The second day started with comedy creators Hatoon Al Kadi and Omar Hussein giving an insight into topics relevant to a young Arab audience.
The second day of VIDXB brought another action-packed schedule of events for attendees. Starting the day on a light-hearted note, comedy creators Hatoon Al Kadi and Omar Hussein took to the main stage with their session on Arabic Voices, a cheeky insight into some of the common topics relevant to a young Arab audience around the region today. The tongue-in-cheek performance adequately warmed up the eager crowd and was followed by a selection of entertaining and informative sessions. Among them, Emirati creator Khaled Al Ameri participated in a keynote which broached the topic of bringing the world closer via Facebook video where the comedic creator spoke about leveraging platforms that help tell his family story in an effective way. Also included in the morning session as a forward-looking session hosted by the Dubai Future Foundation which looked the future media consumption, how we use screens, and the increasing presence of augmented reality.
Speaking about the sessions and wealth of information and advice shared within two-day festival, Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman of DFTC, organisers of VIDXB, said: Were thrilled with the response to VIDXB in its first year and the support received from our community of content creators and industry experts. We have been honoured to welcome some of the most inspiring and game-changing content creators to VIDXB and the passion and skills they have shared has been incredibly insightful. VIDXB has reinforced the demand for this kind of event in the region and we can only hope that this will continue to inspire future creators to follow their passion.
Additional highlights from industry sessions included an address from the YouTube Partnerships Team at Google on converting a passion for content creation into a career, along with a keynote on the power of integrated digital brand partnerships, presented by Dana Adhami from Disney Digital.
Humour levels were high during a session with the Shots Studios team and viral comedy sensations; Lele Pons, Hannah Stocking, Innana Sarkis, and Anwar Jibawi, who used their collaborative spirit to bounce off one another and keep the crowd in fits of laugher during a Facebook Live session that took place of the couches of the emoji-filled branded Facebook lounge. In good company, the Shots team were followed by an I Dare You session on the main stage that delved into how those prankster challenge videos really come about. Lead by Rakan Suleiman, T1GGER, Iikay, 1TED, Badoor, Khalood25 and Suyemi, the comedic session covered tips, tricks and words of advice for budding creators.
Lead sponsor Al Aan TV also launched Aish Al Aan, a new initiative, which translates to Live it, Film it, Cash it, which allows online creators to submit their content to the publishing site. Al Aan TV will attempt to monetise this content.