Content creators are set to vie for a slice of the $1 million prize at the upcoming 3rd edition of 1 Billion Followers Summit happening in January next year, Dubai-based New Media Academy announced on Saturday.
Based on the theme of the summit, ‘Content for Good’, the best digital creators will be awarded for wielding “positive and meaningful impact locally, regionally and globally,” noted Alia Al Hammadi, CEO of the New Media Academy.
Al Hammadi said the audience and participants at the summit will have the power to nominate their favourite content creators for the award. Shortlisted finalists will be determined by public vote, with the ultimate winners selected by a panel of experts during the 1 Billion Followers Summit.
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The 3rd edition 1 Billion Followers Summit will take place from January 11 to 13, 2025 across three venues at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Museum of the Future and nearby Dubai International Financial Centre. The aim of the summit is provide “an ideal platform for creatives and investors to connect, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects.”
The summit is also designed to “help aspiring creators identify the skills and techniques for compelling content.”
New media’s vital role
Targeting a global audience of over 1 billion, the summit will gather top media influencers and content creators to examine new media’s vital role in supporting national economies and sustainable development, noted Al Hammadi.
“The summit aims to catalyse a transformation across digital media – from content creation to social media utilisation. The upcoming Summit builds upon the remarkable success of its predecessors, which garnered significant global attention and participation from key influencers and Arab and international media,” she added.
The 2nd edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, held in January this year, welcomed more than 7,000 participants from 95 countries, including more than 3,000 content creators, influencers, and creatives. The event garnered more than 300 million engagements across social media platforms, according to organisers.
1B Pitches
A new feature of the upcoming summit is 1B Pitches, which is “aimed at providing funding and financial support for content creators who will present groundbreaking ideas. Digital creators will pitch their ideas to major investors and businesses keen to sponsor them and transform their ideas into reality,” said Al Hammadi.
Content creators can present their ideas through the Summit’s website.
Meanwhile, Ahmed El Ghandour, Anas Marwah and Asala Maleh have been appointed as 1 Billion Followers Summit ambassadors. El Ghandour rose to fame through his widely popular YouTube program ‘Al Daheeh’, while Marwah and Maleh create content for the Anazala family channel, which has more than 40 million followers across various digital platforms. Other ambassadors will be announced later.