IAS AR 2004 - Institute of Advertising Singapore

S i n g a p o r e A d v e r t i s i n g L e c t u r e 2 0 0 4
gathering tonight are definitely well aware of the
potential threats we all face!
I would like to collectively thank all the 19
Charter Members, that have generously, wisely and
faithfully supported the IAS and this Singapore
Advertising Lecture over the past five years. They
represent top international and Singapore
advertising agencies and their numbers have been
growing steadily, year by year.
Sincere thanks to BBC World for copresenting
this gala event. Founded in 1991,
initially to serve Asia and the Middle East today,
BBC World reaches 255 million households across
more than 200 countries and territories,
worldwide.
BBC World draws on the resources of BBC
News the world’s largest news-gathering
operation,comprising 58 bureaux with over 250
correspondents globally.
On behalf of the IAS, I’d like to thank each
& every-one of you. By attending tonight, you
have helped fund this important event. But in
giving of your time, you have made a bigger
contribution; to the broader development of the
Singapore advertising industry. And for that
commitment, sincere appreciation from the IAS.
To move on…
I believe everyone in this room knows well
the significance of some the following dates and
places:
11 th September 2001 New York
12 th October 2002 Denpasar
05 th August 2003 Jakarta
20 th November 2003 Istanbul
11 th March 2004 Madrid
L-R: Tim Pinnegar, Regional Advertising Manager, The Economist Group; Sunita Rajan,
Deputy Airtime Sales Director – BBC World and Patrick Mowe
Lest we forget, may I ask for a few brief
moments of total silence so that each & all can
reflect on the importance of peace. (10-15 seconds
of QUIET)
In the last 30 months, it seems as if the world
has gone mad. Certainly Ted Levitt’s ‘global village’
in which we all must live and work today, has
changed forever.Today, every one of us lives and
works in “An Age of Terror”. I sense everyone here
must have been touched personally. Who hasn’t
ever questioned boarding that aeroplane or making
a trip to a previously ‘safe destination’ And if we
have been affected personally, certainly we’ve been
affected professionally, one way or another.
But I hope very few of us have had to face the
harsh realities of war or terrorism first hand.
Our guest speaker tonight has done just that.
We are fortunate to have with us tonight - RAGEH
OMAAR. Rageh rose to prominence as the BBC’s
man in Baghdad.His reports from the beleaguered
capital captivated the world. Throughout the early
days of the Iraq invasion in March 2003, he stood
on that hotel rooftop and told it ‘straight’. His
calm delivery and youthful looks made him
household brand. Like many of his colleagues, he
was prepared to risk ALL in the pursuit of his
chosen profession. That is true commitment!
Rageh Omarr was born in Mogadishu,
Somalia and is the youngest of four children. He
was educated in the UK at Cheltenham Boys
College and graduated from Oxford University as
L-R: Anthony Pounds – Managing Director- 141 Worldwide; Tone Bergan – Graphic Designer
& Artist, Tone; Petter Gulli – Executive Creative Director, Bates Singapore; Sarah Thomas –
Senior Planner, Bates Singapore
L-R: Terence Chan, Executive Group Director – Zenithmedia; Kenneth Tsang, Chief Executive
Officer Singapore – Zenithmedia; Renaud Semerdjian, Chairman –Clear Channel
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