Asia-Pacific Media Forum to start next week

Asia-Pacific Media Forum to start next week

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia will host the first Asia-Pacific Media Forum (APMF)
from March 13 to March 15 in Tanah Lot, Bali, organized by the
Association of Asia Pacific Advertisement Media.

"During the forum participants will discuss critical issues in
advertising media," the co-chair of the APMF organizing
committee, Gunadi Suharso, said on Tuesday.

With about 350 participants, the two-day event is expected to
focus on five objectives: increasing advertising industry
standards, improving the understanding among advertising
industry players, utilizing the resources within the region,
providing networking opportunities for agencies, media,
advertisers and researchers, and opening up new business
opportunities.

Gunadi said the APMF would feature top industry figures as
speakers, including Ian Garland of Nielsen Media Research,
Pradeep Guha of Zee Telefilms Ltd. and the global media director
of Unilever Plc., Alan Rutherford.

The APMF organizers will also invite media specialists, owners
of media enterprises and related industry professionals to
discuss the changing dynamics in the media industry.

APMF co-chair Baty Subakti said Indonesia had a great deal of
potential as an advertising market.

"We expect advertising expenditures in Indonesia this year to
reach Rp 26 trillion (US$2.79 billion)," he said. In 2004,
advertising expenditures were Rp 20 trillion, he added.

The secretary-general of the APMF, Anindya Bakrie, said the
growth in advertising expenditures was partly the result of the
abolishment of monopolistic business practices in the country.

He said that when companies lost their monopolies they had to
begin advertising their products and services in the media. (004)