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Looking forward to ICORIA 2014
Let's Talk to the Conference Organizers
Dear organizers, ICORIA 2014 will be held in Amsterdam for the second time after 2003. Over the past 13 years, ICORIA has grown and became Europe's largest conference on advertising research. As the EAA community is excited and looking forward to the conference, please tell us, what we can expect from this year's ICORIA in Amsterdam? And what our participants from 2003 probably would like to know: What will be different at ICORIA 2014 compared to 2003?
Of course, there are many differences, because the conference has evolved, and grown in terms of diversity and size. In 2003, the conference had about 70 participants, mainly from Western Europe. This year we expect twice as much with delegates from all over Europe, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, you name it.
And content wise: one of the interesting developments is the rise in papers on social media (Facebook and Twitter did not even exist in 2003!), and new forms of advertising, such as brand placement, advergames, and apps. In terms of conference organization, one exciting new initiative is the doctoral colloquium. The aim of this colloquium is to provide PhD students with professional skills for their academic career. A selection of renowned scholars from the field of advertising, marketing and branding will give interactive lectures and workshops on various topics, including 'how to publish your work in academic top journals', 'how to manage your supervisors' and 'the do's and don'ts of peer reviewing.' The colloquium gives PhD students the opportunity to learn from the insights and experiences of senior scholars in their field of study. Participation is free for PhD students who register for the ICORIA 2014 conference.
Please give us an impression about the city of Amsterdam as one of Europe's most innovative and creative places. What is it that makes Amsterdam such a hot spot for creatives and advertising professionals?
It's hard to say why Amsterdam has been so successful in attracting ad agencies. We see three possible factors. The first factor is Openness: Amsterdam is a liberal city that is open to try new things, and tolerant toward people who think and behave differently. The same goes for the Dutch advertising industry, which (just like British and Scandinavian advertising) has a long tradition of funny, well-designed ads that are not afraid of controversy. A second, perhaps more trivial factor, is Infrastructure. Amsterdam is easy to reach from the UK and the US, has beneficial tax laws, and even the bus driver and the butcher speak English. The third and final factor has to be the city's reputation of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. Of course, such a reputation also has its disadvantages, but you can imagine that it certainly helps in attracting young and creative people.
Will we see old historical Amsterdam?
All meetings of the conference take place in old historical buildings in the inner city of Amsterdam. On Thursday in the East India House, home of the former Dutch East India Company – the first multinational in the world. On Friday and Saturday in Pakhuis De Zwijger, a former warehouse located at the waterfront of the IJ River, which now serves as a cultural meeting place for creative and innovative people. The Conference Award Dinner is planned at Restaurant Stork situated in an old industrial building at the Northern banks of the river IJ.
As we know from the past conferences, the variety of topics presented at ICORIA is increasingly innovative and forward-looking. What trends are you expecting for this year's conference program?
As the deadline is approaching the papers are coming in. New themes include Big Data, including social media analytics and sentiment analysis, effects of disclosures to inform consumers about embedded advertising, not only in traditional media, but also on Twitter and Facebook, adverting in digital newspapers and magazines, and webcare.
Many thanks to the conference organizers Peter Neijens (EAA), Eva van Reijmersdal, Edith Smit (EAA), Peeter Verlegh and Hilde Voorveld at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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