MUMBAI: Ad Club Bombay has its work cut out this year. India's largest advertising association made a successful bid for AdAsia 2003 nearly four years ago at Pattaya. Having done that, it is going all out to ensure that India becomes the centre-stage of advertising and marketing action in November 2003.

AdAsia is the continent's most prestigious ad event and India is getting a chance to host it after 21 years (the last was in 1982). AdAsia, arguably Asia's largest marketing, media and advertising event, is held every alternate year in the region. It attracts over 1000 top managers from all the three above-mentioned disciplines. Ad Club Bombay has chosen the picturesque pink city of Jaipur as the venue for the four-day event to be held between 10-14 November 2003.

From 21 March 2003 onwards, a high profile delegation of media, advertising and marketing professionals including Ad Club Bombay president Pradeep Guha, AdAsia 2003 planning committee chairman Ramesh Narayan and other eminent ad personalities will visit several Asian countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malayasia to conduct road shows. The members of the delegation are positive that they will be able to get more foreign delegates to visit India during AdAsia 2003.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com, AdAsia 2003 chairman Ramesh Narayan says: ""The interest and involvement of the media, advertising and marketing industry across Asia is assured but we still want to make sure that we create the requisite hype and get more delegates interested."

Renowned international personalities from the media, advertising and marketing will address discerning audiences at AdAsia 2003. "Some of the best speakers from across the globe will conduct the sessions. These eminent speakers will ensure that they address the concerns of the fraternity. We shall announce an impressive list of speakers within a week," says Narayan.

After winning the bid, the Ad Club Bombay constituted an advisory board under the chairmanship of Vindi Banga (Hindustan Lever chairman) to formulate the basic direction and theme for AdAsia 2003. The board had eminent personalities such as Nandan Nilekani, Purush Grant, Anand Mahindra and Rajeev Chandrasekhar amongst others. The theme crystallized was "Break the rules!" and the idea was "Discontinuity may be the way forward".

The main sponsor for the event is the Aditya Birla group; Videocon is the co-sponsor and CNBC is the official electronic channel partner. Other individual sponsors will be associated with different segments.

"The welcome dinner is on 10 November and there is a rest day on 12 November. All the delegates will be taken on a sight-seeing tour and entitled to participate in a golf tournament.

The entire ad fraternity will eagerly await the proceedings!

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