As the final curtain came down on the 10th anniversary of AP AdFest last weekend, jubilant organisers were eager to compare the growing regional event with the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, held annually in France.

"AdFest is being recognised as the 'Cannes of Asia', with advertising people throughout the Asia-Pacific keen to join its competitions," said AP AdFest chairman Vinij Suraphongchai. "They not only showcase their works, but also find inspiration from others and learn about movements in the ad industry through seminars by globally renowned speakers."

Thousands of ads in 10 categories, ranging from traditional television commercials and print ads to cyber ads, were entered in the festival's competitions by agencies worldwide. They were showcased in an exhibition-like format on two floors.

The competitions, together with the calibre of seminars, prompted Vinij to refer to AP AdFest as the "Cannes Lions of Asia".

The only difference is that AP AdFest is a stage for the best works in the Asia-Pacific, while Cannes Lions is the stage for the supreme works of the advertising world, he said.

To many ad agencies, receiving an award from AP AdFest - or simply taking part in the annual event - is a significant milestone.

JWT deputy chairman and chief creative officer Pinit Chantaprateep agrees. "We find no other event on the same large scale as this competition. This is why AP AdFest can claim to be the Cannes of Asia."

In terms of quality, the latest entries in AP AdFest's competitions were said to be of international standard. Judges commented that some of the works could easily have won awards on the world stage.

AP AdFest's latest pretension to global stature involves joining with Fiap, the regional advertising competition in South America, and Golden Drum, a regional competition in Eastern Europe, to establish The International Advertising Cup - or simply, The Cup.

All works winning top awards in the three regional competitions will automatically qualify to compete for The Cup. The award will be granted for the first time in November at a special event in Valencia, Spain, giving regional winners a more "global" recognition.

Michael Conrad, former creative director of Leo Burnett Worldwide and emeritus chairman of The Cup, said the International link-up is a significant step. The Cup will make AP AdFest a more attractive and meaningful event, drawing even more entries from regional ad agencies.

AP AdFest was established in 1997 and experienced significant financial losses in its first three years.

After adjusting its format, the festival recovered in its fourth year and eventually made a profit in its fifth year.

This year, the festival attracted 5,012 competition entries and more than 1,600 delegates from ad agencies in 85 cities. For the first time, there were 10 competition categories, with an extra three added this year, and the awards were given a new name. They are now called the Lotus Awards.

However, a representative from Australia and New Zealand challenged the belief that AP AdFest is the Cannes of Asia. Dave King, a creative director for direct marketing for M&C Saatchi and chairman of the judging panel for AP AdFest's DM (Direct Marketing) Lotus, said the festival was still a regional event and far from "the greatness" of Cannes Lions.

He said AP AdFest was not widely known in Australia or New Zealand, which was why it attracted few entries from those countries despite having been staged for a decade.

JWT's Pinit said low awareness in Australia and New Zealand was not a big worry, because the event already had high recognition in the region as a whole. AP AdFest's organiser, Plannova, needs simply to make the event stronger every year, and awards must reflect the realities of contemporary life.

And what does Vinij want to do after AP AdFest's 10th anniversary? "Do better," he said.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation

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