PATTAYA, THAILAND – It’s all about creative collisions, industry-defining conversations, and fresh perspectives at ADFEST 2025. This year, the speaker sessions are all about challenging conventions and unlocking unexpected opportunities.
FRIDAY 21 MARCH | 10.40-11.15
A Creative, A Gaming Expert and A Strategist Agree to Disagree.
Nicole Ingra, Insights & Strategy Director, Ingra Labs, Barcelona
Rey Tiempo, Chief Creative Officer & Brand Gamification Specialist, MINOTAUR, Manila
Felipe Franco, Global Creative Consultant, Film Director, ECD & Founder, FF&Co, Global
What happens when a strategist, a gaming expert, and a creative walk into a boardroom? Disagreements for sure. But instead of seeing conflict as a roadblock, Nicole, Rey, and Felipe have mastered the art of turning their differences into groundbreaking work. In this high-energy session, they’ll reveal how creative friction fuels innovation, how navigating industry clashes can lead to unexpected breakthroughs, and why the best ideas are born from debate.
Nicole Ingra is the founder of Ingra Labs, a strategy consultancy helping brands – and the people behind them – navigate change. She is known for transforming complex ideas into sharp insights that spark creative solutions and inspiring teams to think differently and create work that connects on an emotional and cultural level. Her speciality is uncovering the cultural tensions that drive behaviour and turning them into actionable strategies that resonate locally and globally.
Rey Tiempo is chief creative officer at Minotaur, a team of gaming, esports, tech, music, and fandom culture drivers and community builders for brands. He is a highly-awarded gaming specialist, with multiple wins in creative gaming awards across the most prestigious industry shows and more than twenty years’ experience in the world’s largest global and local advertising networks. Rey has been ranked as the number one creative director in the Philippines and has consistently placed as one of the top creatives in Asia Pacific.
Felipe Franco is an awarded executive creative director, film director, and entrepreneur with a distinguished track record of leading successful campaigns for major brands and a global perspective and multicultural experience gained from working across four continents, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. His creative leadership and strategic vision have been instrumental in shaping the narratives and campaigns that brought groundbreaking ideas to market, underlining his ability to merge storytelling with technology and innovation. The founder of the creative consultancy, FF & Co and an AI enthusiast, he continues to drive innovation and creativity, helping brands achieve their business objectives through creativity allied with technology.
SATURDAY 22 MARCH | 10.40 – 11.15
Creative Opportunity in Saudi Arabia: Is it for real?
Julian Boulding, Founder & President, thenetworkone, London
Fadi Mroue, Chief Creative Officer, SRMG, Riyadh
Heide Cohu, Founder, Studio of Art and Commerce, London
Saudi Arabia’s creative landscape is undergoing a transformation like no other. From cultural shifts to technological leaps, the region is redefining its approach to advertising, entertainment, and storytelling. But what does this mean for creatives and brands looking to break into the market? Join Julian, Fadi, and Heide as they unpack the rise of Saudi-owned agencies, the role of international creatives in shaping the industry, and why collaboration is the key to success in this dynamic market.
Julian Boulding founded thenetworkone in 2005 after 14 years with traditional network agencies, living and working in London, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo and New York. Representing 1500 agencies in 117 countries worldwide, from Japan to Chile and from Australia to Iceland, it’s by far the world’s largest independent agency community. Thenetworkone has been active in Saudi Arabia for more than ten years, working with leading Saudi-owned creative and PR agencies as well as international independents, thinking independently and championing collaboration.
Fadi Mroue is the chief creative officer at SRMG, the Middle East’s largest Media Group, as well managing director of SRMG Labs. A graduate of the New York Pratt Institute, Mroue began his career at BBDO before establishing République in 2008. In 2024, he led SRMG Labs to be ranked in the top 10 agencies in MENA according to the Cannes Lions Rankings, the most awarded agency at the Athar Festival of Creativity, as well as the most awarded MENA agency at LIA.
Heide Cohu’s background includes eight years at Red Bull as global brand communications and media director, where she led projects such as Felix Baumgartner’s supersonic free fall from the edge of space in 2012 and helped drive the creation of Red Bull Media House. After three years as global brand communications and creative director at Bacardi, she founded Studio Art + Commerce, a successful entertainment and experiences agency, and built a portfolio of international projects and global brands.
The ADFEST 2025 3-day Program is now online packed speaker sessions, workshops, mentoring programs, screenings and networking events. ADFEST is the region’s only original and most celebrated creative festival. The three-day event brings together the industry’s top minds, rising stars and most innovative ideas.
Be part of the ADFEST experience and register now at www.ADFEST.com to COLLiDE at ADFEST 2025, Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 March 2025 at PEACH, Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand.
