To design its Website, the association has roped in TBWA Anthem Interactive, informs AAAI president Mr Ramesh Narayan. Being the apex body of the Indian advertising industry, AAAI currently has over 87 agencies on its roll and its members account for 80 per cent of the total adspend in India.

With the launch of its own Website, AAAI will disseminate information on its members and current happenings in the Indian ad industry. "The Website is primarily targeted at advertisers and marketers. Also, any one who is interested to know more about us can log on to our site. There will be regular updates on the happenings of the ad industry on our site," explains Mr Narayan.

As for the rationale behind the launch of the Website, Mr Narayan says that with the new e-initiative AAAI can reach out to more people and spread the objective and the role of the association to people across the country. "As an apex body, we have to be more accessible to people. Through our site we will inform people about our activities and goals. In the second phase, we will offer industry-related information for the use of media and others," adds Mr Narayan.

Over the last few years, AAAI has been organising creative workshops for copy writers in Mumbai. In an effort to extend this to other cities, AAAI plans to host AAAI Workshops in Bangalore this year. The workshop will be led by Mr Noorul Islam, chairman (training) AAAI. "This year Mr Mohammed Khan will participate in our workshop and interact with our students in Banglaore," says Mr Islam.

As part of its new initiatives, AAAI also plans to host a media seminar in Delhi on December 29 this year. According to Mr Narayan, the objective of the seminar is to focus attention on the proliferation of media options available in India. "It's for the first time that our association is organising a media seminar in Delhi. Besides sharing their rich experience, three leading media professionals will predict the future trends in the industry," adds Mr Narayan.

To speak on the changing media landscapes, three leading media professionals will address the public at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The speakers include Mr V Balasubramaniam, media development & strategy planning, Ogilvy & Mather, Ms Paulomi Dhawan, vice-president, The media Edge (Rediffusion & Everest) and Mr Bharat Kapadia, CEO, Chitralekha.