Dentsu set to host AdFest’s Young Lotus Workshop 2025: For tomorrow’s great Talent

ADFEST has announced that Dentsu will host the 2025 Young Lotus Workshop, its three-day workshop for ambitious young creative teams from the Asia Pacific and Middle East. This year it will be run under the theme, The Collision of Creativity, Creativity++. Leading the workshop are Dentsu’s Alice Chou and Hitoshi Hamaguchi.

In a world defined by constant connection and disruption, creativity stands as the ultimate catalyst for transformation. Dentsu Creative calls this Creativity++, a collision of innovation, emotion, and purpose that ignites exponential growth.

This Young Lotus workshop invites up-and-coming creative teams to step beyond traditional boundaries and craft solutions that truly matter. Leading the workshop are Alice Chou, Chair of APAC & Taiwan dentsu Creative Council and CCO of dentsu Creative & dentsuMB Taiwan, and Hitoshi Hamaguchi, President of APAC Practices and Practice President of Creative APAC.

Chou was honoured as a Leading Woman in the 2023 Ad Age, the Creative 100 by ADWEEK in 2021, and as Taiwan’s Outstanding Creative Person in 2021. Her awards history includes creating the highest award-winning record in Taiwan’s advertising history, raising Taiwan’s creative profile and bringing a unique Asian perspective to the global stage.

“Guiding the next generation of talent is both a privilege and a responsibility. At Dentsu Creative, we are dedicated to redefining modern creativity and the ADFEST Young Lotus competition is a space for innovation and collaboration. We hope to inspire young creatives to bring their boldest ideas to life and look forward to uncovering the incredible potential of the next wave of creative thinkers,” she commented.

Hamaguchi has extensive experience across all facets of agency life. He joined Dentsu in 1993 as a media planner, moved to account planning and then became managing director in creative, leading the agency’s first SWAT Integrated Creative Solution Unit and first in-house creative boutique.

“Dentsu Creative thrives on ideas that connect deeply with people and deliver meaningful impact. This workshop is a powerful reminder of the role creativity plays in addressing real world challenges, while inspiring young talent to push the boundaries beyond the imagination. I am excited to see how this fresh energy will shape the future of our industry and redefine the creative landscape,” he stated.

The session will unlock transformative creativity – calling on data, AI, and storytelling to build new business opportunities, spark cultural change, and drive societal impact. Participants will be challenged to embrace chaos, celebrate diverse perspectives, and adopt bold, outlier thinking. The workshop will inspire attendees to reimagine creativity’s role in shaping brands and the world from emotion-driven narratives to innovation-led strategies.

Launched in 2004, the Young Lotus Workshop is one of the industry’s longest-running mentoring programs for up-and-coming talent. It is designed give the next generation of advertising leaders hands-on, practical experience involving lectures, mentoring and a creative brief with just 24 hours to deliver.

The workshop is open to advertising professionals aged 30 and under with at least one year’s experience in the communications industry. Teams will be selected by local representatives in markets across the region. The Young Lotus Workshop 2025 will take place Tuesday 18 – Thursday 20 March 2025 concurrent with COLLiDE at ADFEST at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group Pattaya, Thailand. COLLiDE at ADFEST takes place Thursday 20 – Saturday 22 March 2025.

After responding to the brief from Dentsu, the top Young Lotus finalist teams will present their work on stage during ADFEST 2025 on Saturday 22 March at 11.15-13.00. The winners of both the Young Lotus and the Popular Vote will be revealed at the ADFEST Lotus Awards Presentation at 18.00 that evening.

Be ready to collide, create, and redefine what’s possible.

ADFEST is a not-for profit entity that believes passionately in its role to nurture and support the creative industry in the Asia Pacific and MENA region. It is 1 of 12 awards included in the Campaign Brief Asia Rankings.