PromaxBDA, the association for marketing, promotional and design professionals, concluded its 55th annual conference in Los Angeles June 24 with a 40% boost in attendance year-to-year, according to conference organizers.
"Marketing is increasingly being recognized as the driving force behind the entertainment industry, and the incredible energy and turnout this year really reflected that," said Jonathan Block-Verk, President and CEO, PromaxBDA. "As entertainment marketers break down barriers and reach for new creative heights, PromaxBDA is quickly establishing itself as the predominant industry resource."
The four-day event was kicked off by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with a little help from ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Fox Broadcasting Co., bpg Advertising, CTV Creative Agency and Syfy took home top honors at the Design Awards while big winners at the Promotion and Marketing Awards included CTV Creative Agency with 53 awards, Showtime with 18, and FX with 15.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Hugh Hefner.
The conference also introduced the Creative Educator's Forum, a professional development event for creative educators at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels, and the Promo Bootcamp, an intensive two-day workshop designed to teach the fundamentals of promo producing, writing and editing.
This was the first time in eight years that the conference was held in Los Angeles. Next year PromaxBDA will return to New York City.
