Last year the Dubai winner Michael Mmoh, won the grand finals in London. Dubai has now begun its attempt to repeat the success in 2009.

The 2009 event took place at the Aviation club on 4th December and will then move on to the grand finals 11th December at the Grand Hyatt – Dubai. The governing body of UK tennis the Lawn Tennis Association hosted the 2008 triangular finals and will be doing so again for 2009-10.

The UK event included a clinic by Elena Dementieva during Wimbledon.
Email grandprix@willtowin.co.uk for details or drop in at the Aviation club tennis office.

This 14 and under event for juniors new to competition is unique to tennis and brings together the tennis communities of London – Dubai and New York and for 2009 Madrid
The winners of the Dubai and New York events – one boy and 1 girl from each were flown to London to participate in grand finals, and each year the London winners win a fantastic prize of a trip to the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships – and the London winners will be going again February 2010.

Steve Riley – Director of Will to Win commented:
“Tennis is a great game played all over the world, we want to develop community themed tournament to be a worldwide experience for parks and public centre players. We plan to expand to more major venues for 2009-10 and will develop tennis opportunities for a wider cross section of the population than ever before. It is a fantastic opportunity for younger players from different countries to be brought together via sport.”

Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free said:
“Will to Win is a great initiative that enables youngsters to compete in tennis tournaments and provides them with opportunities to travel. As owners and organizers of a major tournament, the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, we are happy to be involved with this project which promotes tennis at grassroots level.”

The UK winners went to Dubai in February 2009 as their prize to take part in the ball kid programme at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships 2008 and have coaching with top coaches in a tennis clinic. They also played their first tennis at the tennis centre in Mirdif against UAE players training with the national team with Tennis Emirates.

This is the fourth year of the event, held at the 5 Will to Win public centres in London plus Wimbledon and sponsored by Dubai Duty Free which attracted over 200 participants. The two winners of the 2007 event ‘Ben Cronin’ and ‘Freya Christie’ are pictured below, and were impressed with the development of Dubai tennis and are looking forward to competing again.

The experience has given them an insight as to the requirements of an athlete to get to the top, and develop life skills, confidence and learn about another country and its culture.

The tournament, with the first prize of the trip to Dubai (UK winners) and a trip to London (Dubai, Madrid and New York winner’s) is aimed at youngsters who play at schools, parks and public centres. It provides an opportunity for young people from all backgrounds to participate in an exciting tennis event.

The Lawn Tennis Association in London is fully supportive of the tournament that provides competitive opportunities for community tennis players, the use of community and park sites, which is vital for the growth of tennis and competition for juniors.

At the Barclays Dubai Tennis championships in Dubai, over 150 kids are trained annually- pictured above taking part in the kid’s day- where over 1000 local school children can experience tennis.

The WTW / DDF Grand Prix prize of a trip to Dubai is part of a long term programme where the kids will attend a tennis camp for a week and join in with 150 other local ball kids participate at the ATP or WTA Dubai tournaments.

Email grandprix@willtowin.co.uk for more information on the venues, dates and how to enter for 2009 or call +447957110403.

Will to Win Tennis continues to strive to break down the perceived barriers to tennis participation for all juniors and continues to play a key role in providing ‘tennis opportunities for all’ in all the venues. Prince Sports, the LTA are all supporting the event.

The event is sanctioned by Tennis Emirates- all players requiring membership to participate.

The new entity builds on both agencies’ already strong reputation in Kuwait and through the affiliation enhances the new agency’s ability to serve its rapidly expanding client interests in this key GCC market.

May Al-Babtain, Chief Executive Officer of BCOMAD commented: “The affiliation with TBWA\RAAD is a significant milestone in the history of BCOMAD Kuwait. TBWA is widely recognized by industry observers as the best networked agency on the global advertising scene and I am very confident this induction into the global TBWA\ family will deliver immediate benefits for both our existing clients and for our employees”.

