What? Ad Black Sea? Never heard of it, most of you will probably say. Well – it’s time that changed. Because this is one advertising festival that you should attend. Here are three good reasons:

One.

Just a few weeks after all that moaning and complaining about how expensive Cannes is, and after so many agencies were at least doubting the sensibility of sending people there, it’s time to think about the consequences.

Because the consequence of not sending people to expensive festivals anymore can’t be to not send anyone anywhere anymore. Advertising festivals serve a lot of really valuable and important purposes in our professional lives. As a source of inspiration and motivation. As a way of thanking employees for good and hard work. And as a way to connect, celebrate, and learn.

So – thank God that all of the folks that were always saying that we already have too many festivals and awards were wrong. There ARE places to go, and Batumi is one of them. Because it’s a really lovely show, with lots of great people, organized by people that put all their heart in it. You just have to love a festival that is doing all the right things for all the right reasons.

Two.

Batumi. Or even more: Georgia. As my good friend Will said today: you will not want to leave. Georgia is one of the most astonishingly underestimated places on this planet. A country full of people that are enthusiastic, creative, hospitable, and wonderfully social. With a cuisine that you will need years to fully experience.

As the name of the festival already says – Batumi is a city on the coast of the Black Sea, and if you care for great seafood, you will be in heaven in any of the lovely little fish restaurants. Don’t worry if they put huge amounts of them on your table – you won’t believe how much you can eat once you tasted it. And have a good bottle of vodka along with it.

Trust me. You’ll love it. Georgia is a real gem.

Judging done – the fish restaurant still ahead of us. And a few bottles of Nemiroff…

Three.

This isn’t just true for Ad Black Sea, but a lot of the smaller festivals in Eastern Europe – you will breathe in endless amounts of energy, passion, enthusiasm and positive vibes of all kinds – and you’ll return home with a different attitude to what you are doing in your agency.

As much as this may sound like an exaggeration, I swear that it’s the truth. We’re all so saturated and full of routine that we are bound to lose the passion for what we’re doing. You want to be happy to be an advertising person? Well – go to Batumi.

And while you’re at it, send your work too. They can use all the submissions they can get, and they deserve your participation. Check out their website at www.adblacksea.com. The festival program will be online soon too. You might just win one of the coolest awards ever – they collect plastic trash from the Black Sea and turn it into wave shaped trophies that really look nice on your shelf. So winning is a way of cleaning up the Black Sea. Smart thinking.

Ad Black Sea is held from the 21st to 23rd of September in Batumi, Georgia.
Entry deadline is August 31st. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an extension.

So – go!

Source: wrageantwort