It is time for Dubai Lynx again. In the run up to the Festival, the organizers are setting up the content lineup and the focus this year is on innovation and progressive technologies in the region. This year’s speaker line-up looks at how these developments will change the way consumers experience brands and ultimately drive business.

“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. 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,” commented Terry Savage, Chairman, Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity.

Using recent political elections as a framework to explore the creative use of data Eric Salama, Chairman and CEO, Kantar discusses the limits or endless possibilities of using data for creative purposes. Taking a regional perspective Ahmed Al Sahhaf, General Manager, Marketing Communications, Saudi Telecom Company shows how looking and interpreting data sets as information about people can disrupt the existing model. Nicole Yershon, Founder, Nicole Yershon: Innovation people, will demonstrate examples of alternative metrics and case studies for developing a culture of innovation while Neil Stevenson, Executive Portfolio Director, IDEO explores some of the myths behind creativity.

A dedicated Data x Innovation x Tech stage takes main stage ideas viewed through a different perspective. Evan Grant, Founder, and Mitra Memarzia, Head of Collaboration, seeper shares their insights on how unforgettable experiences can be enhanced by harnessing the crossover between art and technology while Jon Collins, Global President, integrated Advertising, Framestore focuses on Virtual Reality and the learnings that have surfaced since it emerged just a few years ago.

With the MENA region actively promoting innovation through a series of objectives and initiatives the inclusion of a new Innovation Award, celebrating pioneering technological creativity supports those aims. Led by Jury President Ben Jones, former Chief Technology Officer at AKQA, live presentations take place at the Festival, where attendees have a unique opportunity to hear directly from the people behind the idea.

Content at Dubai Lynx will take place across three days from 5-7 March 2017.