Sir Dominic Cadbury, the chairman of Cadbury Schweppes, is to play
a leading role at the International Advertising Association’s millennium
world congress in London.
As conference chairman, he will front the three-day event as well as
helping to boost its credibility among potential sponsors and
delegates.
Up to 2,500 people are likely to attend the congress in June 2000, which
Cadbury claimed would ’endorse London as the centre of excellence of
international advertising and marketing’.
Meanwhile, conference organisers have secured almost half the pounds 1.3
million in sponsorship money needed to stage the event.
Campaign will be among the backers, along with the Financial Times, the
Economist, National Geographic, Associated Newspapers, Ad Age
International, the International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, Business
Week, Clever Media and the Turkish magazine group, Hurriyet.
Time Warner, another sponsor, will be staging a party for delegates
which will feature celebrity guests.
Archie Pitcher, executive director of the 400-member UK chapter of the
IAA, said: ’We’re very pleased with the progress so far but we’re not
relaxing.’
A successful congress is important for the UK chapter, which is looking
to build its relatively low profile and membership on the back of the
event.
For the IAA as a whole, the event is needed to restore confidence among
its 4,800 members after this year’s congress in Cairo was marred by
mediocre speakers and poor organisation. ’We will have top-calibre
speakers,’ Pitcher promised.
