Young South African talents to join elite Creative LIAisons Academy in Las Vegas

Alongside 125 young professionals from 29 countries, they'll receive mentorship from top industry leaders, pushing their skills and creativity. The programme runs from 30th September to 4th October at Encore @ Wynn Las Vegas.

The young creatives will be coached by Ana Rocha. Source: Supplied.

Giving back

The programme was created to give back to the industry with no delegate fees and flights and hotel accommodations funded by LIA. According to the organisation the programme is coveted because participants are not passively watching from the sidelines. They are in the game, rolling up their sleeves and actively participating in the learning process through masterclasses, seminars, panel discussions, and hands-on interactive teamwork.

The programme culminates with the opportunity to sit in the judging rooms. LIA lifts the veil so that attendees can actually witness for themselves judging as it happens. It’s no-holds-barred. Neither the judging nor the final results are shrouded in secrecy. Attendees can see and hear for themselves how the top people in the business review and reward creativity, ingenuity and bravery.

#WomensMonth: VML SA's Ana Rocha - "Women need to take up and own their own space"

Danette Breitenbach  1 Aug 2024

Ana Rocha, executive creative director, VML South Africa, Cape Town and Creative LIAisons coach commented, “I am thrilled to be part of Creative LIAisons this year, joining an incredible team of mentors. As a Creative LIAisons coach, I am so energized to learn and grow alongside some of the most talented young minds out there. The programme has top-in-class mentors and mentees, making it such a great opportunity for all involved. I can’t wait to get started and see what amazing things we can achieve together!”

Hungry creatives

“We are always keen to welcome hungry, eager young creatives who want to move their skill set not just up to speed, but beyond that. We see Creative LIAisons as the autobahn of creative leadership training and learning - it lets young talent go full throttle in accelerating their creative careers. There is no speed limit. For those who make full use of the opportunity presented, it is the fast lane to open doors and greater connections,” said Laurissa Levy, Creative LIAisons director/events director.

This year, the intensive five-day programme will encompass several speaker panels and an enviable line-up of top speakers including Ali Rez. There will also be a 'Create and Make' workshop, attendees will experience the hands-on creative challenge of receiving a brief, ideating, creating and then pitching to a jury. For the first time, there will be a special off-site, real-time experiential learning exercise to further stretch the minds of the attendees.