Imthiaz Blog

Flip Media and Neo Digital gets new CEOs

Flip Holding Ltd is delighted to announce the promotion of Yousef Tuqan Tuqan and Mohammad Itani as CEOs for Flip Media and Neo Digital.

Yousef Tuqan Tuqan has been promoted to CEO of Flip Media, with overall responsibility for the development and growth of the largest interactive agency in the Middle East. An industry veteran with over 11 years of regional experience, Yousef has served as Account Director at Flip Media since 2005, and has been responsible for business development and client servicing for the agency.

“Yousef has been one of our most vocal ambassadors, and has played a leading role in growing our agency into a global network of 150 dedicated Internet professionals. His passion and experience have been invaluable in maintaining our leadership position, and this promotion is a vote of confidence in his ability to lead Flip Media into its next phase of growth,” said Managing Partner Dinesh Lalvani, Flip’s cofounder.

Mohammad Itani has been promoted to CEO of Neo Digital, Flip’s sister agency and the first dedicated online media agency in the Middle East. Mohammad has served as Head of Media since 2005, and has been instrumental in the growth of the agency and its reach beyond Dubai. He has also been involved in the development of Neo Digital’s Search Engine Marketing team, which boasts 4 full-time specialists and one of the largest booking volumes in the region.

According to Flip Holdings’ Group CEO Martin Diessner, “Mohammad has shown great leadership in times of ongoing change in the industry, and has earned the respect and admiration of his clients, his team and his partners across the online media landscape. I am confident that Neo Digital can continue to maintain its position as the fastest-growing and most innovative independent online media agency in the region.”

Managing Partners Dinesh Lalvani and Martin Diessner will continue their daily involvement in the group’s operation from Dubai, with a greater focus on the development of Brand Central, the most powerful enterprise-class advertising management and serving solution in the Middle East; and Chameleon, Flip Media’s complete website content management solution.

According to Dinesh “these key promotions represent a vote of confidence in Yousef and Mohammad to continue to lead their agencies into their next stage of development. Both have been the faces of Flip Media and Neo Digital since their appointment in 2005, and we are proud to work alongside them as we continue to offer the best and most comprehensive digital marketing solutions in the region.”

Happy B’day Sheeban (aka jumanji)

Today we had a surprise birthday party for my friend Sheeban.

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$age = (INT) (60 + ( 50- (round(8.6667*9))));
print “He is {$age} years old :p”;
?>

Happy B’day Buddy and live life king size.

Flip Media dominates the interactive category at the 2008 Dubai Lynx Awards

Flip Media dominated the Interactive category of the 2nd Dubai Lynx Awards, the leading creative advertising competition for the Middle East and North Africa, bagging 4 of the 15 awards. Flip Media’s work for Emaar’s Burj Dubai garnered a Silver, while their work for Nakheel’s Ramadan campaign, MBC2’s Movies in Motion portal and the experimental website “My City Soul” earned three bronzes, giving Flip the highest tally of any agency in the Middle East.

According to Regional Account Director Yousef Tuqan Tuqan, these awards validate Flip’s approach to their work. “We’re extremely pleased by our recognition in these awards. Flip has always placed a premium on the development of solid creative work that delivers on our client’s business objectives, and it’s great to win creative awards for sites that are commercially focused.”

Flip Media is no stranger to creative awards, having been the first Middle Eastern agency to earn the coveted Macromedia Site of The Day, as well as 35 other awards in the last few years, including four Summit International Awards and a Cannes Cyberlion.

According to Tuqan, “All our awards this year have one thing in common, which is that they were the product of a lot of teamwork and thinking with our clients. Far from being considered a ‘fifth wheel’ on our client’s agency rosters, we are now being engaged as an integral part of the communications plan, and it shows in the depth and quality of thinking behind our award-winning sites.”

Dinesh Lalvani, Group Creative Director at Flip says “we had hoped for a Gold award for some of our stronger entries, but we are honored to have had so much of our work awarded. We’re very impressed by the quality of the judges and of the other awarded entires, and are pleased to see that Interactive work is being given the attention and respect it deserves in such a prestigious festival. We have some great work in the pipeline for 2008, and we look forward to an even stronger showing in future editions of the Lynx. ”

About Flip Media
Flip Media was founded in 2002 and has offices in Dubai, Bahrain, England, India, Germany and South Africa. A wholly owned subsidiary of Flip Holding Ltd. Flip Media is the largest, independent, interactive media consultancy in the Middle East, providing award winning creative work to regional and international accounts. Flip Media also develops unique interactive media products and technologies, such as streaming broadband services, 3rd party verified and online media tracking services for advertising and media agencies in conjunction with technology partners and affiliates. Flip Media Investments Ltd. is a privately owned company registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI)

About Dubai Lynx
Presented by Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival together with their regional partners, Motivate Publishing, the Dubai International Advertising Festival is held with the support of Dubai Media City (DMC) and in association with the UAE Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA). The 1st Dubai International Advertising Festival will bring to the Middle East and North Africa a series of high profile seminars, workshops, exhibitions and screenings aimed at giving creative inspiration, learning and networking opportunities to the advertising and allied industries in the region. The 2nd Dubai Lynx awards, which are part of the Festival, will honour creative excellence in TV/Cinema, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Direct Marketing, Media and Interactive advertising. High-profile international jurors will award the coveted Dubai Lynx trophy to establish the definitive standard for creative excellence in the MENA region.

