MUMBAI: The great outdoors just got more exciting. Outdoor Today, which claims to be India’s only magazine on outdoor advertising, has announced the launch of an annual convention for the outdoor advertising community in the country.

The two-day event, Outdoor Advertising Convention (OAC 2005) on 10 and 11 June 2005 in Mumbai will bring together experts from the industry in India and abroad.

The aim is to address issues of relevance. The event will end in an awards ceremony.

Outdoor Today publisher Vasant Jante says, “Outdoor Advertising is no longer just a ‘brush and paint’ medium. In fact, the medium has seen resurgence the world over and is also being touted as the last broadcast medium.

"When we launched Outdoor Today in 2002, the objective was to provide a forum for the Outdoor industry that is growing at a healthy 10 per cent. OAC 2005 is the next logical step in that direction.”

OAC 2005 will comprise a series of interactive seminars addressed by thought leaders from India and abroad.

The delegates would comprise all interest groups in the industry including media planning and buying agencies, advertising agencies, outdoor specialists, outdoor concessionaires, regulatory authorities, research agencies etc.

The speakers will address the entire range of issues that are of relevance to the industry, including research, regulation, innovation, technology, creativity etc.

The two-day event would culminate in an awards ceremony to recognise exceptional creative executions on the outdoor medium - another first for the industry.

The event is being supported by the recently constituted Indian Outdoor Advertising Agencies’ Association (IOAAA), an association of all specialist agencies in the country.

Outdoor Today states that specialist agencies currently account for over 60 per cent of the outdoor spends in the country and have been largely instrumental in bringing a semblance of order to a medium considered disorganised for long.