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Das (fourth from left) with media sponsors of
RENOWNED film and advertising director Yasmin Ahmad will be sorely missed at AdAsia09 - Kuala Lumpur, the largest advertising, marketing, communications and media congress under the auspices of Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) in October this year.
AdAsia09 - Kuala Lumpur at the industry briefing in
Kuala Lumpur.
AdAsia09 organising chairman Peter A. Das said Yasmin, who died on Saturday, was to have been the sole Malaysian speaker at the biennial event to be held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from Oct 22 to 24.
“It was an honour when she agreed to be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming
AdAsia09 - Kuala Lumpur conference. Her speech would have been laced with the simplicity of telling a good story to engage people from any medium,” he said.
“Indeed her approach to simplicity endeared her to millions in Malaysia, and a growing legion of fans globally,” he said.
“Yasmin did not understand the word ‘commercial’ and played by her rules, guided by her conscience, and worked her unique brand of magic as a writer, creative director and film director,” he added.
“Yasmin was an accidental celebrity. She never set out to be one, nor did she crave fame or fortune. The work she did – advertisements, commercials, films – was drawn from her own experiences and from her heart,” he said.
Das said the advertising industry has lost “a revered sister, an influential voice and a respected creative icon,” adding that for years to come, the industry will continue to learn and be inspired by her rich body of work.
“We may get someone from the agency side, or someone from the client side to replace her slot as a keynote speaker at the conference ... but it will be difficult to get someone of Yasmin’s stature,” he said at a recent briefing on AdAsia09.
The Kuala Lumpur Declaration – a 10-point communique to define key goals and standards of behaviour to drive demand for Asian brands – may be signed during the two-day conference.
The declaration, which is a first for the congress, has not been finalised, but once confirmed will be signed by all 16 AFAA member countries at the conference, said Das.
He said the initial target of 1,000 participants for the conference has been revised to 700 due to the economic situation.
To date, 170 participants from India and Indonesia have signed up since registration was opened earlier this month with the end of road shows in Jakarta, Singapore, Philippines and India.
“Our discussions with Asian countries also indicate a lot of interest to take part, particularly from Mauritius and Nepal,” said Das. He said this year’s event will be more interactive with dynamic formats such as talk shows, roundtables, forums as well as mobile interaction.
“Apart from the speakers sharing insights on stage, Veronica Pedrosa, the news anchor at the Kuala Lumpur broadcast centre of Aljazeera English, will lead a panel in a lively mix of debate, discussion and thought-provoking Q&As.
“Participants can also discover exciting facts through Bob’s Bid – a live interactive mobile poll survey session headed by Bob Chua, CEO of Pulse.”
There will also be 31 exhibition booths available for sponsors and interested parties.
On Malaysia’s AdEx this year, he said any figure between RM5.4 billion and RM6.2 billion would be good.
“The first stimulus package was an initiative by the government (to spur the economy), but it’s a part all of us have to play. Spend but spend wisely; spend to keep the momentum going and the economy moving,” added Das.
To register, call 03-7958 5535 or visit www.adasia09.com.
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