Doha, Qatar, November 5, 2016:  Northwestern University in Qatar is hosting its biannual Qatar Media Industries Forum (QMIF), which brings together top representatives in publishing, electronic media, digital media, public relations, and advertising in a discussion to assess the present and future of Qatar's media landscape.

The forum, “Going Regional: Taking a Media Company Beyond Borders,” will be held on November 8th at the W Hotel in Doha. 

NU-Q Dean and CEO Everette E. Dennis will host the event and NU-Q Associate Professor Ilhem Allagui will moderate. Participating in the panel discussion will be Fares Akkad, head of distribution and digital business development at MBC Group; Redha Al-Haidar, board member at Tihama Holdings; and Raza Rizvi, head of TMT at Simmons and Simmons, Middle East LLP.  

“QMIF is the first ever effort in Qatar to bring together leaders from different media industries and platforms—in the same room at the same time–to consider and solve common challenges. Since it was inaugurated in 2012, with the support of local industry, it has taken up topics ranging from media audiences and social media to building Brand Qatar. It is a unique venue that brings together media executives and senior staff with professionals from adverting, public relations, and marketing research along with faculty members and students from Northwestern,” said Dennis. 

The session on November 8 will address challenges media companies face when expanding beyond national borders. Panelists will explore what legal, operational, and marketing obstacles media companies should overcome before entering a new market, and will discuss examples of how media companies have solved these issues and achieved success in new markets. They will also share their thoughts on opportunities that regional policy-makers might take advantage of to encourage and enhance the regional expansion of media enterprises.

NU-Q established the QMIF in 2012 as part of a wider effort to provide thought leadership, educate future media and communications leaders in Qatar and the Middle East, and produce ground-breaking research on industry trends and media consumption in the region.