PRESS RELEASE
30th Golden Drum
21 August 2024

Golden Drum Program Announced 

Golden Drum Festival is returning to its roots in the picturesque city of Portorož, Slovenia, where the first festival took place three decades ago. As Golden Drum celebrates its 30th anniversary, this year’s program promises to be truly special, offering a rich blend of educational lectures, thought-provoking sessions and networking opportunities. The stage will feature world-class experts, ensuring attendees ample opportunity for learning and inspiration.

Live between 9 and 10 October in Portorož, Slovenia

The Complete Pass provides full access to the festival’s events. It includes a Warming up Party powered by Radio Capris on 9 October at News Café Bernardin, setting the tone for this milestone event. 

 On 10 October, attendees will be able to attend a series of Festival Sessions. The sessions will feature a distinguished line-up of speakers and jury presidents, each sharing their expertise across the spectrum of creativity. The highlight of the festival will be the highly anticipated Awards Show, presented by Mastercard, followed by a grand finale at The Golden Star Party at Caffe Teater, Piran, offering the perfect opportunity to celebrate creativity and conclude the festival in a lively atmosphere. 

Preliminary Program Revealed

The Golden Drum stage will host the Head of Creative Performance at Aleph Group and Co-founder of The C School, Aidis Dalikas, who will tackle the key issues facing agencies today, including score creep and talent drain, and discuss how valuing people and partnerships offers a true solution. 

Adam Kerj, Chief Creative Officer at Accenture Song Europe and our Creative Business Excellence Jury President will celebrate creativity as a transformative force behind all ground-breaking ideas and show how human ingenuity plays a vital role in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Kentaro Kimura, the International Chief Creative Officer and Corporate Officer at Hakuhodo, Founder of Hakuhodo Kettle, and Omni-Channel Jury President will address the complexities of modern problems clients and society face. In his session, he will present how innovative global solutions can be inspired by exploring local cultures. 

Pum Lefebure, the Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Design Army and Craft Drum Jury President will explore the designer's profound power to unite, communicate, and inspire action. Her session, »Design for Impact and Action«, will showcase how creative endeavours can leave a lasting impact on communities and serve as catalyst for positive change. 

Janet Levine, Global Head of Invention at Mindshare and Creative Media Excellence Jury President will take us to Media Utopia. By envisioning the future of media and marketing across various Utopian Lands, she will presentstrategic changes that marketers can adopt to future-proof their businesses amid pressing industry challenges. 

Malcolm Poynton, Global Chief Creative Officer and President Creative of Cheil Worldwide will share new psychological findings showing that emotive creativity drives greater success, revealing unexpected insights about brand perception and advertising effectiveness.

Jay Richards, CEO of Imagen Insights will delve into the significant shifts in consumer behaviour represented by Gen Alpha and their implications for brands and agencies. 

Katie Sterling, Advisory Director at WARC, will focus on the power of creativity and consistency in advertising. She will reveal why ambitious goals often fall short and address how to successfully balance a consistent strategy with fresh execution. 

Riku Vassinen, CEO of Hasan & partners will challenge the industry’s fixation with an overreaching brand purpose that has led to a loss of focus, and instead, unveil the most sustainable ways to build enduring brands – by integrating creativity and humour into the approach.  

Guy Wieynk, the global CEO of AnalogFolk Group and One-Channel Drum Jury President will illuminate the vibrant creative melting pot of Eastern Europe. In his talk titled »Unveiling Creativity: Embracing Diversity in Eastern Europe«, Guy will underscore the significance of inclusivity in the arts in shaping a brighter future. 

More speakers to be announced.

Golden Drum Competition Deadline Extended until 4 September 2024

Golden Drum extends its deadline for competition until 4 September 2024 and admits all works that have been aired, published, or implemented for the first time between 22 August 2023 and 21 August 2024.

The festival presents the brand-new B2B group in the Creative Business Excellence Section, offering businesses new opportunities to showcase their success in tackling the fast-changing industry challenges. The categories in this group encompass a range of B2B-focused initiatives, such as B2B Brand Re:Fresh, B2B Storytelling, etc. See all competition novelties here.

All entrants are invited to participate in our Game Changer group intended for campaigns that challenge the traditional ways of advertising. This is the only group in the main competition that is open to entrants worldwide.

Agencies, advertisers, clients, design/production houses, media companies, and other creatives from 42 countries are invited to enter their works in six diverse sections: One-Channel Drum, Omni-Channel Drum, Craft Drum, Creative Media Excellence Drum, Creative Business Excellence Drum, and a special All Juries Section.

Golden Drum is included in the WARC Creative Rankings and from this year forward will also be included in The Drum World Creative Rankings. 

Read more about The Golden Drum Competition here.

Young Drummers Competition open until 9 September

All young creatives under 30 worldwide are invited to put their skills to the test by participating in the Young Drummers Competition 2024, an annual event held in collaboration with the Slovenian Tourist Board.

This year’s brief titled "You can’t spell Slovenia without love and that is why you must love it” is looking for the most creative poster idea.

The winner of the competition will receive a 1,000 EUR monetary prize and a free delegate pass to attend the 30^thGolden Drum Festival. All shortlisted authors will receive a complimentary pass for the festival.

The deadline to submit entries into the Young Drummers Competition is 9 September 2024. 

Read more about the Young Drummers Competition here.

Media materials

Additional information

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