Indonesia to host Asian advertising congress

Indonesia to host Asian advertising congress

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will host a gathering of top Asian
advertising executives in November to review the state of the
industry which has been growing robustly in virtually all
countries in the Asia region.

The local organizers said yesterday that the 19th Asia
Advertising Congress is expected to draw as many as 1,500 ad
executives, representatives of major advertisers, and the media,
making it the largest congress ever held to date.

The forum is an organization of the respective advertising
confederations in Asian countries as well as in Australia and New
Zealand.

AdAsia '95, scheduled for Nov. 6-9 at the Convention Center in
the Nusa Dua beach resort, will bring in prominent speakers from
the industry, governments as well as public figures to give their
views about the advertising industry, Tika Bisono, the executive
director of the organizing committee, said at a press briefing
held at the Ministry of Information yesterday.

Among the foreign speakers who have confirmed are Allen
Rosenshine, chairman and chief executive officer of BBDO
Worldwide of the United States and Nicholas Negroponte, director
of MIT Media Lab. From Indonesia, the list of speakers includes
Coordinating Minister of Industry and Trade Hartarto, former
environmental minister Emil Salim, and prominent Moslem leader
Abdurrahman Wahid.

Baty Subakti, co-chairman of the organizing committee, said
the organizers have finally resolved the problem of Taiwan's
participation.

Both China and Chinese Taipei, as Taiwan will be referred to
at the congress, will be sending delegations to Bali.

Baty said the forum will also discuss such new topics as the
Asian way of life, the emergence of growth triangles between
countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the
trend towards eco-friendly products.

Baty and Mahtum Mastoem, the other co-chairman of the
organizing committee, have been on a roadshow to Japan, South
Korea and Taiwan, to promote the event. They will continue with
the campaign to other Asian countries.

The event is estimated to cost between Rp 4 billion and Rp 5
billion ($1.7 million) to stage, and the organizers have raised
the funds, chiefly through sponsors, including from local
television stations and media publications.

An exhibition and a golf tournament will also be held
concurrently with the congress. (emb)