Yousef Tuqan Saab’s Ultra Marathon Adventure

Last summer, I learned about the Two Oceans Ultra marathon, a 56-km race around Cape Town that touches both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Touted as the “most beautiful race in the world”, it’s a challenging run that takes you over two mountain peaks before finally ending on the grassy fields of the University of Cape Town.

I made a note to myself to sign up when registrations opened on October 31, and I was one of the first people to sign up. Right, that’s the easy part out the way - now, I need to get “match fit.” After running a very tough New York Marathon in November with no training two weeks after my grandmother’s death, I had really suffered through the race, and I vowed not to repeat the experience in Cape Town.

From December to March, I took on a grueling 12-week schedule that required upwards of 50km of running every week, which is no mean feat when trying to balance the demands of my job at Flip, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social and family life. My mantra - first the run, then the fun - served me well as I managed long nights of running on the weekends before heading out with my friends for the usual abuse.

While on one of my early training runs, I decided to try and raise some money for charity to help me get my inspiration on those days when I just couldn’t face putting on my shoes and pounding the pavement for two hours. I set up a webpage - www.justgiving.com/yousef - and pledged the money to SOS Children’s Villages in Botswana, which provides family homes and vocational training to over 300 children in their villages in Tlokweng and Francistown. A third village is currently underway in Serowe, which will provide a home for 120 orphaned and abandoned children.

Fast forward to March 21, the night before the race. Suddenly, the reality of the challenge dawns on me - I need to run the best race of my life for 6 and 1/2 hours in order to stay ahead of the cutoff points and finish the race. Thoughts of self-doubt swirled through my mind all night. “What if I cramp up and can’t finish? How will I face all my friends and family if I don’t make it?” A few phone calls to my girlfriend and my family helped ease my worries, but I was so scared. Early to bed, for a 4:00 start.

On the way to the race, my taxi driver says to me “I don’t understand you runners. What’s wrong with a beer and television to enjoy yourself.” It’s 4:45 am, the wind is blowing a gale outside my car, and I’m starting to think the same thing.

0 km: We’re at the start, and 15,000 other runners have assembled for the race. Runner are identified by colors (white for normal runners, blue for veterans who’ve done Two Oceans more than ten times, and orange for international runners). The sight of men and women as old as my parents with blue numbers is reassuring. Surely if they can do this, so can I?

5 km: We’re now well into the race, and I’ve been running a solid 6:00/km pace, my usual training speed. I’m feeling strong, and my dreaded right calf muscle hasn’t uttered a peep of protest yet.
17 km: We’ve turned into St. James Bay, and the boring part of the run is over. It’s all coastal roads and forest from here on out. Still hitting my 6-minute pace.
25 km: I’ve passed the first of the cutoff points, with 20 minutes to spare. Feeling strong, and thinking I just might get through this.

28 KM: I’m halfway there. I’m getting out of my comfort zone now, and we’ve begun the first uphill climb, a 6km gradual run up Chapman’s Peak. Many of the runners have started to walk now, but I put my head down and keep running up that hill. Along the way, I spot a blind runner and his guide in front of me. It was so humbling to see someone with a disability to bravely conquering such a challenge. Respect.
30km: we’ve coming around the bend, and the beautiful sights of Nordhoek Beach blow me away, not to mention the gale force winds pounding us on the mountain. This really is heaven.
34km: I’ve reached the next cutoff point, and the top of Chapman’s Peak. Despite the mad wind blowing, I know that the worst is now behind me, and it’s time to cruise. Time to take it up a notch and make up some lost time on downhill to Hout Bay
38km: Another cutoff point passed, and I’m feeling. I’ve hardly stopped running, and I’m feeling so good. Coming down into Hout Bay, the streets are bursting with well-wishers and spectators - kids cheering for their dads and eager friends who dragged themselves off their couches.
42.2km: I’ve now run a marathon in 4:29. Only five minutes off my personal best, and 40 minutes faster than my New York time last November. I’m on fire, but getting tired. Only one more cutoff point left to beat at the top of Constantia Nek, and I’ve got an hour to get there. I’m well ahead of the curve.
46km: I’ve reached the top of Constantia Nek, 30 minutes ahead of the cutoff, and it’s downhill all the way from here. My victory lap has officially begun. We now begin a long descent through the Tokai Forest down to Newlands.
54km: The finish line is just around the corner, and I know I’m almost there. I’m running along Isaac, a true Two Oceans veteran in his 50s, who’s running his 20th Two Oceans. According to him, he used to run Two Oceans in 3:40 when he was my age.
56km: At last, I’m here. When my feet touch the grass of the UCT stadium, it’s like a dream come true. I had visualized the grass of the finish line so many times in my mind that I can’t believe I’ve made it. The crowds are cheering, and I’m literally jumping and down with pleasure.

I’ve made it in 6:22:59. Thank you to everyone for your wishes, your support, and the $2,000 in charity money that I raised. On to the next challenge - the Stockholm Marathon in May!

Source - Flip Blog

Flip Media Dubai moved to new office

Finally after so much trouble and issues with Internet we moved to new office location in Dubai Media City. The whole flip team is under on big roof. The office looks really sexy @ night.