Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Teodora Migdalovici, Lions Ambassador, Romania
Where do we find the long praised inspiration? Where do we go in search of an uncommon perspective? Where is the right point to stop for a while and look at what we are doing on a daily basis, to lucidly check if we are on the right track or we completely missed the destination? And when?
For me, the solution came in the form of the Festival Hunter, a mindset that became deeply embedded in my professional DNA. There have been more than 18 years of intensive travelling for the purpose of learning. I started small and I have spread my wings widely, as a contemporary nomad, to explore the world in the search of perspective, deeper understanding and inspiration.
Since 2007, with very few exceptions, I attended Dubai Lynx every spring. It was not only for the anticipation of the sun back home. It was not for the networking, although I have to admit, regional festivals are more easy-going than global ones. One can find the pace and the space to enjoy an intelligent talk with a speaker or to have a substantial conversation with a respectable juror over a cup of jasmine tea. It was not even for the shopping, an overrated topic if you’d ask me – since I prefer the vibe of the immemorial bazaar to the futuristic Mall-type-of- agitation, as fabulous as it might be, sky slopes or planetariums included.
What kept me coming for the Lynx has to do to the chance of seeing a culture evolving under my very eyes, with the immense privilege of discovering, from one year to the next, an industry under construction, in the process of finding its voice and the formulas to talk to the people and get their attention, respect and a place in their very lives.
At the Lynx I have seen how well groomed brands, both local and international, manage to speak to the locals in the spirit of their realities and ultimately impacting society for the best.
At the same event, besides the global, Class A, well-established speakers that I am always enchanted to hear – the Matt Eastwood kind, you know – the absolute pleasure is to discover new voices bursting with talent, wit, substance and even taboo breakers included.
Every single edition of the Lynx has its mavericks. I still remember the story of a producer and director that happened to be a woman and her witty solutions in order to make it in a men’s world.
I still remember the vivid, temperamental approach of Yousef Tuqan Tuqan, back then at Leo Burnett, right now the voice of the hospitality brand Jumeirah.
In 2017 the revelation came from a presentation delivered by Tahaab Rais and his colleague from FP 7, MENA. His presentation explored the consumer world and extracted from there amazing lessons of survival and thriving via creative solutions. The audience was taken on an enchanting trip to all kinds of Middle Eastern and Northern Africa communities via his speech. In 30 minutes we discovered the formidable genius living in those people who are eager to evolve and have better lives, against all odds. We are Eastern Europeans, so one might ask about the relevance of the Middle Eastern realities to our markets or ourselves, eventually.
My answer is that we have more in common that we might imagine. Most of us share the label of “emerging countries”. Very often, we share the same struggle of having to get a lot done with scarce resources, in an attempt to surpass our condition and gain access to the next level. We share the same challenge having to embrace Western rigor, exigency and competence, while still keeping our cultural DNA alive and kicking.
And when the similarities are over, we can take a look on our differences and become inspired by the things we admire in the Middle East (like their ease with human-driven commerce, their warmth, their vitality, their passion for geometrical beauty in the visual patterns or their talent to build worlds out of sand, oil and pure ambition).
And what we can also do, as Europeans looking towards the East, is count our blessings for those things we take for granted: food for dinner, a shelter over our heads and peace among us.
Middle Eastern Creativity has a lot to teach us and this is the very reason we have invited Tahaab Rais to Bucharest.
I have a feeling that he will captivate our audience, just as he did at the Lynx. He will be a breath of fresh air and sometimes that’s all we need: to stop for two hours, dive into an exotic learning experience and stand up refreshed & ready to move the mountains once again.