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MUMBAI: There was pin-drop silence while everyone anxiously waited with bated breath when Ms Lynn de Souza, Chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group (LMG) opened a sealed envelope and declared Ms Deepam Rami and Mr Vinit Kumar as the two winners of the LMG Moscow Congress Contest at LMG?s Annual Conference in Pattaya today.
It is not so unusual for companies to reward it?s A-raters with a professional membership, which is what a few months ago Lintas Media Group (LMG) did to encourage and enthuse their young professionals when as many as ten (10) youngsters were given the Young Professional memberships of the India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IC-IAA).
Last month as soon as IAA announced details of the 42nd IAA World Congress, which is scheduled to be held in Moscow, Russian Federation, between May 12th and May14th 2010, LMG decided to send two (2) of their IAA Young Professional members to the Moscow Congress, at LMG?s cost, after a minor ?contest?.
In order to be selected they were asked to send in a five hundred word essay on why they think they should go to Moscow to attend this Congress. The winners were to be selected by a panel of three judges from the IAA India Chapter?s Board, and not any one from the agency, to rule out any biases. The entries, they were told, would be decided on the basis of innovation and creativity, expression of key LMG values, and overall communication quality of the submission.
The key LMG values were explained as - a strong performance orientation, and growth by collaboration.
The email IDs of the three eminent judges, who are also Committee Members from India are also on the IAA World Board [Ms Pheroza Bilimoria - Managing Director, Business India Publications Ltd. and Hon. Secretary IAA World Board; Mr Pradeep Guha - Managing Director, Culture Company (I) Pvt. Ltd. and Immediate Past President and current Vice President & Area Director for IAA Asia Pacific Region and Mr Raj Nayak, CEO - NDTV Media Ltd. and President of the India Chapter of IAA] were shared with them and so that the 10 contestants could email their submissions directly by January 15, 2010.
Each mark sheet was collected; collated and final scores were compiled by the India Chapter of the IAA.
The results were put in a sealed envelope which was opened, and the winners names announced at LMG?s annual conference in Pattaya today, Friday the 29th January, 2010.
?There were stars in the eyes of LMG?s Young Professionals! They were thrilled that their words were read and judged by such distinguished people who are also on the IAA World Board?, said Ms Lynn de Souza, Chairman & CEO - Lintas Media Group and Honorary Secretary India Chapter of IAA. ?Here?s wishing Deepam and Vineet a great learning experience amongst head honchos in an international arena?, she said.
Earlier Mr Raj Nayak, President of IAA India Chapter and CEO of NDTV Media, said, ?This is a wonderful way to incentivise and persuade youngsters to push the envelope.? He also said that he was hopeful that more and more companies would be making their young professionals IAA members and thereby giving them greater international exposure in the world of advertising and marketing.
