After a rocky last year, Dubai Lynx is back and has attracted 1,364 entries in various segments, claimed organisers of the event.

This is a more than 35 per cent drop in the number of entries from last year.

Dubai Lynx is the finale of the Dubai International Advertising Festival.

Last year, Dubai Lynx had attracted 2,079 entries from 165 companies representing 18 countries of the region.

This was a decent increase of about three per cent over the previous year.

However, this year's number of entries remains way below the first year entries of 1,682 in 2007.

Keeping all these in view, the third Dubai International Advertising Festival has adopted a new format this year and starts today at The Palladium in Dubai Media City.

It will conclude on March 17 with the announcement of Dubai Lynx winners.

Last year's scandal of 'fake' entries from creative agency FP7 Doha saw an immediate and decisive action from jury and organisers, and since then they have introduced many new measures to avoid any such 'fraud'.

The agency was also stripped of its 'Agency of the Year' award after it emerged that clients, contravening the organiser's rules, had not approved several submissions.

Organisers are optimistic about the entries from 16 countries that have been submitted to this year's Dubai International Advertising Festival, "the largest awards show celebrating creative excellence in Mena's advertising and communications industry", said the official communiqué from the organisers.

The festival is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 delegates this year.

Entries have been submitted in 10 categories: TV/cinema (159 entries), print (300), outdoor (233), direct and sales promotion (94), media (230), radio (50), interactive (83), integrated (39), new TV/cinema craft (35) and print craft (141) categories.

The entries will be judged by top international industry experts who will convene in Dubai at the weekend.

The UAE tops the list with 847 entries, followed by Lebanon with 142 entries, Egypt 124, Saudi Arabia 66 and Kuwait 57.

"Honouring the best work and providing inspiration and motivation is paramount to agencies and their clients, especially during the economic downturn. Despite an inevitable drop in the overall number of entries, we are delighted to see growth in the media category, a good start to the new craft categories as well as a record number of attendees at the festival," said Philip Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Cannes Lions, organisers of the event.

"Dubai Lynx continues to be the largest awards in the region, the most sought after trophy to win and the premier industry event to attend," he said.

After opening, the festival today there will be a special welcome event from 4pm to 6pm.

The festival seminar programme kicks off tomorrow and over two days attendees can benefit from a learning programme of 16 seminars and four workshops presented by international and local experts addressing current and topical industry issues.

Chuck Porter, Chairman of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, and Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman and Regional ECD, Asia-Pacific, McCann Erickson India, are the first speakers to be confirmed, with more names to be announced soon. The winners will be announced and honoured during the Dubai Lynx awards ceremony on Wednesday, which is expected to be attended by 1,300 industry peers.

Speaking of the impact of the current global downturn on the media industry, Terry Savage, Chairman of Cannes Lions, who, with Motivate Publishing, are joint organisers of the festival, stated earlier: "The global recession has heavily affected the region, but keeping abreast of the industry's changes and challenges as well as the recognition of good work is now more crucial than ever."

Other awards to be announced during the ceremony are: Agency of the Year, Media Agency of the Year and the New Network of the Year.

Saudi Telecom Company will be honoured with the 2010 Advertiser of the Year and Ramzi Raad, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TBWA\Raad Middle East, will be presented with the prestigious 2010 Dubai Lynx Advertising Person of the Year Award.