IAS to represent South Africa at the annual AdForum Worldwide Summit in New York.

The 2018 AdForum Summit, held biannually in selected cities across the globe, will feature Johanna McDowell and the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) as part of an exclusive, captive audience of search consultants.

The 2018 AdForum summit will take place in New York between 23^rd and 27^th April 2018, providing Johanna McDowell and the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) with the opportunity to assess and forecast global advertising industry trends; and, with up-to-date information constantly being exchanged, an exclusive forum to share ideas, challenges and opportunities.

The AdForum summit is an invitation only event that brings top players in the industry together, and offers them the chance to grow their business, network, and experience how they are shaping the future. The IAS is the only South African company that has consistently been participating in the summit for the past 11 years.

More than 20 participating agencies including big names like Dentsu Aegis Group, Havas Group, DDB Worldwide and Mullen Lowe Group will be visited during the summit week, where these participating agencies have set up private meetings with more than 35 search consultants from around the world at their respective offices in order to have 1-on-1 conversations about agency goals, strategies, key corporate messages and showcase their creative visions and talents with a focus on developing new business leads.

“The main reason we accept the invitation to attend is to ensure that the IAS continues to be at the forefront of global issues and trends facing the advertising and communication industry and the complex world of agency selection. AdForum offers us the chance to discuss the future of the marketing communications industry. This will be especially important this year with the rapid growth of alternative communication partners and management consultants with whom marketers are starting to engage,” says Johanna McDowell, managing director of IAS and partner for SCOPEN Africa.

SCOPEN Africa will also be represented by McDowell at the Summit along with other SCOPEN colleagues from around the world.