Was the excitement off the charts after last year? (here). It was indeed.
First let us start with the inductees:
Faris Abouhamad (IAA Global Chairman and President 2013-17), Alain Brenas (Director of Graphic Arts abd Advertising and the School of Cinema at ALBA), Elie Kai (Founder of MIS), Nabil Kazan (IAA Honorary Life Member), Ramzi Raad (Founder of TBWA\RAAD), Elias Hanna Al Rahbani (Composer), Rafic Saadeh (Founder of Horizons Holdings), Fadi Kalim Salameh (President CEO of MCN Holding), Jean-Pierre Sikias (Founder of Laser Films), Alex Slim (IAA Lebanon Board Member 1995-1997), Raja Trad (Chairman & CEO Publicis Groupe MENA).
I think the organizers learned from some of the issues last year - no neighing horses in videos, no people claiming that the litmus test of the success of an inductee was working with them, and no extremely lengthy speeches from sons who did not mention their inductee father (no names you know who you all are). As a matter of fact, speeches were very short (not even cut with the Oscars orchestra!), totally on point, actually quite emotional (OK, we did not get a redux of Josyane Boulos almost losing it in crying like last year though), and trilingual (Arabic, French, and English but the audience was sophisticated enough to get all of them). One can understand the enormous work the "Council of Judges" had to do (Naji Boulos, Roni Jazzar, Dani Richa, Georges Jabbour, Joe Ayache, and Naji Irani) to cut the possible number inductees as last year there was a backlog.
Of course, last year with the late Walid Azzi and the incredible Farid Chehab being inducted the emotional factor was too high for me. Still, if I am to give one major issue with this year, it would be - believe it or not - the main dish in the menu (that duo filet de boeuf et poulet does not hold a candle to last year's whatever it was "sur pave de saumon").
And interestingly, I heard - live during the evening "oh but last year was better", and "oh but this year is way better". So in which camp do I fall?
Considering I am introverted, extremely so actually by nature (don't believe the hype or the image I project), seeing people who knew me when I was incredibly young (hello Hanna!), seeing someone I love dearly (hello Farid!), seeing connections I speak to on the net but never met (hello Krix, George and Rami!), having side meetings to talk shop (hello Ghada, Geoana, and Ali!), seeing IAA members despite them running the show (hello Joe!) and with the help of the - like last year - incredible wine, guess who had a much better time than last year?
Guilty as charged.
And on to the next year indeed. Just let us fix the main dish haha!