From “Better Call Saul” to “Better life” (Bolji zivot), from media to artificial intelligence, from Miach to Fedde le Grand on the Weekend.17
How the news format is changing and what awaits us in the near future, is production life better in the region, where do journalists make mistakes, mind reading and much more awaits us at this year’s Weekend.17. A year before Weekend.17 came of age, it decided to treat its loyal audience with as many as 4 festivals in one – Weekend Media Festival, HR.Weekend, AI Weekend and Finance Weekend. At the 17th edition of the largest regional festival, more than 200 panelists will reveal all the secrets of media, HR, AI, communications, marketing and on 9 stages, under the auspices of Adris Grupa.
All the fans of the Better Call Saul series will be in for a treat, because Thomas Golubić will be coming to the Weekend stage, our guest who conquered the film industry with his exquisite musical taste, he chose the music for numerous series and films, and he will reveal to us how music contributes to storytelling on the big screen. Speaking of series, for all those who grew up on the cult series “Bolji život”, and for all the younger ones who heard about this phenomenon, the famous actor, director and producer Dragan Bjelogrlić will explain the growing interest of foreign streaming platforms in our films and how this is reflected in the regional film and TV industry. Those who prefer the good old smell of paper to the film industry will get their money’s worth at the lecture by Thomas Erikson, psychologist and author of the bestseller “Okruženi idiotima“, who will clarify doubts about communication and help you communicate better in both business and private environments with advice. This year’s Weekend is about happiness and mindfulness, so Erikson will be joined by fellow psychologists, who also professionally know how to find happiness and peace in the 21st century, Michael Dahlen and Ali Fenwick.
Sabina Tandara Knezović from Nova TV, Srećko Matić from Deutsche Welle and Tomislav Klauški from 24 hours will reveal firsthand that journalists are not without flaws and that they also make mistakes on the panel “Where journalists make mistakes“. And that some journalists, to overcome the dreary everyday life, prefer to turn to satire as a form, Zoran Kesić, the author of the show 24 minutes, will reveal on the panel “Ten years in 24 minutes” where he gets his inspiration for ten years of making jokes about very serious social issues.
What is the border between the development of technology and ethics, privacy protection and myths about thought control will be revealed by Dr. Tarek Samad, known as “Dr. Brain”. dr. Samad will explain what BCI technology is, which enables the processing of brain signals to control devices solely through thought. Dora Strezova Nikolova, director of Coca-Cola HBC Adria, will also take to the Weekend stage, who will reveal how breaking down the barriers between marketers and sales, two often incompatible camps, can unlock the full potential of successful business.
First time AI Weekend
After last year’s warm-up with topics about artificial intelligence, AI Weekend is being held for the first time this year, which will bring together experts from Google, Meta, OpenAI, TikTok and other technological giants.
This is how Evanna Hu, a cyber security expert and CEO of Omelas, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze digital influence, arrives in Rovinj. In his lecture, he will talk about how companies and governments face new challenges in the field of cyber security, given that AI tools have now become available to almost everyone. Damir Sabol, co-founder and former CEO of Photomath, who currently works as a director and software engineer at Google, will share his rich experience with the Rovinj audience. Rodger Werkhoven, one of the world’s leading experts in the field of artificial intelligence and independent creative director at OpenAI, Mark Van Ryswyk, former product director at Tinder, and Łukasz Gabler, manager of public policy and government relations for the Middle and Eastern Europe in TikTok.
HR.Weekend is coming back
The second time at the Weekend, we will have the opportunity to listen to international and domestic experts in the field of human resources, with whom we will peek into the secrets of good business and good interpersonal relations. This is how the celebrated clinical psychologist from Harvard Marc Schulz, co-author of the book “The Good Life”, based on the largest scientific research on happiness, arrives.
Ivica Vrančić, a renowned expert in leadership, teamwork and people management, is coming to Rovinj to discover the secrets of a successful way of leading people, for which emotional intelligence is undoubtedly important. Milena Dolenc, vice president for human resources at the gaming company Outfit7, will say something more about corporate identity, while Ndidi Massay, vice president of CBS Sports, will talk about a fairer and more inclusive work environment.
Rulers of the regional CFO scene at Finance Weekend
At this year’s Weekend.17, no one will be deprived, not even those who do not need a calculator to calculate percentages. Finance Weekend, in cooperation with the company Farseer, will be held on September 21 as part of the Weekend, and you will be able to hear first-hand the experiences of leading CFOs of regional companies. What is the future of finance, what does digital transformation bring, how globalization redefines business and other key questions await you in Rovinj, and they will be answered by experts such as Matija Kovačević, Chief Financial Officer of HT; Ivana Krajinović, partner in the Audit Department and head of the financial-accounting consulting and sustainability reporting department at EY; Zoran Stanković, Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Grupa; Nataša Vuca, director of the planning and controlling department at Max Bet, and Boris Vujčić, governor of the Croatian National Bank.
Sugar always comes last
After networking and useful lectures, mingling and long evenings filled with top music and unforgettable experiences await you. This year, at the “Out of home party”, the audience will be set on fire by Miach, who is rapidly climbing the ratings. In addition, the celebration will be even bigger because CineStar Channels is celebrating its 15th birthday and is bringing the globally popular DJ Fedde Le Grand, who will shake the foundations of the old Rovinj Tobacco Factory with his performance.
The Weekend Media Festival always follows current trends and key questions, providing space to find answers and solutions. The program is available here, and you can follow all the news through our profiles on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Press release by Weekend Media Festival