2025 IMMAA Conference

IMMAA Communication
October 2, 2025
Newsletter
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Managing Innovation and Creativity for Sustainability in Media Companies

Scholars, Professionals, and Industry Leaders will convene at the American University in Cairo from October 17-19.

Dr. Rasha Allam, Chair of the 2025 Conference Organizing Committee and Associate Professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC)

Welcome to Cairo: Conference Overview

The 19th IMMAA Conference, hosted by The American University in Cairo (AUC), takes place October 17-19, 2025, with participants and experts from around the world. We look forward to a dynamic conference program featuring topical plenary sessions, research and paper presentations in parallel discussions, and a hands-on workshop about how to succeed in academic publishing today. The conference experience is heightened by a fantastic cultural program with guided visits to iconic sites—including the Pyramids of Giza and a Nile cruise—ensuring participants benefit from local immersion as well as intellectual excellence.

Program Highlights and Keynote Speakers

Keynote speakers feature Charlie Beckett from the London School of Economics, Edson C Tandoc Jr. from the National Technical University in Singapore, Noha Mellor from the University of Sharjah in the UAE, Eli Noam from Columbia University, and Ahmed El Gody from Orebro University in Sweden. This group of esteemed experts will offer fresh perspectives and generate insights on digital innovation, creative management, and media sustainability – the focal interests of this year’s IMMAA conference. Professional participation includes journalists from Almasry Alyoum News Organization, United Media Services, MBC Masr, and AlGhad Network in a plenary session exploring fast-evolving challenges and opportunities facing Arab media organizations. In addition, a plenary has been organized that features top executives from Cisco Systems, Microsoft Egypt, IBM Consulting, the UNESCO Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan, as well as the Liaison Office for the League of Arab States. Together, these experts will examine the impacts and possibilities of emerging technologies on media management and security. The program continues with a special session showcasing a number of leading regional social media platforms, such as MO4 Network, Peace Cake, and Blinx/UAE-based media innovators, addressing transformative approaches to content creation, curation, and digital innovation in the social media era. For the full program, visit the IMMAA Conference’s website at https://immaaegypt.com/.

AUC welcomes IMMAA to Egypt

From Dr. Rasha Allam, Chair of the 2025 Conference Organizing Committee: “This conference offers a unique platform where cutting-edge research meets industry expertise. By bringing together scholars, practitioners, and students, IMMAA 2025 at AUC will spark collaboration, dialogue, and innovation at a time when technological advances are unfolding at an unprecedented pace, requiring media companies to adapt to sustain their growth and relevance.”

Dr. Rasha sees the IMMAA 2025 conference as a special opportunity marking the first time the community has been hosted in Egypt—a country that has long been a regional leader in the media industry. “Egypt warmly welcomes participants from all over the world to join this milestone event, which will open new opportunities for dialogue, allow us to share common concerns, and work together to identify challenges and explore new opportunities, whether among professionals or within the academic community.”

Conference Agenda: Sessions and Networking Opportunities

The IMMAA Conference 2025 in Cairo opens on Friday, October 17, with a Publishing Guidelines Workshop led by Professor Leona Achtenhagen of the Media Management and Transformation Center (MMTC) at the Jönköping International Business School in Sweden. The workshop will be immediately followed by a guided tour of the AUC campus. The welcoming reception will be hosted in the evening for participants to connect and engage with colleagues and friends.

The Saturday agenda starts with registration and welcoming remarks from conference and association leaders, including AUC President Ahmed Dallal, IMMAA President Gregory Ferrell Lowe, the Head of Egypt’s National Media Authority, Ahmed El Moslemany, and Dr. Rasha Allam. Major sessions include “Leading Innovation for a Sustainable Media Ecosystem,” with Profs Charlie Beckett, Edson C Tandoc Jr., Noha Mellor, and Ahmed El Gody. After lunch, a plenary will convene to discuss “Industry Voices of Arab Media: From Challenges to Opportunities” featuring leading Arab media professionals. The rest of the day will be devoted to parallel sessions focused on scholarly exchange.

Sunday offers sessions on technology frontiers in AI, security, and content management in the social media age, as well as additional parallel sessions. In a special session, Prof Eli Noam from the Columbia University Business School will present on evolving trends and challenges in developments he characterizes as media convergence 2.0. The day will end with the annual Gala event.

Get Ready for IMMAA 2025

Prepare to engage, collaborate, and discover new perspectives on innovation and sustainability in media management at IMMAA 2025 in Cairo! For more information and to view the full conference program and cultural activities, visit the official website: immaaegypt.com.