We had the privilege to interview Mai Salama, the founding partner of Creative Industry Summit 2023, held from September 23-25 this year. Mai Salama, an Egyptian entrepreneur, achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first Arab woman featured on Campaign UK’s prestigious ’40 Over 40′ list, renowned for recognizing impactful figures across creative industries globally. In her role as the founding partner of the Creative Industry Summit, Salama has been instrumental in establishing it as the largest platform exclusively dedicated to the creative economy in Egypt and the Middle East. Since its inception in 2014, the summit has organized 18 editions, featuring 1,800 speakers, 21 workshops, and 200,000 hours of insightful content, elevating the region’s creative industries to unprecedented heights. Let’s dive into this interview.
Q: How is the Creative Industry Summit promoting sustainability?
A: The Creative Industry Summit is continually raising the bar. This year, we embarked on a transformative journey, committing to hosting a sustainable event and involving our visitors in this initiative. Our aim was to create a 100% sustainable experience, focusing on reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic at every festival aspect, emphasizing repetition. The Festival is dedicated to fostering responsible consumption and promoting a circular economy. We collaborated with recycling market leaders to find alternatives to plastic and were actively present to collect and recycle waste, completing the recycling cycle. Our commitment extends to monitoring and auditing the Festival, setting a benchmark for ourselves and the market. We collect water bottles for recycling, minimize single-use disposable cutlery, cups, and plates by using eco-friendly alternatives, repurpose banners into school bags, replace printed flyers with digitalized QR codes and screens, and ensure giveaways are made from eco-friendly materials. Even garbage bags are collected for recycling.
Q: How does the Summit ensure business sustainability?
A: Ensuring business sustainability is a multifaceted endeavor that requires continuous effort. At the heart of it lies the concept of value. Offering genuine value is the cornerstone of a successful and enduring business.
Q: Sustainability sessions were prominent this year. Is sustainability crucial for the creative community?
A: Absolutely, raising awareness is pivotal in supporting innovation and fostering a more sustainable community. The Creative Industry Summit recognizes the significance of sustainability and integrates it into our sessions to inspire and educate, catalyzing positive change in the creative landscape.
