Advertising Week pulls in 9,000

Advertising Week’s Matt Scheckner said the festival’s inaugural event pulled in 9,000 people, and vowed to return in 2019.

Advertising Week boss Matt Scheckner has said the festival’s inaugural event pulled in more than 9,000 attendees across four days last week, and vowed to return in 2019.

Scheckner, president and chief executive of Advertising Week APAC organiser Stillwell

Partners, said more than 4,400 delegates registered for the event as advertising, marketing, technology and media executives descended on Sydney’s historic amusement destination Luna Park and other venues around the city.

“It was way beyond expectations. We have a track record of providing thought leadership on business during the day and show business at night, but the attendance was way above projections — it was completely rammed right up until the last session,” Mr Scheckner said. “We will absolutely be back.”

Discussions ranged from the future of marketing and how new technologies such as artificial intelligence and voice assistants may disrupt marketing to how online video is changing the landscape and the future of television in a world of streaming.

Executives offered positive feedback, noting the event attracted a high calibre of international speakers among the 268 speakers, accompanied by a dose of glitz that had not been seen before on the Australian media event circuit.

Many of the debates at venues like Sydney Opera House reflected the turbulence and consolidation in the advertising sector as cost-conscious clients slash marketing budgets, consulting giants encroach on their turf and many sectors consolidate at a corporate level.

Industry conference Advertising Week APAC 2018

But Mr Scheckner pointed out that publishers including The Australian and Facebook also held talks in addition to broader thematic discussions from speakers such as pop band Good Charlotte’s lead vocalist, Joel Madden.

“We’re a good reflective mirror on what’s happening in pop culture at any given moment in time as well as health and wellbeing, politics, diversity, inclusion and other areas. It was very much like the London event — people in Australia are very passionate for the craft of their professions.

“One of the reasons we came to Australia is because the nation really punches above its weight on the global stage in the entertainment and creative industries. You might only be 24 million people but you punch like 3 billion people. I was very pleased that we could bring some local people made good back home to Australia like Nick Law and David Shing.”

Mr Scheckner said one of the most pleasing aspects were the high number of young people in sessions.

“Advertising Week is a different value proposition. We’re built across and down in terms of sectors but we’re also the only event of this kind around the world that is suitable for young people. I think the Cannes Lions people run a good event, but you can send 300 people to Advertising Week for what it costs to send one person to the other side of the world for Cannes Lions — It’s for everyone.”

Similar events are held in New York, London, and Tokyo each year with plans to expand to South Africa and Mexico.

Mr Scheckner said the Advertising Week series is benefiting from a stronger desire among consumers to take part in shared experiences in an on-demand always-on digital world.

Whether they are attending a conference, or watching a concert or tuning in to the AFL Grand Final, many people crave “experiencing events that connect them to other people,” he said.

Conferences and trade shows continue to attract strong crowds, according to the latest statistics. Deloitte Global predicts exhibitions and conferences will generate $US38 billion ($29bn) in revenue this year.

Industry conference Advertising Week APAC 2018

Speakers at Advertising Week APAC included News Corp Australasia chairman Michael Miller.

He called for the creative industries to be braver and free themselves from the grasp of political correctness, saying that only an industry that continually challenged itself would produce good ideas.