“We’ve learnt about one thing that doesn’t change in the world of communications and how to become a leader in this area at The Young Leaders of Tomorrow conference” – by Olgica Kravljača:

The river Una… A common term in crosswords. Three letters horizontally. Una. The only one. Alone… A famous description from Kapor’s novel of the same name depicts everything that is unique, original, and that definitely applies to the river Una as well. Its course in the vicinity of the town of Bihać, at the Japodian Islands, represents an exceptional natural beauty and was also the location of the three-day conference titled The Young Leaders of Tommorow.

Around 70 young leaders of the communications industry from the region met with lecturers, leaders in their respective professions, including Ekrem Dupanović, a publisher, editor-in-chief of the web portal Media Marketing and the conference host, who shared his 50-year long experience with guests. In his introductory lecture titled “Never Give Up”, he listed inevitable differences in the job before and now, as well as similarities, which are a prerequisite for success.

That there are never “other times”, meaning that everything was easier in the past, is confirmed by Dupanović’s plan to promote youth magazine “Spektar“ a long time ago. The idea, effective even upon today’s standards, was created in an instant – take a photo of Richard Burton while filming “Sutjeska“ at Tjentište and holding the magazine with an ad for bank Jugobanka, which would finance the project. The “only” thing left was to execute the idea – get to Barton, who had not given an interview for any magazine or posed for any photo before that.

Certain of success, Dupanović spends three days on a tree, watching the Hollywood legend on the set and concluding that the only way to reach him is during lunch. How? He’ll jump from that same tree right in front of Burton. That said and done, the project was fully executed.

The host used an example of a contest for the official marketing agency of the former Yugoslav PM Ante Marković to illustrate the fact that there have always been projects that only a few can land. One of the most lucrative contracts at the time was not won by the agency which was the unrivalled favourite, but by the one which did everything with all available channels of communications – contacts, persistence, shrewdness and, naturally, a high-quality bid.

Ekrem Dupanović’s “Never Give Up” lecture announced everything that was later covered by Sašo Dimitrievski, Lazar Džamić, Kristijan Gregorić, Krešimir Macan, Domen Mavrič, Teodora Migdalovici, Amir and Ajla Mulalić, Elma Pašić, Martina Ukić, Ana Tavić, Miroslav Varga and Dijana Vetturelli. The best in this area talked about the latest trends and the future of the communications industry.

And what does it take to become a leader? The conference host listed several must-have ingredients of success, which provide results only if combined together in the right proportion.   If any factor is missing, it should be obtained urgently, and if the first attempt fails – never give up.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A LEADER – according to Ekrem Dupanović
* You have to be talented
* You have to love your job, which is the best in the world, but it’s not done from 9 till 5.
* Be brave. Be like children when presenting ideas to a client – persistent until you get what you want. You may have 50 ideas, but you stand in front of the client with only one of them, which you defend until you drop
* You have to be prepared to learn constantly
* Be prepared for change, as only change is constant
* Be prepared for sacrifice. It is becoming hot again to work in the world of communications, but you need to know that it requires hard labour
* Establish yourself as a winner, as people like working with them
* Inspiration is what’s important, only techniques of getting inspired differ. Digital is only one communication channel, people are those who create ideas
* You have to be curious and have an attitude that you will demonstrate to a client
* Never Give Up – it’s the slogan that Mohamed Salah wore on a T-shirt at the match between Liverpool and Barcelona. Due to an injury, he cheered for his teammates from the stands, although no one believed they could win. They did not give up and they eliminated Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final.
* Do not let anyone convince you that something is not possible
* You have to have an initiative – all steps of your destiny have to be in your hands
* Help others. There is no solution in the communications industry that cannot be found. According to Dupanović, he once helped a little girl named Monika Seleš, and everything after that was the realisation of her dream
* Create new methods of work, be your own client. Establish yourself as a brand, because the agency that does not have its brand does not deserve to have a client. A client should be honoured to work with you