IAA Pionneers during the early sixties
The Lebanon Chapter of the IAA was founded in 1961 by Mounir Takchi, who at the time was director of Advision. The founding committee, immediately started recruiting new members and organized a number of functions to promote the industry. The chapter was thus the first in the Arab World.
Fuad Pharaon was later elected vice-president Middle East and was succeeded by Jean Rizk. Samir Fares was in later years elected vice-president for the Middle East and Africa.
Since 1975, the Lebanon Chapter has strugled for survival because many of its members left the country due to the war. Most established themselves abroad.
In 1977, Takchi reassembled the majority of the members and a new board was elected headed by Erwin Guerrovich. Another board was elected in 1980 and was chaired by Camille Menassa. In 1984, Mustapha Assad became the president of a newly-elected committee and was succeeded by Jean-Claude Boulos in 1986. Walid Azzi took over in 1988 and in 1991, Boulos assumed the post for the second time.
The past 16 years witnessed various activities which included.
The first media survey on a Pan-Arab level sponsored by the Lebanon Chapter, covered Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon.
The chapter participated in all world congresses of the IAA since 1978.
- Copenhagen, 1978 - 30 members
- Durban, 1980 - 20 members
- Rio de Janeiro, 1982 - 23 members
- Tokyo, 1984 - 35 members, during which the chapter hosted a gala dinner and a message of goodwill from H.E. the President of Lebanon was read.
- Chicago, 1986 - 38 members (the biggest delegation per capita). The chapter sponsored the Ella Fitzgerald closing night performance.
- Sydney, 1988 - 18 members. In Sydney the chapter was awarded the highest honour in the industry, the Golden Tulip for being "Most Active Chapter". Samir Fares was elected during the congress senior vice-president/world president-elect.
- Hamburg, 1990 - 20 members. Mustapha Assad was elected senior vice-president/world president-elect.
Participation in the Advista conference in Cairo and later in the International Beijing Conference.
Creation of the 25 th anniversary advertising stamp.
Creation of the "Mouhir Takchi" award for academic achievement in advertising.
A chapter for associate members was founded and grouped 70 members.
In Beirut, 1988, the chapter pioneered an extensive audio-visual anti-drug, anti-AIDS campaign in collaboration with the CRS. And in the same year the chapter sponsored the first communication exhibition in the Arab World.
In 1991, membership of the Lebanon Chapter is expected to top the 100 mark. In September of the same year, the chapter organized an international forum on "Gateways to Reconstruction" in Lebanon.
(GATEWAYS to Reconstruction)
