SpikesasiaSpikes Asia, the festival and awards event that celebrates creativity in communications across Asia-Pacific, just announced that it will build on its existing talent and training initiatives with the addition of new academies and Young Spikes competitions.

At this year's event, a total of seven academies will run throughout Spikes Asia, targeting both those just starting out in their careers and individuals of a more senior level.

Three new academies will be launched this year – The Senior Marketers Accelerator Programme as well as the Craft and Digital Academy - on top of the existing four( The Young Spikes Marketers, Media, Creative and Account Executive Academy):

  1. The Senior Marketers Accelerator Programme is carefully curated to meet the specific needs of today's senior marketing leaders. With ultimate responsibility for the brand comes an intense pressure to manage the marketing process, particularly the impact of technology and data. This programme is a place for senior marketing leaders to share the challenges they face with their peers and help lead the marketing organisation for the future.
  2. The Craft Academy gives participants the skills to create a remarkable execution of a brilliant idea. It's fundamental to understand how to turn an idea into something better than imagined and make it a reality. The programme focuses on essential craft skills of copywriting, art direction and digital and includes elements of production, illustration and social media.
  3. The Digital Academy is an invaluable opportunity for young media professionals to learn about digital in today's media landscape from leading industry experts. Participants also have access to seminars from the main Festival programme and exhibitions of the region's most innovative and creative work.

Giving young creatives and professionals, aged 28 years and under, the chance to showcase their talent by battling it out in dedicated competitions, the Young Spikes Competitions offer a unique opportunity to gain recognition within the industry. Working in teams of two, competitors are asked to answer a brief given by a charity in a bid to win the gold medal and a full delegate pass to Spikes Asia 2015. Once again competitions will take place in Integrated and Media, with a Young Spikes Digital Competition also being added this year. The Young Spikes Digital Competition will challenge teams to use their creative insight and strategy skills to develop a digital strategy and plan within just 24 hours.

A further competition will award student creativity. The Student Creative Award for Print provides an exciting way for students to kick-start their future careers asking them to create a poster in response to a brief. The winners, selected by members of the Spikes Asia jury, are awarded complimentary passes to Spikes Asia to gain invaluable industry exposure through the Festival.

"To have a programme in place that offers such a broad range of training opportunities for the region is something truly unique to Spikes Asia and we are delighted to have been able to grow and develop these initiatives. The Festival offers a hotbed of creativity, insights and learning and to have this as a backdrop to the academies and competitions is priceless in terms of the gravitas it adds to them," commented Steve Latham, Director of Talent and Training for Lions Festivals.

The Festival provides the region's growing creative and advertising industry with a platform to network and exchange ideas, bringing together some of the finest creative thinkers from across the region and around the world. So mark your calendar and join Spikes Asia from 23-26 September 2014 at Suntec, Singapore.

By MediaBUZZ