We're all going on a summer holiday...

And while Margate still has to be officially confirmed as the venue due to contracts and such still being finalised, agencies are already trying to reserve the best accommodation and the most way-out party venues in and around Margate.

Last year The Loerie Awards broke with tradition and moved the awards to the coastal town of Margate, where - amid the huge outcry from the industry about "slumming it", the spring tides which washed half the Margate beach away (the actual venue), the venue (a tent) which had to be moved down the coast to a grassy park (opposite the St Michaels-on-Sea beach - not Margate), to the circus tent which threatened to split on the last night in gusting winds, to screaming fights between the event organizers and the locals, smelly portaloos and a fleet of buses... - apart from that it was an absolute riot, in the best sense of the word as the locals embraced the industry with a never-before-seen bonhomie and an opening parade that was a sight to be seen to be believed, non-stop entertainment and laughs at every awards night and industry networking not seen on such a scale.

Measures of success?

If one measure of success is the fact that high profile sponsors have signed on already: SABC replaces stalwart sponsor, Mnet; and Media24 is back; or the fact that The Loeries Awards CEO, Andrew Human, says they still had a few cents left in the bank after last year's precedent-setting awards, when the 2004 Loeries were said to have contributed to the debt of the now-defunct Marketing Federation of SA, then yes, the Loeries were a success.

Both key sponsors have also signed three-year contracts with The Loerie Awards.

Another measurement could be the fact that the Loeries is not just about the awards and the annual party at 'Brakpan-by-die-Sea' (as Margate is facetiously called in some circles, although maybe for not much longer as the town has endeared itself to this creative industry which will assist it in its annual makeover as the Loerie migration gains momentum over the next few years). It's about promoting the advertising industry and excellence within the industry all year round. One of the ways The Loerie Committee is doing this is through the traveling exhibition of winning work, which debuted at Design Indaba in Cape Town in February and will tour nationwide, including the Grahamstown Arts Festival and the Rand Easter Show - in conjunction with the SABC.

The SABC sponsorship is expected to make a significant impact in terms of reaching a bigger audience, including television and radio. 'A People's Choice Award' at the Loeries is also in the offing to extend the reach of the competition and include the general public's favourite choice of advertising.

No smelly portaloos!

Human said the committee had taken all the criticism of the past event very seriously and guaranteed that there would be no smelly plastic portaloos in which our best frocks didn't even fit, doll!

Other changes include more efficient accommodation, registration and flights booking procedures, as well as technical support to the key sponsors, event organizers and industry.

The event company has not yet been appointed as no formal pitch process has been launched. "We are considering something different this year and we are looking at how about best to go about it. We will make a decision soon," Human promised.

One thing he will try ensure, is that the main awards evening events are within walking distance to the main Margate beachfront strip where all the parties, networking and 'being seen' takes place!

They also hope to have live screenings of the two main awards ceremonies outside the main awards venue for the general public as well, as was planned last year.

Public awareness

"Public awareness is good for the industry. At Design Indaba, the public showed they loved good ads. We need to show marketers that you can't run a tired ad over and over again, thinking that by sheer volume you will get your message across. It means changing and shifting perceptions.

"We didn't run at a loss," Human states categorically. "Yes, we have an expensive weekend away, but I believe it is important in what we want to achieve in the end - this is an annual process and the spin off comes back to the industry. This is not just an awards weekend, but an annual process with the traveling road show of winning Loerie work and aligned events."

Going forward, it is likely that Loeries 2007 will be held in August to take advantage of the best weather on the South Coast.

See you at the Mugg and Bean on 16 September!