The advertising industry must focus on the important data; Distinctiveness is worth much more than differentiation; and emotions beat messages while fame beats everything else.

These were the key messages delivered to the public by the Publicity Association of Northern Ireland (PANI) at their annual President’s Lunch attended by over 160 industry professionals at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

The packed event, moderated by PANI President Darren Jackson and PANI President Tony Axon, included a keynote address by Les Binet, Head of Efficiency at Adam & Eve DDB in London and Fellow of the IPA.

Darren said: “It was an honor to host the annual President’s Luncheon for the seventh consecutive year.

“The event provides professionals from a variety of industries, including media agencies and outlets, in-house marketing departments and ad sales teams, the opportunity to come together and share knowledge, network and celebrate excellence.

“PANI strongly believes in continuous learning and development, which is why it was invaluable to our members to have renowned industry expert Les Binet speak at the annual luncheon.

“He made a huge contribution to how the advertising industry works and lived up to his reputation for delivering an engaging and informative speech.”

After lunch, former PANI chair Nuala Meenahan received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his “contribution to the industry.”

Darren said: “The annual President’s Luncheon is one of the most well received events on the calendar and 2019 was no exception.

“As well as an unforgettable session for our members, we were also able to raise over £1,000 for Angel Eyes, a worthy local charity which empowers parents and families with blind and partially sighted children.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all our current and former members who took part and the wider community for the support so far.

“PANI is for everyone and we are the only association where the creative, media, marketing and production communities can join together to improve the quality and performance of the Northern Ireland advertising industry.”

To sign up or learn more about PANI, visit panionline.com or connect with us on social media. @PANIofficial on twitter.

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