Branding agency Switch is to host the annual regional conference of ICOM, the global advertising and marketing communications agencies network, at Le Meridien Resort and Spa, St Julians, tomorrow and Saturday.

The autumn meeting rotates around members' cities every year and will bring together senior management of members based in over 25 cities including Prague, Warsaw, Milan, Madrid, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Brussels, Istanbul, Helsinki, Munich, Chicago, Amsterdam, London, Paris, and Dublin. It is the first time the meeting is being held in Malta.

Conference attendees will tomorrow be able to listen to high-profile speakers including Rob High of Robb High Associates, New York; Jeannette Liendo of Microsoft (Paris), Karen Seaman from Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago; and Jorg Borgwardt from Vale International.

They will focus on issues such as the marketing opportunities of social media, digital capabilities, and techniques for marketing in a recession, besides a showcase on the US launch of the Porsche Panamera.

Mr High will lead a New Business Workshop on Saturday morning which will be followed by an open discussion on Dealing with the Downturn.

ICOM is a network of more than 70 advertising and marketing communications agencies in over 50 countries. Each agency is independently owned and operated. The network has a growing list of clients shared across regions, including Academia Europea language institutes, AirTran Airways, insurance group Brooke Capital Corp, the European Commission, Hilton, oil giant Petrobras.

For more information, one may contact Kate Demanuele on 2131 6770 or at kate@switch.com.mt.