MUMBAI: Madison Communications chairman and managing director Sam Balsara has been elected as the new president of the India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) at its recently concluded annual general meeting held in Mumbai.
Balsara has been elected president for the year 2005-06.
The new managing committee has includes: Pradeep Guha as vice president, Mukul Upadhyaya as secretary, Ashok Nerkar as treasurer and M G Parmeshwaran, Goutam Rakshit, Ramesh Narayan, Ishan Raina as members. Hormusji Cama has been made co-opted member and Roger C.B. Pereira and Pheroza Bilimoria are special invitees.
Spread over 93 countries and with over 6,000 members worldwide, the IAA champions advertising as a force for growth in all free market societies. Advertising revenues ensure an independent, pluralistic, affordable media with competing channels of information for consumers, which are the foundation of democracy itself.
The IAA is uniquely positioned to recognise emerging cross-border trends before they become obvious, and provide marketing communications professionals with an international, multi-industry forum for the global exchange of knowledge, best practices, professional development, experience and ideas.
The India Chapter was initiated over 20 years ago with a view to foster a healthy environment for the growth of globalisation in the communications industry. It has a membership of around 40 members and membership to IAA is by invitation only.
Balsara said, "With the presence of such strong industry associations like Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), Indian Newspapers Society (INS) and Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and Clubs like The Advertising Club, Bombay; the IAA India Chapter needs to identify the unique and distinct role that it can play in the advertising and marketing fraternity. Probably it will be in the area of global practices, exploiting its global reach across 93 countries, and access to 6000 key decision makers."
The major item on the agenda of the IAA in the current year is the holding of the IAA World Congress in Dubai from 20 - 23 March, 2006 and the IAA , India Chapter hopes to play a key role in taking a large delegation from India to this Congress.
Also on the cards is a series of dinner meetings exclusively for the IAA members and their guests to be addressed by "International Indians". The first guest in this series will be Harish Manwani, earlier marketing director of Hindustan Lever and currently president Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, based in London.
The Dubai Chapter, which is one of the largest chapters of IAA has lined up a rich fare in terms of global speakers and relevant topics and the Congress would also give Indian professionals an opportunity to check out the opportunities available in Dubai because of rapid and unbelievable progress made by the country in the last few years. It is for the first time that the IAA World Congress is being held at a destination that is so close to India.
