10:10 AM
PANEL DISCUSSION: Building Brands for the VUCA World
Why do some businesses respond to change better than others? In a VUCA world, marketing leaders face adaptive challenges like dealing with changing customer expectations, cost-of-living crisis leading to lower spending by consumers, decreased marketing budgets and increased scrutiny on ROI for ad budgets. What are the skills that will help a leader through this crisis? The expert panel takes on speculative challenges to build up dynamic, future-ready leaders.
Jacqueline El Boghdadi
Acting Chief Marketing Officer | Alshaya Group
Sevgi Gur
Chief Marketing Officer | Property Finder
Burcu Dolunay
Insights & Analytics Director, Global Business Services | PepsiCo
Farah Vahedna
Director of E-commerce, MEA | Coty
10:45 AM
KEYNOTE: CASE IN POINT Reimagining Our Future: The Power of Platforms
If you’ve ever found yourself defaulting to McDonald’s when asked, “Where do you want to eat?” then you understand the allure of this iconic brand – and everything that it does right when it comes to marketing itself. In this session, we delve into the world of innovation, exploring how the world’s largest restaurant chain is reshaping its future through strategic digital platform adoption. Discover how McDonald’s uses the power of data to cultivate authentic relationships with Brand Fans that inform actionable strategies on transforming the business into a digital-first brand to help build on the success of their past and help them move at speed in the fast-paced world of the future.
Tarv Nijjar
Senior Director, Business Insights and Analytics | McDonald's
11:05 AM
TECH TALK: Turbocharging Outcome-Based Marketing with Generative AI and Digital Experience Platforms
In the fast-paced digital marketing arena, achieving standout results demands more than just creative campaigns and engaging content. Today’s marketers need cutting-edge tools that offer a comprehensive view of customer interactions, enabling seamless and personalized experiences at every touchpoint. Enter Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs’) and Generative AI. This session will unveil how the combination of DXP’s and Generative AI can turbocharge your outcome-based marketing strategies. Discover how these technologies unify diverse marketing tools and data sources to create cohesive, real-time customer journeys. Learn how leveraging DXPs alongside Generative AI can drive precise targeting, enhance customer engagement, and deliver measurable, impactful outcomes.
Suliman Gaouda
Regional Vice President | Sitecore
11:20 AM
COFFEE BREAK
11:40 AM
TECH TALK : From Conversations to Revenue with GenAI-Powered WhatsApp
When it comes to customer expectations, generic workflows don’t cut in anymore. Personalization and seamless customer experience are table stakes now.
This session will explore how WhatsApp, with its massive reach of over 200 million daily users in the Middle East, combined with Generative AI, can unlock personalized engagement. See real-world case studies and discover how AI chatbots and targeted marketing can transform your customer journeys, driving loyalty and sales. Be future-proof for the evolving landscape of customer engagement!
Jay Dalvi
Business Director, Middle East | Jio Haptik
11:55 AM
CASE IN POINT: How this Feel-Good Brand Made Sustainability Its Selling Point
Today’s consumers seek quality and innovation and align their values with brands that prioritise environmental responsibility. This shift in consumer behaviour has prompted brands to rethink their strategies, placing sustainability at the forefront of their narrative. Learn how this eco-conscious brand positively impacts the planet, and generates brand love.
Matteo Boffa
Co-Founder, Serial Impact Entrepreneur and Investor
12:10 PM
TECH TALK: The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Customer Experience: Trends & Innovation
This session explores how technology is revolutionising customer experience, focusing on the latest trends and innovations that are shaping the future of CX. Our expert speaker for this session will discuss cutting-edge tools and strategies that enhance customer interactions, drive satisfaction, and build lasting loyalty.
Premanand Velumani
Solution Consulting Manager | Zoho
12:25 PM
From Wings to Wins: Finding Your Marketing Sweet Spot
Ever wondered how Red Bull’s marketing is all about everything but the product itself? Unconventional marketing strategies need innovative minds. When breaking the rules, the first challenge lies in convincing stakeholders to take a chance on your idea. Amr talks about selling your ideas, taking calculated risks and measuring success via metrics that matter. He might just be able to help you pivot your brand’s marketing strategy – and hopefully, give it wings.
Amr Helmy
Marketing Director | Red Bull Egypt
12:40 PM
TECH TALK - Fireside Chat: Enhancing Customer Engagement in the Digital Age: The Impact of Mobile Apps on Loyalty and Cross-Selling in the UAE
During this fireside chat, we will explore how mobile applications are influencing customer loyalty and retention. Our panelists will discuss the role of app content in cross-selling and maintaining customer loyalty. We aim to understand how apps have become key in keeping customers engaged and what building digital customer experiences have taught us. The talk will address how personalization, (AI), and the constant changes are shaping customer interactions. Our guests will share their insights on using data effectively while also listening to customer feedback, the power of loyalty programs, and how all this ties in with the physical customer experience. Together, we’ll discuss practical experiences and strategies relevant to marketers in the UAE.
