MAM
10th AdFest announces agenda, lines up 14 sessions
MUMBAI: With the 10th AdFest just around the corner, the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival president Jimmy Lam has announced the agenda for this year consisting of 14 speaker sessions. The festival will kick off on 14 March and culminate on 17 March at Peach, Royal Cliff Beach resort, Pattaya in Thailand.
“This is the laregst AdFest ever and I am delighted that we have been able to provide such a rich content for our delegates. This year’s speakers and topics are simply too good to be missed,” says Lam
Confirmed creative speakers at the event include David Droga speaking on how ‘The future isn’t what it used to be’, John Hunt will talk about how ‘If it ain’t got that swing, it don’t mean a thing’ and Benjamin Palmer giving advice on ‘Learning by doing’. Peter Souter valiantly tackles the unpredictable with ‘The future of advertising.’
This year, the AdFest has invited speakers to throw some light on consumer insights. David McCaughan runs McCann-Erickson’s Pulse survey. His topic is ‘Don’t call them consumers’. Daniela Krautsack’s from Mediacom Vienna will throw light on the influence of ambient media in ‘Cows in Jackets’.
The panel discussions that are popular at AdFest have been brought back and include Paul Kemp-Robertson from Contagious leading a panel discussion on “Brand Utility” with creative leaders from the Asia Pacific region. Lewis Blackwell advises delegates to ‘Look, don’t read”, and will lead a panel discussion with some of AdFest judges.
Japan Advertising Federation will share with delegates ‘The Practical Guide to Planet Japan’. Three speakers from Dentsu, Hakuhodo and ADK will be joined by moderator Chris Kyme, informs an official rekease.
Japan Association of Commercial Film will present its all time favourite ‘Remarkable Five’, introducing five young TVC directors from Japan, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore and Bangladesh. Each budding director will present his or her short film based on the “Turning Ten” theme of AdFest 2007.
AdFest has invited festivals from other regions to showcase the best work. Among these, Daniel Marcet will present FIAP – the Latin American advertising festival with its winning ads. Jure Apih will present the award winners from Golden Drum – the new Europe advertising festival. Michael Conrad will talk about the mission of the first ever, InterContinental Advertising Cup to be held in Spain in November 2007.
Last but not least, Donald Gunn will release the Gunn Report for the year 2006 and reveal the tally of most awarded ads, the most awarded agencies, clients and countries.
Last but not least, Donald Gunn will release the Gunn Report for the year 2006 and reveal the tally of most awarded ads, the most awarded agencies, clients and countries.
Among the Indian representatives at the AdFest this year, Ogilvy & Mather India, Mumbai executive chairman and national creative director Piyush Pandey has been invited to preside over the Press Lotus category chairperson, he has also been roped in as a speaker on 16 March.
Leo Burnett India, Mumbai executive creative director Nitish Tiwari has been invited to join the judges panel for the Outdoor Lotus category, while McCann Erickson, Mumbai creative director Raghu Bhat will be on the panel of judges for the TV Lotus category.
MAM
PropertyPistol appoints Hemant Bajaj as chief marketing officer
Proptech firm taps global marketing leader to sharpen brand and growth strategy.
MUMBAI: In the fast moving world of proptech, building homes may be the business, but building the brand is just as crucial. Propertypistol, the proptech driven real estate advisory platform, has appointed Hemant Bajaj as its chief marketing officer (CMO) as the company looks to strengthen its brand narrative and accelerate growth across markets. Bajaj will lead the company’s marketing operations across multiple geographies, overseeing brand strategy, integrated marketing initiatives and revenue aligned growth programmes as Propertypistol prepares for its next phase of expansion.
The appointment comes at a time when the proptech sector is seeing rapid digital adoption, with companies increasingly focusing on leadership talent capable of combining technology, data driven marketing and customer experience.
Bajaj brings experience spanning India, South East Asia and the Middle East, where he has worked on scaling brands and leading digital transformation initiatives across multiple industries. His work in the marketing and media ecosystem recently earned him recognition as a ‘Powerhouse Leader’ at the Mastermind Awards in Dubai, highlighting his track record in managing high impact marketing mandates.
Propertypistol founder and managing director Ashish Narain Agarwal said the appointment comes at a pivotal stage in the company’s journey as it looks to strengthen its market presence.
“Hemant’s appointment comes at a defining moment for us. As we scale our market position, it is vital to have leadership that blends strategic vision with executional depth. Hemant’s deep understanding of brand and business alignment will be instrumental as we redefine the proptech landscape,” Agarwal said.
Bajaj said Propertypistol’s technology first approach to real estate advisory was one of the key reasons behind his decision to join the company.
“Propertypistol has established itself as a technology first platform that is redefining how investors navigate the property market. Having led marketing transformations across international borders and fast paced industries, I recognise the exceptional strength of the foundation built here,” he said.
He added that his focus would be on accelerating the company’s digital marketing capabilities while building strategies that deliver sustained value for customers and partners worldwide.
The leadership move reflects Propertypistol’s broader effort to strengthen its executive team as the proptech industry evolves rapidly. With property search, advisory and transactions increasingly shifting online, companies in the sector are investing heavily in marketing intelligence and digital platforms to stay competitive.
By bringing Bajaj on board, Propertypistol is betting that sharper brand positioning and technology led marketing will help it stand out in an increasingly crowded digital real estate marketplace.
