BBN International Branding Conference

It began in the midst of a major sandstorm blanketing Cairo in grit from the desert, and it ended two days later with a chilly evening cruise down the Nile in unseasonably cool temperatures. But in between, an audience of business leaders, marketing professionals and journalists warmly embraced the second International Branding Conference hosted December 13 to 14 by The Business Branding Network (BBN) Egypt.

Conference participants were keen to explore best practices that could be applied to global brand development and destination marketing. We had top names from Egyptian companies and universities at the podium. We had featured BBN speakers presenting examples and perspectives from different nations (I was there for BBN USA). And we had a forum that devoted extensive time to open discussion, challenging questions and even debate among all participants. Nobody mailed this one in – there was engagement and energy throughout.

A number of aspects made this a unique and special experience. Presentations, Q&A sessions and even conversations alternated between Arabic and English, so headsets broadcasting live translations were operational at all times. There was an extraordinary level of interest from regional media. Six different television stations (including CNBC) sent reporters or anchors to cover the event. Much to our surprise, the BBN representatives were in great demand and treated like celebrities. We were asked to pose for photographers, conduct individual interviews with all six TV crews, and meet with perhaps a dozen media organizations including the print publication interviews.

We got to know our translators quite well. We learned that Arabic is a “more flowery” language, and we would try to help them by speaking more slowly or pausing between points in our presentations and interviews, making it easier for them to keep pace. Our translators learned how to find out in advance what the media wanted to ask, so we’d get a couple minutes warning before the next TV crew began to roll tape and we’d live forever with our responses.

Gudmund Semb, CEO BBN Germany; Curtis Gorrell, VP BBN USA; Hatem Salem, CEO BBN Egypt; Richard Brelet, BBN Executive Director

 
Hatem Salem, CEO of BBN Egypt and host for the conference, was delighted with the results. It clearly established his organization as an effective resource for brand management and demonstrated the broad reach and resources of BBN. In return, Hatem was an incredibly generous host, even in a land known for its hospitality to guests.  We were encouraged and enabled to explore everything from Egypt’s ancient past to its modern cuisine. It made for quite an adventure, but we’ll save those details for another blog.

To Hatem and all my new friends at BBN Egypt: شكراً (Thank you)