MUMBAI: The Ad Club Mumbai has some action-packed itinerary for the new year 2003. The dates for the annual Ad Club events have been announced by the Ad Club officials as follows: Ad Review on 17 January 2003; Abbies on 16 March; Ad Asia in the pink city of Jaipur between 11-14 November with the welcome dinner on the evening of 10 November.

The year commences with the 'Value Creation' entertainment seminar on 11 January being held at Mumbai's Oberoi Hotel. A host of high-profile speakers has already been tied up for the seminar focusing on empowering ad specialists to understand and apply marketing tactics through entertainment.

Ad Reviews event on 17 February:
The Ad Review is the day of reckoning for the Indian ad industry, when a colossus from the Indian ad scene reviews the year's work… in the most objective manner possible. Picking up the best, pointing out the flaws, suggesting remedies, projecting trends… it's a soul-searching exercise for the entire industry. Rajeev Bakshi who succeeded PM Sinha in the Indian arm of the US soft drinks major Pepsi Foods as head of the company's South Asian operations from April 2002 has been chosen to conduct the reviews in 2003.

An Ad Club spokesperson claims: "Over the years, the occasion has been graced by such ad greats like Alyque Padamsee, Ivan Arthur, Gautam Rakshit, Ishan Raina, Mohammed Khan and Piyush Pandey. Over the last two years, clients and not ad agency personnel were chosen to conduct the reviews in a departure from the normal practice."

Ad Club's Abbies on 16 March:
Ad Club has initiated various awards to ensure that Indian ad professionals receive the recognition they deserve. The Abby awards billed as the Oscars of the Indian ad awards to honour creative excellence in advertising, will be held on Sunday 16 March. An Ad Club spokesperson mentions that the day and date have been finalised after taking the packed World Cup cricket schedule into consideration. The biggest and the most prestigious ad award show in the country are attended by more than 2500 professionals from the marketing, advertising, media, research and PR fraternity.

AdAsia between 11-14 November:
Held every two years, AdAsia is the continent's most prestigious ad event. Recognising India's growing eminence in world advertising, the country has been chosen as the host for AdAsia 2003 - the venue being the picturesque pink city of Jaipur. A senior team including Ad Club president Pradeep Guha undertook a visit to Jaipur and finalise the itinerary.