IAB invites young, black and gifted creatives to take up space in the Front Row

In a bid to further support the challenges and opportunities related to transformation within the digital media and marketing industry, the Interactive Advertising Bureau of South Africa (IAB SA) today launches Front Row, an initiative designed to create much-needed access at various levels – whether it be access to relevant industry-leading events or access to some of South Africa's brilliant digital media and marketing minds.

Veli Ngubane, IAB Transformation Council Head says, "We have taken a pragmatic approach to support transformation in the industry this year, concentrating on access as the key focus to this end. Front Row forms part of this approach, in giving free access and support to the front row for IAB events and workshops to black students, entrepreneurs and agency interns between the ages of 18 - 24. We encourage all members to support this initiative."

The benefits of Front Row are numerous and tangible. For example, five Front Row participants from Johannesburg, will attend this year's Bookmarks Awards on 19 March 2020, an annual event which recognises excellence in digital and the powerful impact interactive has on the overall marketing mix. Participants will be provided with transportation to and from the venue on the day. Each of the five Front Row 2020 Bookmark Award participants will also receive a R10,000, non-transferrable, online-course voucher from The Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, to further their digital creative and business studies.

So, who's eligible to fill the seats? Young budding digital media and marketing students currently studying towards a digital qualification are eligible to enter.

How to enter:

• If you are between the ages of 18 – 24 years old, you are eligible to motivate for a seat in the Front Row at the 2020 Bookmark Awards on the 19th of March 2020 at The Galleria in Sandton.
  
• You or your line manager can submit a 250-word motivation to ten.asbai@woRtnorF, with your name, email address and contact number by Thursday, 12 March 2020.
  
• A selection panel will go through the entries to shortlist the participants
  
• All successful entrants will be notified via email by Monday, 16 March 2020.

Paula Hulley, CEO of IAB South Africa: "The IAB South Africa serves to empower the media and marketing industry to thrive in a digital economy. We do this through our connected culture and access to experts and expertise. It is vital that we are always increasing our engagement with the future leaders of our industry while bringing in a fresh, and different, perspective to the IAB SA as a whole. Platforms like the IAB SA Front Row and IAB SA Youth Action Council, aim to provide easier access to information and platforms of engagement while creating valuable collaborative spaces and the opportunity to "sit at the table" with seasoned industry leaders at the highest level”.

"Reversing the negative impact of decades of legislated exclusion of black South Africans and transforming the creative industry will take time, but it's clear that we need to start by providing youth with wider access to career-building opportunities at the grassroots level," concludes Ngubane. "With this initiative, IAB SA is inviting the youth to take a seat in the front row and take up space in the creative industry."

For more information, contact IAB SA CEO Paula Hulley, by emailing ten.asbai@aluaP.