Les Impériales 2019, a gathering of professionals from the worlds of marketing, communications, media, advertising, and digital technology, took place from January 21 to 24, 2019, in Casablanca. Anouar Sabri, CEO of Imperium and founder of the Les Impériales association, gives us his take on this year's event.
Les Impériales is now in its third year. How did you approach the 2019 edition and what are its ambitions?
We decided to relaunch the event by giving it new momentum through the creation of the Les Impériales Association, which brings together several representatives from the sector. The association has promoted the 2019 event to make it the major gathering for all players in the marketing, communications, media, and digital sectors, as has always been the case with the monthly magazine MediaMarketing, of which I am the editor-in-chief.
What were the highlights of this event?
The first highlight of the 2019 edition was the inauguration of the Advertising Museum, which traces more than 100 years of Moroccan advertising, in the presence of Mr. Mehdi QOTBI, President of the National Foundation of Museums of Morocco, and Ms. Hakima Fasly, Deputy Mayor of Casablanca. Initially scheduled to last one week, the museum has now been extended until February 28.
On the second evening of the event, the Love Brand Morocco 2019 and Love Icons Morocco 2019 awards were presented. Maroc Telecom, Orange, Inwi, and Nike are among the brands most loved by Moroccans. And rapper Don Bigg, actor Rachid El Ouali, and singer Dounia Batma are among the artists most loved by Moroccans.
Finally, during the gala evening, the talents, brands, agencies, and campaigns that stood out in 2017 and 2018 received Les Étoiles 2019 awards in the categories of Brands, Brand Content, and Campaigns-Actions.
In addition, during three very busy days, many high-level Moroccan and international speakers were able to discuss issues related to the sector on topics such as brands, media, agencies, digital, data, etc., in front of a large audience of professionals and students.
Several speakers from Côte d'Ivoire and other African countries were invited. What is the objective of this international outreach?
We are closely monitoring developments in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in French-speaking Africa. This was an opportunity for us to establish initial contacts with experts and stakeholders in this region, which we hope to continue in the future.
You also organized a Job Dating event and paid tribute to several personalities who have made their mark on the world of advertising.
Indeed, Job Dating brought together job seekers and employers. It was an opportunity to introduce students to professionals in marketing, communications, media, advertising, and digital technology. The Moroccan market has 90,000 employees in Morocco and is always looking for new talent.
In addition, we paid tribute to several great minds during a moving evening on January 24, 2019. These individuals have left their mark on advertising through the quality of their work and have made an indelible impression on the history of Moroccan advertising. They are AYOUCH Noureddine, AMRAM Colette, BELGHITI Moulay Ahmed, GHAZALI Keltoum, KADIRI Hamid, MOUTAA Abdelkader, Philip Zagury, SEBTI Dino, SEKHRI Aicha, and SEKKAT Mohammed. These first tributes are just the beginning of a long tradition whereby people who have made their mark on this sector will receive these distinctions over the course of the annual event.
Beyond your role at Les Impériales, you are also CEO of Imperium. What are the main areas of activity of this company?
Imperium is the leader in 360° information processing and media monitoring in Morocco. We are the leading data provider through the production and use of Big Data and Smart Data technologies to boost the productivity of businesses (whether institutions, advertisers, communication agencies, advertising agencies, or media outlets). Imperium was founded in 2000 and is now present in 14 countries, with more than 250 employees in Morocco.