By: Ekrem Dupanović
I’ve been very sporadic with my diary logs lately. I don’t have the time. If my working day would last for at least twenty hours, perhaps I would get to it somehow. My work stamina is not the issue. The problem is that the cosmos – a long, long time ago – determined that the day would last as long as it does. I can’t squeeze three into two. But I will have to move the Diary a little higher on my list of daily priorities. The content satisfaction survey we conducted, the results of which we got a few days ago, tells us that the Diary of a Methuselah is among the most sought content. And since the readers’ satisfaction is of paramount importance for us, I will have to be more regular.
In the last two weeks there was a lot of work, a lot of writing texts, editing of the portal, and maintaining business contacts. I was most engaged on the publishing of the Creative Portfolio – The Best of Adriatic Advertising in 2017. The book is published, delivered to everyone who wanted to have it. Now we have some promotions in line at the largest advertising centers in the region.
But let’s go chronologically.
On Monday, May 7, I reviewed the draft of the Creative Portfolio and gave the green light for printing.
On Wednesday, I appeared at Federal TV as guest of editor Zlatan Izetbegovic who is preparing a documentary series about the emergence of the Sarajevo pop-rock scene. I was a witness of that time, and mingled with its main actors. I know a lot about things behind the scenes. I’ve been frients for many years with the maestro Esad Arnautalić, who is a special theme of this series as the originator of the legendary Sarajevo music scene. The memories of those times provoked a storm of emotion in me. That same day, when I was Zlatan’s guest, I turned 68 years old. A wonderful birthday present.
And the birthday greetings (and gifts) were coming the entire day from all over the region. Some really touched me, so much so that I spent a long time thinking about them. The first one came int the morning (in video format) from St. Galen, from my daughter Asja and granddaughter Tara, and later by mail from my son Filip from Reykjavik.
That evening, I organized a birthday dinner at Tavola restaurant. In my age, a man is somehow afraid that every birthday may be his last. So initially I wanted to organize a little more massive gathering. At the last moment I told myself there will be time for more birthdays, and that this one would be best celebrated in the narrowest circle of people whose love and friendship make me stronger. First and foremost one of them is Vedrana. Without her support my life wouldn’t make any sense. I invited my brother Enver and his wife Sena, who are an inseparable part of my life. Although coming from the advertising industry, meaning from the business part of my life, Zvezdana Žujo was there with her husband Severin, because she is one of my best friends and a person who deserves all my attention and respect. As Amra Bašagić arrived from Paris that day, I was pleased to invite her to join us. Amra always has in mind delicacies, and every time she comes she brings the best duck pate. She of course frowns when I call it pate, but can’t remember the French expression. Whatever it’s called, it’s delicious. We had a great time. On my Facebook post with a photo, I wrote the caption “God give me that I celebrate each new birthday with the same people.” And there will be more.
On Thursday noon I sat down at cafe Čobanija with Zija Dizdarević, my once director at Radio Sarajevo, and Boro Kontić, director of Media Center, with whom I also worked on Radio for years. The more we reminisced those wonderful times, the more easily brandy went down the throat. When I came home in the evening to change clothes and go with Vedrana to the National Theater for the concert of Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, which was opening the Sarajevo Music Evenings, she told me: “You aren’t going to any concert in such condition. The only place you’re fit to go is bed,” and she sent me to sleep. It has been twenty years since I drank so much.
Friday morning was reserved for the Kantar TNS conference on “How to reach the digital consumer”, in whose organization I was involved. The conference presented the data from a global research, with results for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The presentation was excellent as well as the comments made during lunch time. I was surprised by many facts from the research. I guess I don’t monitor the development of the digital market regularly enough, and it changes almost daily. It’s no wonder some of the data caught me by surprise. Aida Hadžiabdić and her associates did a good job.
From Kantar’s conference I rushed to the Federal Radio. I was a guest of Arijana Tafro in her show Week in Focus. We talked about the book Hotel Yugoslavia.
In the evening Vedrana and I went to the Bosniak Institute for the concert by Antonio Serrano, a grand master of mouth organ. To be honest, I did not expect to endure almost an hour and a half of listening to lip harmonica. When the concert was over, I was sorry it was done. I enjoyed all of it, but it felt as if something was missing. Only in the end I realized that the entire orchestra was missing on the scene, because Serrano “played” several instruments simultaneously on his mouth organ. An incredible artist. Nino Verber, Director of SVEM, invited us to the Decanter for wine, prosciutto and cheese. Of course, Serrano and his pianist Constanza Lechner were there. As the midnight came closer, Vedrana and I went home because I had a lecture on sponsorship in culture and art at the Academy of Management in Culture, organized by the Goethe-Institut of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the City of Sarajevo the next day (Saturday). I had to rest in order to endure the hour and a half of talking. Nino said we needed to stay because he agreed with Serrano he would spice up the night with his lip harmonica. I reminded him that tomorrow, at 10:00h, I had a lecture, to which he replied: “Come on, stay. We’ll be here until the morning, then we can go for coffee and breakfast, and then you go to the lecture.” Had I not went all out two days earlier, and if I were at least thirty years younger, I might have went with his proposal.
The Academy on Saturday was very well organized. The hall of the Bosnian Cultural Center was packed. I did my hour-and-a-half properly. Judging by the applause afterward, I would think I wasn’t bad. The lecture after mine was by Belma Hadžiomerović, Director of Marketing and Sustainable Development at Raiffeisen Bank BiH. A masterful lecture about Raiffeisen Bank’s sponsorship strategy, how they choose sponsorships, how they measure their effectiveness, etc. Belma was very honest when she talked about what conditions institutions and organizations need to fulfill in order to attract the Bank as a sponsor. I believe that many of those present after this lecture have changed their relationship towards sponsors, and that they will abandon their practice of selling their need for money, and begin thinking about how serious approach a sponsorship demands.
The lunch break was followed by the forum and the final discussion. Mostly we all agreed that the City and the Goethe-Institut did a good job – they made the first major step in bringing the real economy and culture and art closer. I even agreed with a few participants at lunch time that we will soon sit down somewhere and continue an informal story on the same subject until the Institut and the City continue the project.
In the afternoon we went our separate ways, satisfied with a day well-spent. I also learned a lot.
21 May 2018
