iWorld
Promax india 2019 announce their boot camp workshop with award winning creative director, Richard Holman
MUMBAI: Last month, Promax India announced the innovative theme for their annual awards and conference as ‘The New Wave’. In keeping with this year’s theme that honors the dynamic digital wave, Promax India has just announced an exciting full-day boot camp with the renowned thinker, writer and speaker, Richard Holman.
At the workshop themed “Creative Rocket Fuel”, one can expect a day of inspiration, edification and enrichment, as Richard, to his own admission, aims to bring joy to the hearts of promo makers and designers.
Speaking about the boot camp, Holman says, “Over the course of the day you’ll get to the heart of what makes a great idea great; you’ll learn how to find your own creative state of mind; you’ll discover 20 different creative strategies you can employ to make your work stand out; you’ll get the inside track on some of the most provocative, inspirational and genre busting campaigns of the moment; and you’ll get to grips with making the right kind of mistakes. So, bring a note book, a pencil and a very open mind.”
Andrew Jones, VP Production Music (Asia Pacific) of BMG Production Music said, “We’re thrilled to be a part of Promax India 2019. BMG Production Music has always been an integral part of this annual event, which consistently pulls together the biggest & best from world of TV promos and marketing.”
This promises to be an energetic & entertaining seminar, which will invigorate creative professionals at all levels, as Richard brings with him experiences from his mammoth professional trajectory. As the mastermind behind a creative studio that built brands like the BBC, Canal+, Sky, Discovery, Nat Geo and ITV, Holman aims to “put a spring back in the step of the most jaded old hand, as well as excite those starting out about the extraordinary possibilities ahead”.
Early bird registration for the boot camp and masterclass has started, so register now at http://www.promaxindia.tv/registration-prices/
Promax India is accepting entries for all categories for 2019. The deadline to enter the Promax India awards has been extended to 18th March’19. Entry details, information on the boot camps & masterclasses, and award rules & regulations can be found on the Promax India website promaxindia.tv
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
