ADFEST has unveiled its first speakers of 2019 starting with the ferociously clever Elav Horwitz, who leads innovation for McCann Worldgroup as the agency’s VP, Global Innovation Director based in New York.

“In a world in which tomorrow is already here today, where VR glasses can take you anywhere and robots can generate ideas, how do you even start the creative process in a way that is grounded in real human needs and contact?” asks Horwitz.

In a not-to-be-missed session at ADFEST 2019, she’ll explore whether traditional approaches to creativity are still relevant.

Coming up with the right idea is only one half of the challenge. “Once we have the right idea, how do we execute in ways that keep consumer interaction real and not just dazzled by the bells and whistles of technology?”

Horwitz’s talk will answer these questions and get people thinking more broadly about the future of creativity. She’ll share examples of innovative and creative work, decoding the process behind them.

As an expert in using design thinking to tackle client challenges, Horwitz leads McCann Worldgroup’s HumanTech offering and has deep partnerships with a vast network of startups, tech companies, industry experts and teen entrepreneurs. She connects these innovators with McCann’s clients to rapidly ideate and prototype cutting edge solutions. One project – a prototype that transforms the United States Postal Service mailboxes into fully functioning post offices using voice recognition and artificial intelligence – recently won a Silver Lion in Innovation at Cannes.

Her experience in technology stems from her programming experience in the Israeli army and her tight connection with tech companies in Tel Aviv, where she spent over 10 years at McCann’s Tel Aviv office.

Horwitz has been awarded at ‘She Runs It’, an industry organisation dedicated to supporting and fostering women leaders at every level in marketing and media. She recently launched the global ‘Women in Tech’ initiative, which helps to mentor the careers of emerging women leaders in technology within McCann Worldgroup.

* ‘The Chicken, the Egg, or in today’s tech world, does the Omelette come first?’ takes place on Friday 22 March 2019 at 16.50-17.25 as part of the Creative@ADFEST stream. Book your tickets to ADFEST 2019 via www.ADFEST.com