PATTAYA, THAILAND — A Gaming session to kick off Asia’s most celebrated regional creative festival? That’s just one of the many firsts Game On has achieved on the ADFEST stage this year. The list also includes this being the very first time a Gaming thought leadership session has taken center stage in a major regional industry creative festival such as ADFEST; the very first session in an amazingly stacked program with guest speakers from all over the region; and the first time Gaming X Marketing has been unveiled to the Asia Pacific audience.
Nothing beats the close-knit community vibe of ADFEST and the APAC stage debut of Game On and Gaming X Marketing, and it absolutely took a community to pull this off. True to its theme of celebrating H.I. or Human Intelligence, this celebration of Asia’s Gaming communities would not be possible without these amazing humans.
I would like to say HI to:
The ADFEST 2024 organizers: Chairman Vinit Suraphongchai; Festival Director Kem Suraphongchai; Speaker Liaison Punch; Jury Manager Ta Ittipitchayawat; Entry Manager Nat Luevarapong, and all of your teams. Thank you for your amazing dedication and for putting together this inspiring, inclusive program for the creatives in the region!
My secret weapons: Associate Creative Director and Designer Cesca Veneracion; BBDO Guerrero Creative Director, Game On ally, and dear friend Dennis Nierra; my schedules overlord, Jessica Alicdan. Thank you for making sure Game On looked its best on the APAC stage.
My Game On Team-Ups team: Publicis Jimenez Basic Senior Planner Carrie Server; David & Golyat / Giantkiller Creative Lead, my forever bandmate, mentor, and dear friend James Bernardo; Dentsu Creative Associate Creative Director Malik Bernardo; FCB Manila Creative Director and Web Artist Ronie Villanueva. Thank you all for your contributions and helping me keep the Gaming X Marketing conversation going.
My adobo Magazine fam: Pauline Nacar, Chaela Ruth Mirano, and most especially Angel Guerrero. Always an honor to serve as your Game On captain!
It was my first time back at ADFEST post-pandemic, and I am happy to report that the festival’s push for creative camaraderie across the region is stronger than ever. It was amazing to connect with fellow creative industry leads, old friends, and new friends alike. In addition to my speaker duties, I was also part of the Digital, Digital Craft, Social and Mobile Lotus jury. Thank you Edward, Hwee, Kent, Suvita, Heekyum, Kazu, Umma, and Jury President Rei, for two full days of some of the most Intelligent Human discussions and connections!
Finally, thank you to everyone who woke up bright and early to catch the 9:30 am session. My fellow delegates from the Philippines, creative heads and industry legends, media, clients and friends, guests and delegates from this region and beyond, several audience members who are hardcore gamers like me, who approached me after the session to talk about (what else?) games, and fellow speakers like Nicole Ingra of Ingra Labs and Rich Akers of Mash Brands. It’s quite impossible to name each one, but I saw all of you onstage, it was beautiful.
Of course, thank you to Joey and Bean, my forever co-op players.
Gaming X Marketing has taken to the road; see you all out there, friends!
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Rey Tiempo is a Creative Gaming Brand Specialist. A hardcore gamer since childhood, Rey is the most awarded creative gaming marketer in Asia, with accolades from the world’s biggest creative industry award shows. A veteran creative head with over 25 years’ experience, Rey leads the Gaming and Marketing conversation in the Philippines and Asia, as Founder and Creator of “Game On,” the first and only ad industry column and portal on Gaming X Marketing. Currently playing: Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade.
Dennis Nierra is Creative Director at BBDO Guerrero. Currently playing: Yakuza Like A Dragon.
