Drowning in Content: Embracing the Era of Abundance
Alexei Golob/Paul Copeland
In a world overflowing with content, creativity and production are in a period of unprecedented change, sparking debate over what truly matters and how we can evolve. Drowning in Content: Embracing the Era of Abundance brings together two seasoned industry voices to explore the past, present, and future of our industries. Paul Copeland and Alexei Golob, with backgrounds spanning commercial production, direction, art, and creative leadership on both the brand and agency side, will tackle some of the most pressing questions facing the industry today:
How do we navigate an era where demand for content quantity often overshadows demand for quality?
What happens when algorithms, automation, and flawed metrics redefine creative success?
Can artistic vision continue to be realized in a world dominated by shrinking budgets and timelines?
This thought-provoking conversation dives into the philosophical and practical divides that drive today’s creative landscape, exploring how businesses and creators can adapt to a world where meaning is being drowned out by noise. With sharp insights, candid experiences, and a forward-looking perspective, this session will challenge attendees to rethink their roles in shaping the future of creativity and production.
Alexei Golob
Creative Leader
The Mill
Shanghai
Alexei is a Canadian creative leader with a lifelong passion for visual storytelling and a fascination with the art of communication. From his early years exploring creative expression to studying Integrated Media at OCAD University, Alexei has built a career that bridges the worlds of agency work, large-scale production, and brand-side leadership.
After starting his career in Toronto, Alexei moved to Shanghai, where he worked with renowned production houses like RadicalMedia and Digital Domain, producing high-profile campaigns that demanded both technical precision and creative vision. Eventually, his journey brought him to Shenzhen, where he led the creative charge at OnePlus, shaping the global identity of the brand and crafting campaigns that resonated with audiences around the world, and launching over 45 products in under 5 years.
Alexei lives for the industry, for the craft, and for the communications.
Paul Copeland
Creative Director
The Mill
Shanghai
Paul Copeland: Having begun his career in London, Paul has been an award-winning creative in some legendary agencies. A former stand-up comedian, his brand of humor and outlook on life allows him to craft stories that are intrinsically human. Developing ideas that are just as likely to make us laugh or cry.
Since moving to Asia, he led global and regional accounts out of Saatchi & Saatchi in Singapore and Shanghai. He is currently creative director at The Mill Shanghai.
His creativity doesn’t stop with advertising. During the Shanghai lockdown, to cure boredom, he recreated famous paintings using just himself and whatever was in his house at the time. This work has been displayed in multiple exhibitions and even a published book.
THURSDAY 20 MARCH
FRIDAY 21 MARCH
SATURDAY 22 MARCH
PROGRAM
THURSDAY 20 MARCH
FRIDAY 21 MARCH
