Kristal Elma Festival
Four festivals and more than 40,000 participants between 2013 and 2016. Lift was the festival's organisation partner.
Kristal Elma is the competition and festival of the Advertising Association of Türkiye, bringing together everyone in advertising, media, marketing and communication. In 2013, its 25th year, it became Türkiye's first creativity festival; we organised the four festivals from 2013 to 2016.
2013, the 25th festival: 25-28 September at santralistanbul, with Turkcell as main sponsor. 120 speakers, 43 keynotes, 12 panels, 3 workshops and, on a final day for young people, 14 Future 25 seminars. Around 5,000 professionals attended the first three days and more than 600 students and young creatives joined Future 25. Every work that had ever won a Kristal Elma was shown in the 25th Year Exhibition; the two award nights closed with concerts by Grandpianoramax feat. Burhan Öcal and Kenan Doğulu.
2014, the 26th festival: 17-19 September at santralistanbul, with Volkswagen as main sponsor. 8,505 participants, 83 sessions, two award ceremonies and two parties. 14,100 tweets and 12,689 photos were shared with #KristalElma, and the world's first Instagram-powered vending machine was set up on site. Gripin, Teoman and Cem Yılmaz played the closing night at Black Box to more than 3,000 people.
2015, the 27th festival: 14-16 October across 130,000 square metres of Uniq Istanbul. The theme was "Fame": more than 11,000 participants, 158 speakers including 46 from abroad, 17 of them C-level, and 79 sessions. The world's first interactive award was presented: the digital grand prix changed colour in proportion to the social media shares after its announcement. A Future portfolio day for young people ran for the first time.
2016, the 28th festival: 5-7 October in five halls at Uniq Istanbul and Volkswagen Arena. Nearly 15,000 participants, 173 speakers, 94 sessions and 150 awards in 11 categories over two days. The festival's guest of honour, Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar, joined journalist Nebil Özgentürk's session by video link from the Turkish House in the United States and received a standing ovation; his words on giving up the Nobel for peace in his country led the festival and the press.
Across the four festivals, attendance grew from 7,468 to 15,000, speakers from 120 to 173 and partners from 123 to 187.
