Adfest postponed, organisers attribute decision to political turmoil

In an exclusive interview given to Media, Vinit Suraphongchai, chairman of the festival's working committee, said he was extremely disappointed that the festival has had to be postponed. "The political situation is fluid in Thailand. If we go ahead and there is unrest, we will be hard pressed to explain the situation. In light of the current situation, we would rather be safe than sorry."

Suraphongchai mentioned that the primary reason for the postponement is the possibility of a large scale political rally planned four days before the event.

A release from Adfest organisers stated that the festival will be postponed to about two months from now, which is around the middle of May. "Rather than pushing ahead and disregarding the situation, we think a better solution is to wait for the issue to resolve itself, as we are keenly aware that it may be of serious concern to many of you who will be travelling away from home. Indeed many governments had cautioned their citizens regarding travelling to Thailand during this period," added Suraphongchai.

Asked if he was satisfied with the response to this year's Adfest, Suraphongchai said the response is "neither good nor bad". "The entry is slightly down. We still don't have the exact figures on the delegates since a lot of registrations are done two weeks before the event. Based on the current numbers it seems like the number of delegates will be slightly higher. There is a lot of talk about recovery but the industry is still being cautious."

The news about Adfest's postponement has surprised many in the industry. David Guerrero, chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines, said that he was surprised by the news. "I didnt think the situation in Thailand was so bad. It's a shame. We had actually planned a regional meeting in Thailand around the same time. I hope when the festival happens in May they are able to get the same lineup of speakers."