Creative LIAisons Gave Ginoe Ojoy Answers for the Next Few Years and Questions for the Next Decade

The Basura Gurls, Ginoe Ojoy and Art Tagnipez of The EON Group, Philippines.

Ginoe Ojoy, Senior Graphic Designer at EON The Stakeholder Relations Group Manila, was one of the near 130 talented young creatives, selected from around the globe, to attend the LIA Creative LIAisons training program that runs concurrently with the LIA judging week at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas. Here, Ojoy reflects on the key takeaways from the week.

1. What were your expectations coming in to the Creative LIAisons program and did it live up to your expectations?
I honestly did not have set expectations for this since it’s a lot of “firsts” for me. 2026 marks my fourth year in advertising, so this is really my first major conference in our field. With that being said, I have extensive experience in art and curatorial conferences, and I would say LIA is not far off from the programmes and conferences in those fields. The lectures, roundtable discussions, and fireside chats of established advertising giants were engaging and enlightening. My favorite part, though, is the debrief (whether during lunch, in-between-session smoke breaks, or the afterhours of each day) with my cohorts. It’s really reassuring to know and feel that I am not alone in my experiences and the questions I ask myself with the work that we do and why we do it. Every person I met had this rigor in their work, and are equally engaged with their own realities without being jaded or pessimistic. The curiosity and conviction in the room were electric.

2. What were your individual highlights of the Creative LIAisons program?
• You’re on the Jury
This workshop headed by Marco Venturelli, really opened my mind on how I judge my own work and the work of others. He taught us various ways to articulate our appreciation or disagreement that, in my opinion, would be useful in our day-to-day. Through the process of judging work and presenting our arguments, I realized there are tiers in arguing to advance or demote a certain piece of work. Advocating for work we believe in takes strategy and finesse, trying to convince or dissuade the plenary until consensus is reached through a vote. This is memorable for me because I advocated for a work I truly believed in, and that work ended up being the Creative LIAisions choice for a Grand LIA.

• Horror Stories & Industry Fck-ups + Apprenticeship in Art Direction
Actually, all of Alexandra Taylor’s time that I got to witness were a highlight. These were really fun and colorful sessions. I’m not technically an Art Director at work but the sessions with her really taught me a lot. I always appreciate when creatives get candid about the errors and hiccups they encounter and their workarounds (if any). I would describe the sessions as tenderly brutal — there is a tenderness in how she sees our practice and the work that we do, and a brutality towards mediocrity; both equally needed to train our eyes, brains, and hearts.

• Statue Discussions: Entertainment and Culture Catalyst
Getting to observe judging in real-time was such an eye-opening experience. This was a special one since it’s the inaugural year for both categories, and we were there to see (and sometimes intervene) in how they are molded. Seeing a diverse jury for this was also a treat, getting to hear multiple cultural perspectives and seeing how they are leveled through the voting system. As an advertising professional, I think it’s healthy to continually ask ourselves “What is Entertainment?” and “What is Culture?” — This jury really set a good precedent for us in seeing our own work with these two lenses.

• The Smoke Breaks
On our first day in Vegas, I messaged our groupchat “I know everyone is asking for drinks or dinner but does anybody wanna smoke with us? hahahah” and I think that was one of the best decisions I made in this trip. A lot of the roundtable discussions mentioned how ritual is important in the work that we do, and I think our smoke breaks were vital rituals throughout this experience. Discussing with my cohorts during these short breaks grounded many of my thoughts and feelings after every session. My assumptions, conclusions, and thoughts went through a hammering whenever we’d have these quick post-mortems near the pool area. In my own work and practice, these smoke breaks gave me relief and cleared my mind; it had the same function during LIA 2026 but with an added social dimension. Our conversations will stay with me for a long time.

Ojoy with Alexandra Taylor during her Art Direction Masterclass.

3. What was it like sitting in the back of the LIA Statue jury discussions? What did you learn?
It was such an eye-opening experience. We got to see great work at a high level of excellence, discussed by jurors at the top of their game. Cultural insight was key but Craft was the ultimate determinant. The discussions taught me that our priorities as an industry is very varied and are determined by our own sensibilities, markets, audiences, and networks. Articulation, disagreement, and listening to one another are vital, especially if we’re rewarding work we want to see more of, from voices we want to hear more from.

4. You were surrounded by young creatives from around the world. What did you learn from the people around you, and was there a particular conversation or connection that stayed with you?
Meeting young creatives from around the world was one of the best parts of this experience for me. I learned that we are all going through similar challenges and asking ourselves similar questions. One of the more poignant conversations that stayed with me was the acknowledgement of the American Cultural Hegemony — a cultural force that shapes what we think is good work, with good articulation. As creative workers, it’s a healthy practice to continually interrogate what we think is good work, which gaze it prioritizes, and how it reaches our intended audience. I really enjoyed my time with my cohorts from Brazil, London, Singapore, Japan, Korea, and North America. I think we share a lot of similar thoughts and sensibilities. Meeting delegates that are of Filipino descent was also memorable for me; I get to impart my insights about the Philippines while learning a lot about the Filipino diasporic experience and creative life.

5. What’s your advice to anyone attending next year?
Go with an open mind and heart. Expect to be fascinated and have your mind changed or your perspective shaken. Take lots of notes, ask lots of questions, and never be afraid to speak up. I’ve gotten answers that will fuel my work in the next few years, and questions that will guide me in the next decade. LIA is a fountain of generosity– for those who are ready and willing to engage with this oasis.

TaHir (Ty) Robinson (Ogilvy Health New York), Tatiana Diaz (Monks Venice), and Ojoy at the Neon Sign Museum.

The Basura Gurls with Nuria Lima of TBWA Brazil at the Neon Sign Museum.

Check out more 2026 LIAisons reflections below:

Su Ann Yip, Copywriter at TBWA\Media Arts Lab Singapore.
Swarangi Joshi, Group Head (Copy) at Enormous Mumbai.
Kristian Pineda, Copywriter at BLKJ Havas Singapore.
Ata Zhao, Creative Director at TBWA\Shanghai.
Seth Low, Senior Creative at McCANN Singapore.
Malik Bernardo, Associate Creative Director at Dentsu Creative Philippines.
Soham Ghosh, Creative Director at Ogilvy Gurgaon.