Two weeks before the start, the majority of the program for the 9th Weekend Media Festival, which will take place from September 22 to 25 in the premises of the old tobacco factory in Rovinj, under the auspices of the Adris Group, is known. The largest regional gathering of the communication industry once again brings exceptionally interesting speakers from abroad, presents new trends, and raises the most important social issues.
– Our first nine years have passed incredibly quickly, and we still feel like it’s the first day. The same enthusiasm, the same desire to socialize, to exchange knowledge, to get to know each other, and even to launch new projects from Rovinj. Weekend was born from the idea of connecting people from the communication industry in an atmosphere of good fun. This festival is a combination of a business conference and a large amusement park, even more so this year than in previous years, says festival director Tomo Ricov.
How important the Weekend is for the industry, but also for Rovinj itself, was emphasized on behalf of the main sponsor of the Weekend Media Festival, the Adris Group, by the head of corporate communications Predrag Grubić: – The Weekend Media Festival is the finale of a successful tourist season. It is gratifying that we persist in the concept of creative leisure at the Weekend. During the Weekend, various experiences from the communication industry, but also beyond, are exchanged. Knowledge and business experiences are gained and exchanged there, and deals are made. The Weekend Media Festival is a constant companion to Adris’s investment efforts to raise the quality of the offer in Rovinj. This is certainly an example of good practice to make a stronger leap from the classical economy into the creative economy.
The program of the 9th Weekend particularly highlights a lecture by American futurist Gary Whitehill, who collaborates with business leaders, governments, and organizations in more than 60 countries around the world. Although we live in turbulent times, Whitehill will present his optimistic vision of the 21st century driven by innovation, united by culture, and inspired by justice in Rovinj. Despite all the dangers, Whitehill believes that the power of human ingenuity will overcome all fears and change our world for the better for everyone.
– The program of the Weekend has always been dominated by themes of new trends and technological changes, but this year we have further intensified that. Trends are accelerating, changes have already occurred in many segments of business and life, so it is time to talk about the consequences. We have dedicated several panels precisely to the future that is already unfolding before our eyes, but we also want to hear how younger people see what is yet to come, emphasized program director Nikola Vrdoljak.
Thus, on the panel titled “The Future is Now,” the main theme is more efficient and smarter living and doing business. What are the key trends and how much will technology change our lives? What does smarter business look like? Krešimir Madunović from Iskon Internet, Sonja Popović from SAP, Vladimir Sabo from HEP, and Anđelka Strajher from Megatrend will attempt to answer these and related questions.
However, those who belong to the future, today’s teenagers, can best speak about it. Lara, Nika, and Jan will discuss on a panel with marketing expert Branimir Brkljača how they use the Internet and what they expect from it. We will also hear the experiences of Milan Inić, one of the most successful YouTubers from this region, whose channel Yasserstain has nearly 400,000 subscribers and over one hundred million views.
Education plays a key role in shaping the future, and everyone agrees that the education system does not meet the needs of 21st-century society. Education reform has become one of the central topics of public debate in Croatia, and this will also be the case in Rovinj, where former head of the curriculum reform Boris Jokić will discuss this topic together with Predrag Grubić from the Adris Group, Korado Korlević from the Višnjan Observatory, and Josip Tica from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb.
The future has already irrevocably changed the music industry, where “Digital Chaos” has prevailed, as the title of the panel dedicated to music as a commodity that was once hard to access, but today is available immediately. Are these changes positive or negative, and how do the music producers themselves view them? Musicians Robert Pešut Magnifico and Ida Prester, as well as Žarko Dimitrioski from the Macedonian marketing agency Eden na Eden, will try to answer this question.
Along with lectures, panels, and presentations, the Weekend also brings a multitude of workshops that will be held simultaneously in five halls this year. Workshop participants will be able to gain numerous new skills, from how to present their idea, through email marketing and Google Analytics, to mobile advertising and copywriting.
In collaboration with HURA, the Weekend will host the fifth BalCannes, where advertisers will choose the best projects and agencies from the region this year. Applications are ongoing, and interested agencies wishing to present themselves can submit their projects until September 9. The best 25 will be presented on the main stage of the Weekend on Friday, September 23. For the fourth consecutive year, SoMo Borac will present the best digital works in several categories at the Weekend. This year, a record number of applications has been received, although applications themselves last for another three days – until Friday, September 9, exactly at noon.
And after serious topics and heated discussions, it’s time for the good fun that the Weekend guarantees every year. The rich program begins with Hladno pivo powered by Laško, performing on Thursday, September 22, at the Pepermint club, and visitors who arrive in Rovinj on the first day will be entertained until early morning by DJ Filip Jelaš. On Friday, September 23, Lampshade Media presents Who See, followed by Tomo In Der Muhlen in the Vrt hall, while Peppe & Sergej Trifunović entertain the Weekend attendees at the Pepermint club. The musical program on Saturday, September 24, concludes with a big Jagermeister party and a Summer Cinema event titled “Jägermeister presents Somewhere Over the Region.”
Applications for the 9th Weekend Media Festival are still being accepted, and due to high interest, around 4,000 participants are expected in Rovinj this year.
