlie Crowe, CEO of C Squared. The Media Innovations Forum will introduce a Presidential Debate for the first time, where the audience will be voting for campaigns based on the arguments put forward.

"If the success of the OMD Creative Masterclass told us one thing, it's that there is a thirst for inspiration and stimulation among all our stakeholders,"

Elie Khouri, Regional Managing Director of Omnicom Media Group, explained.

"With our Media Innovations Forum, we're taking this to an even broader level across our group as creativity and innovation are attributes that run through all our companies. It is a common language spoken by all our clients and teams."

He added that a platform-agnostic approach to media was fast becoming the order of the day.

"It's becoming increasingly difficult to tick all boxes looking at media from a channel perspective. Managing communications from a content perspective creates a plethora of exciting opportunities, as we've seen at several recent international conferences. The Omnicom Media Group Media Innovations Forum is there to illustrate what these could look like here in the region."

The event, sponsored by Mediaquest and RMS Outdoor, will take place at The Address Dubai Marina Hotel on November 8 and the Yas Island Rotana in Abu Dhabi on November 9.