The Athar Saudi Festival of Creativity, a creative marketing event, has announced its lineup of speakers and initiatives for the upcoming second session. Motivate Media Group and Trans-Arabian Creative Communication Services, along with partners MBC Media Solutions and Flynas, revealed the details during a press conference on Monday. The event is set for Nov. 3-6 in Riyadh. Mohammed Al-Ayed, vice chairman of the festival and CEO of Trans-Arabian Creative Communication Services, emphasized the festival’s commitment to empowering Saudi Arabia’s future leaders. He said: “Athar 2024 is a unique national platform that enhances skills and fosters talent among Saudi Arabia’s greatest asset — its youth — preparing them to lead globally and tackle future challenges.” Ian Fairservice, chairman of the festival and managing partner of Motivate Media Group, said: “In addition to a robust lineup of speakers and panelists, the Young Talent Academies and Maheerah Programme exemplify our focus on learning and development.” Fairservice told Arab News that the academies, a keystone of Athar 2024, will span four days, despite the event being only two days long. He noted their popularity and high demand, emphasizing that developing young talent is central to Athar’s mission. Registrations are now open for the Young Talent Academies, which include the Student Creative Academy (in partnership with MCN), Student Marketers Academy, NextGen Creative Academy, and NextGen Marketers Academy. These academies are for full-time university students aged 18 to 25 and young professionals under 30 in creative communications, advertising, or marketing. The academies feature keynote sessions from industry experts, workshops, and a 24-hour hackathon. An impressive lineup of speakers was revealed, including Prince Fahad bin Faisal Al-Saud, founder of NA3AM; Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital; Matt McKie, director of marketing at Manchester United; and Najeeb Jarrar, chief marketing officer for the Middle East and North Africa at Google. Registrations are also open for the Maheerah Programme, powered by Publicis Groupe. This mentorship initiative empowers women in marketing communications through one-on-one mentoring and coaching. Participants — women with mid to senior-level expertise — will benefit from tailored coaching sessions, individualized workshops, and exclusive networking opportunities, all led by esteemed industry leaders from around the world. Additionally, Athar will host CEO and CMO roundtables — invite-only events powered by Raiyn Group and Bloomberg Media — that will bring together the Kingdom’s top brand leaders to discuss pressing issues affecting their businesses and the region.