Plans for the Dubai Lynx are firming up with the announcement of the headline speakers and the full jury list.

The speaker line-up will be driven by “the huge focus on innovation and progressive technologies in the region,” said the organisers.

Terry Savage, chairman of the Dubai Lynx, said: “Creativity has shown time and time again that it is a key element in building brands, attracting and retaining customers and impacting the success of a business even in the face of economic upheaval. With the pace of innovation and technology moving as quickly as it is, the real world is moving ever closer to the virtual reality. These developments drive and are driven by creativity.”

He added: “Bringing a diverse range of speakers to the festival is a means to open up the discussion, share ideas and practices and provide inspiration to the creative industries in the region.”

At the Lynx, Eric Salama, chairman and CEO of WPP research unit Kantar, will discuss the possibilities and limits of using data for creative purposes, through the framework of the recent US presidential elections.

Also addressing the use of data and metrics will be Ahmed Al Sahhaf, general manager of marketing communications at Saudi Telecom Company, Nicole Yershon, the founder of Nicole Yershon: Innovation People, and Neil Stevenson, executive portfolio director at IDEO.

A stage dedicated to data, innovation and tech will look at keynote ideas through a different perspective, and will include presentations from Seeper and Framestore.

The full jury line-up has also been announced. Across 10 juries, 57 international judges will evaluate entries from across the region.

Savage said: “Year after year we see the MENA region producing innovative and creative work that generates great results for brands both at home and further afield. The panel of experts from around the world will have the unique opportunity to judge the very best of this work and set the benchmark even higher for the coming year.

Jury presidents include Matthew Eastwood, worldwide chief creative officer of J. Walter Thompson Global, who will be heading the film, print, radio, print and outdoor craft, and direct jury, and Rob Dougal, co-president and chief creative officer of McCann London, who will chair the promo and activation, outdoor, interactive and mobile jury.