The sixth instalment of the Digital Media Forum (DMF) and the fourth edition of MENA Digital Awards (MDA), the first event of its kind in the region, will take place on 22nd March 2017 at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi, Serdaal Ballroom. DMF represents the first digital conference introduced to the region and will be launched under the theme of Digital Transformation – Own It. The event will include Media and Performance, Creative and Tech, Panel Discussions and various high-profile interviews.
DMF welcomes the region’s biggest gathering of digital influencers, leaders and entrepreneurs to Dubai, from across the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region and beyond. The event serves as a networking and discussion platform, allowing attendees to exchange views on the past, present and future of technology with some of the world’s foremost digital and tech advocates. Coupled with DMF is MDA – a bespoke awards show that is the first of its kind to honour digital efforts in the region.
The event will open with a speech by Najla Semaan Mazboudi, CEO of SpotOn Media Services and Events, and Founder of DMF and MDA, who is confident that DMF 2017 will be a catalyst for positive change in the constantly evolving digital landscape, with a line-up of prominent speakers will include Meghan Doyle – Client Partner, Twitter, MENA, Rayan Karaky – Head of DoubleClick at Google MENA & Turkey, Carl Fremont – Global Chief Digital Officer, MEC USA and Jonathan Lacoste, President at Jebbit, USA.
Mazboudi commented, “The digital sector is one of the world’s fastest growing and changing industries. DMF 2017 aims to make attendees the masters of this change, put them in the driving seat of innovation and transformation, and encourage them to #bethechange. To do this, we will be equipping attendees with the latest in brand engagement, advertising, audience involvement and community management. They will leave with inside knowledge of which digital powers are currently changing the media landscape, and what it takes to make an impact in this dynamic industry. A key part of this is encouraging innovation via the MENA Digital Awards.”
MDA invites all digital players to become a part of the exciting awards programme, by submitting any form of technical and creative digital work across all communication disciplines. To encourage even greater numbers of digital innovators to participate, MDA 2017 will be adding five new awards and a new category to this year’s programme. The ‘Best Use of Digital by Sector’ category has been added to celebrate the innovation of the region’s key sectors, ranging from Automotive and Retail to FMCG and Healthcare. New awards this year include ‘Best Use of Cross-Platform Digital Content’ (Performance category), ‘Best Use of Technology’ (Digital Assets category), and three awards in the ‘Best Use of Social Media’ category.