Festival embrace REiNVENTION

Pattaya - More than 1,000 delegates came together the ADFEST 2008 Welcome Party last night to grease the wheels for what is shaping up to be a strong debate about the role, relevance and standard of creativity around the region.

ADFEST chairman Vinit Surapongchai said the theme of this year's festival, REiNVENT, is designed to examine the future of advertising in an increasingly challenging market.

"We want people to come here, relax, meet old friends and make new ones. But we encourage people to look at the work and ask, ‘how could I do this differently?'," he said.

Over the next three days, Surapongchai encouraged delegates to challenge convention, soak up the creative atmosphere and learn from the world's top creative thinkers.

To illustrate the point and officially launch the festival, delegates were asked to pitch tiny red balls at the festival's icon - a symbolic gesture that shows ADFEST is doing its best to evolve in line with the creative industry.