A flagship event of the IBA Marketing Club (IMC), IBAC 3.0 was held on 10th, 11th and 12th February 2017 at IBA Main Campus. Students from various universities and educational institutions participated in the third edition of the conference to gain deeper insights into the real-life challenges faced by marketers.

This year, the conference was redefined to give participants something more – more exposure, more engagement and more challenge! This was accomplished using the theme of Integrated Marketing Communications.

A pre-conference warm-up Training Session was organized to equip participants with basic knowledge of marketing. Two speakers, Mr. Kamran Abdul Salam and Ms. Daniah Ishtiaq, each expert in their own field, were invited for this session. Not only did they speak about their respective areas but also soothed the pre-event jitters that participants had.

Moving on to the conference itself, IBAC 3.0 was designed such that each day focused on specific elements involved in the process of integrated marketing communications. Guest speakers were invited to shed further light on the workings of these communication channels, after which participants were engaged in activities that required them to incorporate the learnings and also bring in their own creativity to develop ideas and unleash the hidden marketer within.

Day 1 focused on the notion of BIG IDEA. Mr. Imtisal Abbasi (COO, Saatchi and Saatchi) spoke on the topic "What makes an ad stick?". Participants were then assigned one of the sponsor brands for which they had to develop the core idea as a solution to the problem given in their respective brand briefs.

Day 2 revolved around the traditional media. Mr. Abdul Razzak Yousuf (Director, Nielsen) discussed "Consumer Insights" followed by Mr. Ali Askari (Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather) who elaborated on "The Art of Storytelling in Advertising"; points from this discussion were then used by participants to prepare their print ads. Mr. Danish Ejaz enlightened the audience of the "Role of Digital Media in Pakistan", following which teams shot their TVCs.

Day 3 was a deeper dive into digital media. Ms. Nadya Naqvi (Head of Planning, Spark Pakistan) provided insights on "Media Planning" after which teams worked upon the digital media plans for their respective brands.

Teams then presented their marketing campaigns in front of a panel of esteemed judges: Mr. Ali Malik, Ms. Amber Tanya, Ms. Ambreen Ali, Mr. Aun Ali, Mr. Baber Jawed, Mr. Danish Ejaz, Ms. Fakiha Khan, Mr. Ghazanfar Khan, Mr. Muhammad Faizan, Mr. Munawar Ali, Ms. Subiha Shakil, and Ms. Zahra Fatima.

IBAC 3.0 thus took its participants through the entire process of branding & advertising from end to, giving them the feel of what it is really like to be in the marketers' shoes. With all the challenge and grilling, participants were also treated to some great, fun-filled socials including a Movie Night at Cinepax, Dance Party at Pavilion End Club and of course the Corporate Dinner at IBA Main Campus.

The mega event that IBAC 3.0 was would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of the IMC Panel 2016-17 and IBAC 3.0 team, the guidance of Mr. Jami Moiz (Patron of IBA Marketing Club) and the support of all the esteemed sponsors and partners: Pakistan State Oil (Gold Sponsor), McDonalds (Silver Sponsor), TPL Holdings (Bronze Sponsor), AirBlue & Careem (Travel Partners), 14th Street Pizza & Nestle Everyday (Food & Beverage Partners), DHA Suffa University & Department of Commerce, University of Karachi (Academic Partners), Aaj TV, Hot Fm 105, FHM & Brands Magazine (Media Partners), Hakim Sons and Thumb Impressions Photography (Event Coverage Partners), and Pavilion Club, Cinepax Cinemas & Infinity PK (Entertainment Partners).

We now anxiously wait for IBAC 4.0!