Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the second edition of the Global Media Congress 2023 kicked off today. The opening morning session featured a keynote address by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Organized by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Adnec Group’s Capital Events, the congress spans three days. The inaugural morning session included discussions on environmental media, aligning with preparations for hosting COP28. Topics included a dedicated session with young influencers creating content to address climate challenges, international media discussions on climate change awareness, and the role of thought and opinion institutions in climate action.
Mohamed Jalal Al Rayssi, General Manager of WAM and Chairman of the High Committee organizing the Global Media Congress, expressed pride in hosting decision-makers, major companies, thought leaders, and innovators. He highlighted the congress as a global forum essential for the media sector, bringing leaders together to discuss key issues facing the industry and fostering growth and development.
In another part of the conference, the Innovation Platform hosted a discussion on the evolving role of creators in digital marketing. The Education Platform featured interactive presentations on various topics, including content assessment, format adoption, the future of media, key technologies for content delivery, immersive technology, virtual production, and collaborative production. Workshops covered sustainability and environmental media, the storytelling power of youth, subscription strategies, and other topics.
Hamid Matar Al Dhaheri, CEO of Adnec Group, emphasized the congress’s role in making Abu Dhabi a global hub for media creativity and supporting creators and companies seeking to leverage its creative potential. The current edition witnessed a 33% increase in participating exhibitors and brands, totaling 257 compared to the previous year. The number of participating countries increased by 22% to 172, with 31 countries participating for the first time.
The total exhibition space increased by 78% to over 32,000 square meters. The event attracted more than 13,500 participants, 5,500 delegates, and 200 CEOs from global media institutions. The current congress includes a dedicated event for major media buyers, expecting over 400 top buyers from around the world.
The conference sessions, held over three days, will feature more than 77 speakers representing media leaders from 18 countries. The congress will cover 36 main sessions, addressing key topics such as environmental media and sustainability, innovation and the latest technologies in media hubs, youth participation in the future of media, and training and development in media work.
The congress will also host five accompanying events, some held for the first time. These include the Innovation and Startups Platform, with over 24 startups, and a Training and Education Platform offering over 30 workshops supervised by 25 experts and global institutions specialized in the sector. The Future of Media Labs will host discussions among executives, policymakers, and entrepreneurs in the sector, and a fourth feature will focus on influencer innovation through a creative platform for content developers.
The fifth platform will include four new media sessions and roundtable discussions with 32 experts and speakers studying the challenges and opportunities of the sector. The comprehensive coverage of the Global Media Congress will be distributed worldwide, involving approximately 800 journalists from 58 countries, an 8% increase compared to the previous year.