TBWA\ is one of the fastest-growing global advertising networks, and was named by both Advertising Age and ADWEEK as Global Agency Network of the Year in 2008 and the most-awarded Agency Network by Creativity magazine in 2007. TBWA\ has 267 offices in 77 countries, and approximately 12,000 employees worldwide. It creates Disruptive ideas for global clients, including adidas, Apple, Beiersdorf, Henkel, Infiniti, Mars, McDonald’s, Michelin, and Nissan, amongst others.

“This enhancement to TBWA\RAAD’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) network is part of a holistic business approach to further build on the 10 years of dedicated service TBWA\RAAD has consistently delivered to its clients.” said Ramzi Raad, Chairman & CEO of TBWA\RAAD Middle East.

“Our focus is to further develop our regional strengths to reflect the growing economy in Kuwait and to provide our clients with appropriate resources, insights and expertise in all facets of the marketing mix” he continued. “TBWA\RAAD has had a consistent presence in Kuwait since 2001 and this affiliation with BCOMAD will definitely improve our servicing capabilities” he concluded.

TBWA\RAAD\BCOMAD will be managed by May Al-Babtain and Lama Al-Babtain, Chief Executive and Creative Director of the new agency respectively.

The formation of TBWA\RAAD\BCOMAD will introduce a variety of resources to the clients of both agencies, combining the global excellence of TBWA\ with BCOMAD’s in-depth expertise and knowledge of the Kuwaiti market.

ENDS

The conference’s agenda saw managers’ review 2nd quarter performances and adopt a new communication strategy that will become company policy. The 5-year strategic plan sets out 5 essential goals for the company’s growth that includes becoming the number one creative agency in the region; turning the agency into the leading choice for digital, PR, and Action; attracting top talents; expanding to other countries in the MENA region, and doubling Memac Ogilvy’s revenue in 5 years.

“Since the beginning of the year, our main focus has gone towards turning the recession into a series of opportunities across various disciplines that include digital, PR and Action,” says Moutran, “Whilst the downturn is in fortune for companies across the region; the economic turmoil has not stopped us from investing in the company’s growth.”

“We recently sent select employees across the region on a training program educating them on how clients could benefit from digital solutions as a means to optimize dollar value during such trialing times,” added Moutran. Memac Ogilvy’s focus on digital has already seen them sweep up at the recent digital awards in Dubai.

“The global recession has brought about a major need for change and I am one of those business people who believe that it will prove to be a very positive transition on the long-run,” affirmed Moutran.

The conference concluded by showing support for these initiatives and commitment to providing Memac Ogilvy’s clients with a 360 degree communication solution.

Memac is also actively seeking top creative talent and looking to unearth new talent to further its reputation as a leader in the region. It recently held Portfolio Night 7 in Beirut, Dubai, and Tunis and gave undergraduates the chance to show their portfolios to top creative directors in the region.

The move comes as part of Discovery Networks’ plans to enhance overall awareness and exposure in the region, as the world’s leading factual entertainment provider. Rawaj International is set to support Discovery Networks in its drive to “Educate, Entertain & Inspire” while working to strategise and execute public relations programmes to suit different audiences throughout the GCC.

Paul Welling, VP Channels Emerging Markets said

“We understand the importance that excellent public relations can have for the growth of our international networks in the region and welcome Rawaj International on board. Throughout the rigorous pitching process, Rawaj International stood out with their thorough understanding of the Discovery brand and our business, as well as having sound knowledge of the communications industry in the region. We look forward to strengthening our public relations programme as we embark on a new journey together.”

“Rawaj International is proud to have the prestigious Discovery Networks as a client. This demonstrates our strong grasp and knowledge of the entertainment and lifestyle sector. We are very excited to begin working with a diverse list of Discovery’s sub-brands, which is educational and equally entertaining. Their portfolio will provide us with a range of opportunities to communicate to the general public on their behalf,” said Lale Ansingh, Founder & Managing Director, Rawaj International.