The Creative Director's Meeting

This tradition goes way back. The idea here is to invite every CD in town and discuss the upcoming show. It can be one or two meetings. Every chairman does it different. Sometimes it’s at the Mandarin Hotel. Other times it’s at the chairman’s agency.

The meeting itself covers off stuff like categories, jury recommendations and food menus. Buffet or set dinner? Silent or open voting? Local or foreign judges?

In the days before emails, the invitation used to be faxed. Which nowadays seems more important than emails. (I remember one year when somebody hi-jacked the invite and showed up to the meeting instead of his CD.)

My first meeting was the year Paul Ruta was chairman. It’s a cool thing. All my heroes were there. I don’t remember saying a thing, but enjoyed being part of it just the same.

That was the year we agreed that any work that got a medal but did not pass the verification hurdles would still receive a finalist certificate. It was also the year we had a buffet instead of a sit down dinner. (This act of tyranny irritated the agency brass so much they actually bothered to complain about it after the show.)

The CD meeting is also a great chance to catch up with the other CDs in town. I actually enjoy these meetings because I like to catch up with everybody that I’ve been canceling lunches on all year long.

We had this year’s meeting here at Bates. After all that boycotting nonsense Bates pulled in the past, we tried our best to be a good host. Had plenty of Heineken on ice and a great spread of food and ice cream to take the edge off.

(The photos here were lifted off the Bates security cameras. Please forgive the low resolution quality.)









Robert Gaxiola (Bates) - Chairman
Lavinia Tan (Bates)
Alfred Teo (Ad Planet)
Barney – Ian Barnes (Grip)
Carolyn Teo (Kinetic)
Cher Campbell (Euro RSCG)
Eric Yeo (Ogilvy & Mather)
Goh Wee Kim (BBDO)
Hari Ramanathan (Draft FCB)
Jay Phua (10AM)
Koh Hwee Peng (Grey Global Group)
Leo Teck Chong (Ad Planet)
Lim Chiao Woon (Mandate)
Lim Sau Hoong (10AM)
Mike Shackle (TBWA)
Ng Tian It (McCann-Erickson)
Roy Lim Wei Yi (Dream Solutions)
Steve Straw (Leo Burnett)
Tay Guan Hin (JWT)
Terrence Tan (DDB)
Toh Han Ming (Y&R)
Chua Bee Hong (4As)
Sarah Tang (4As)
Noor