Paras Rishi
Assistant Vice President | Join Ventures
Rana Diaa
Customer Success Manager | Appsflyer
Vibhav Gaur
Vice President - Media & Digital Analytics | RAKBANK
13:00 PM
LUNCH BREAK
13:45 PM
INTERACTIVE: The AI Readiness Checklist Your Marketing Needs
AI adoption is a race. But it’s not just marketing, the whole organisation must evolve together. According to a report by Morgan Stanley, 40% of the labour force could be affected by AI within three years. What should you be acting on now to prepare for changes to marketing operations? Most importantly – how do you assess if your team is ready?
Tarv Nijjar
Senior Director, Business Insights and Analytics | McDonald's
14:30 PM
KEYNOTE: Decode the Digital: Crafting a Successful Social Media Masterplan
Waking up to realise there’s a new social media platform you had to keep up with yesterday can be quite the nightmare for a digital marketer. In this session, we’ll navigate the intricate landscape of social media strategies, unraveling the complexities that marketers face in the ever-evolving digital sphere of the modern day. From trend anticipation to platform selection and the critical analysis of key metrics, we’ll explore six fundamental steps to guide the development of an effective social media strategy – so everyone gets a restful night’s sleep, marketers alike.
Roberta Cianetti
Expert Social Media Strategist
15:05 PM
CASE IN POINT From Insights to Impact: How Vodafone Harnesses Data & Content for Marketing Excellence
What challenges did a top telecom brand face in navigating data privacy concerns while leveraging customer data for marketing? How does it ensure that its marketing content remains relevant and resonant across diverse audience segments? In this session, discover the strategies Vodafone employs to overcome challenges in data privacy and consumer trust while maximizing the potential of customer data. Learn about Vodafone’s nuanced approach to transforming raw data into compelling storytelling, driving genuine engagement and loyalty.
Jobin Joy
Global MarTech and Content Lead - Digital Marketing Capabilities | Vodafone
15:25 PM
PANEL DISCUSSION: Is Loyalty Dead?
Is modern-day brand loyalty truly dead, or has it transformed into something new and elusive? Our panel of experts will explore the shifting paradigms of consumer behaviour, questioning whether traditional loyalty metrics still hold sway in an era defined by fleeting attention spans and endless choices. From dissecting the psychology behind brand allegiance to uncovering the role of digitalization and personalization, we’ll delve into the complexities of building and sustaining customer loyalty in an ever-changing landscape.
Shyam Sunder
Vice President Marketing | tbo.com
Rohan Kapoor
Group Vice President, Digital Marketing & Loyalty | Cenomi Group
Line Bitar
Growth Marketing Director | Sarwa
Devrim Melek
Senior Vice President, Strategy; Former VP Marketing Strategy | OSN
Farah Vahedna
Director of E-commerce, MEA | Coty
16:00 PM
PANEL DISCUSSION Will AI Kill the Marketing Team?
Marketing stands at the crossroads of transformative change with AI emerging as a powerful tool that promises unparalleled efficiency and effectiveness. From data analytics and customer segmentation to personalised content creation and predictive analysis – what does this mean for the human role in the marketing team? Panellists in this session will answer the question that looms over the marketing landscape – whether AI will be the saviour or the harbinger of doom for marketing teams.
Ahmed El-Gamal
Senior Director of Marketing | Jumeirah
Jobin Joy
Global MarTech and Content Lead - Digital Marketing Capabilities | Vodafone
Kareem Ayyad
Founder | Uktob.Ai
Harsha Thawani
Associate Director - Marketing, Digital Marketing Lead | KPMG - Lower Gulf
Katib Belkhodja
Customer Centricity Director | Al-Futtaim Automotive
Kareem Ayyad
Founder | Uktob.Ai
16:35 PM
CLOSING NOTE
We are Adwake, a tech-enabled services company powered by Entravision. We place cutting-edge technology and quality service at the heart of our approach to effectively find, connect, and engage with your ideal customer across every screen. When you grow, we grow.
Headquartered in Singapore with R&D in Central Europe, Meiro is the only wall-to-wall Customer Data Platform (CDP) offering flexible hosting on every major cloud and on-premise in every corner of the world. Meiro CDP features an easy-to-use platform for personalization, omnichannel marketing, advertising and analytics, transforming customer data into the greatest revenue-generating asset. Built for enterprises driven by regulations or a need to own and fully control their tech stack, Meiro offers transparent, flexible and scalable architecture that seamlessly integrates with client’s existing internal systems, addressing data residency and control at the core.
Emarsys, an SAP company, is the omnichannel customer engagement platform that empowers marketers to build, launch, and scale personalized, cross-channel campaigns that drives business outcomes.
We partner with more than 1,500 companies from global enterprises to fast-moving mid-market brands across industries.