Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Third Middle East Social Media Festival Concludes in Beirut | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Social media apps Twitter and Facebook [Illustrative]. (REUTERS)
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Beirut – The Middle East Social Media Festival concluded its third version this year in Beirut on the 10th and 11th of May. During the festival the Lebanese capital saw one of the most important activities through lectures and workshops that highlighted the importance of social media in the world of business today.

The festival’s participants explained the role played by social media outlets through their content, which has become a dilemma for most of people using them.

Joe Ghantous, one of the festival’s organizers told Asharq Al-Awast: “These activities require expertise and knowledge. We opened wide discussions about people’s involvement in those outlets today. However, many of them do not know the best way to attract the client through an efficient and luring content”.

“Whatever was the user’s nature of work, he has have required experience in this matter, or he would fail. So, we launched this festival, and held workshops, free spaces, and interactive dialogues to highlight the secret of successful and special content, so we can stay in this big world and convoy it,” he added.

What is the real story behind this world? How can it affect the other? What is the role played by social media in the marketing process and the work of big companies? How can we protect ourselves from hacking? Those headlines and many other social media-related topics were discussed in the festival.

The event stressed the right means to use social media without making huge mistakes. It also offered graduates and businessmen the chance to learn about the modern trends in this field which witlessness quick developments.

Organized at the Beirut Arab University (BAU), the Middle East Social Media Festival lured Lebanese celebrities including media figures, politicians, and artists. It arranged lectures and round tables for the attendees so they can acquire the needed expertise to use social media.

Among the festival’s attendees were many media influencers who succeeded in attracting thousands of followers and they were honored for their achievements in the field.

Ghantous continues saying that the awards went to Lebanese figures who left a mark in this field. He added that influencing people on social media websites requires special manners in interacting with the other and selecting attractive topics.

Seven awards were distributed during the festival and went to the former minister Elias Bou Saab, and media figures Rima Njeim and Hicham Haddad. Many other awards were also dedicated for bloggers and social media influencers.

The event included cultural and educational activities that provided brief instructions on how can regular people use social media and benefit from them in finding job vacancies. It also held forums and meetings with politicians seeking to improve their performance on social media websites.

Ghantous considered that those politicians should set a strategy and an agenda for a proper start in this field. For this purpose, they held workshops dedicated for politicians to shed lights on the change that can be achieved by these means and on the common factors between politics and social media.

The festival also hosted social media influencers from other countries like Roland Abi Najm from the Kuwaiti Information ministry.