CAIRO: "The marketing field [in the Middle East] is dominated by Egyptians, Hany Mwafy, managing director of ACNielsen Egypt said, "but we never came under one roof and interacted. This, according to Mwafy, is the main drive behind holding the first Consumer 360 conference in Cairo, bringing together marketeers and allowing them to exchange information, learn from one another, thus "unlocking growth. "Marketing is the main weapon in competitiveness, Mwafy said, "and we need to sharpen it. The two-day conference entitled "Unlocking Growth Potential will take place on Nov. 24-25 and will bring together 500 officials, international marketing consultants, government officials and academia from all over the world. The conference comes in a crucial time, Mwafy explained, as the world suffers through the financial crisis. "For that, the conference will focus on presenting innovative marketing solutions to help companies overcome these challenges and lead them to growth, he said. The name "Consumer 360 is derived from the idea that the consumer is the most important factor, and the conference offers a "holistic view of that consumer [from a 360 angle]. Experts from different sectors are going to discuss marketing solutions to specific industries, namely Real Estate, Information Technology, Finance and Banking and Consumer Goods, addressing technology, growth, challenges and solutions, Mwafy said. International marketing expert Peter Fisk, author of the bestselling book "Marketing Genius will participate in the conference, bringing forth innovative marketing strategies to overcome the economic crisis. The list of panelists also includes professionals from TEData, Google, Emaar, Olympic Group, Pepsi, among other prominent names. Mwafy highlighted the importance of marketing, saying that it is the "business spearhead and is the key to doubling and tripling one's business. As a global market research company, Nielsen is dedicated to "enlightening business decision makers, by collecting and dispensing the right information about the market, Mwafy explained. The Nielsen Company is a global provider of information, insight, analysis and advice about consumers. Nielsen is also a market-focused provider of integrated information and sales and marketing solutions. The Consumer 360 Conference is held every year in the United States and is deemed its number one marketing conference. However, it has only managed to attract the business community in the Middle East last year with conferences held in Dubai and Saudi Arabia for the first time. Nielsen aims at enlisting this conference on business calendars in Egypt as well as the Middle East, Mwafy said.
