Mekong Tourism launches new visual storytelling campaign
The “Mekong From Above” aerial photo and video contest, the first of its kind in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), provides an opportunity for amateur and professional photographers to compete by capturing aerial photos and videos of the amazing landscapes, astonishing heritage, and numerous rich traditions of the region.
Aerial photos and videos can be posted on personal Instagram, Twitter and/or YouTube accounts by tagging the posts with #MekongMoments, #MekongFromAbove, and # from December 15, 2018, until March 31, 2019. Qualifying photos and videos will be aggregated via a feed into the official campaign website, where public voting will determine the Public Choice Award. The Editor’s Choice Award will be determined by an expert panel of photographers, travel and tourism executives, bloggers, and media – chaired by Mr. Jaffee Yee, CEO of Knowledge Media Group Thailand (KMG), the co-organiser and initiator of the “Mekong From Above” contest.
“Aerial photographs and videos with a free-ranging camera on a versatile drone afford otherwise unobtainable vistas and perspectives of the Greater Mekong Subregion’s dramatically beautiful landscape. We are excited to be partnering with Mekong Tourism to showcase these photos and videos with the world,” said Jaffee Yee.
Ahead of the contest’s final result announcement in April 2019, 180 photo entries will be shortlisted and featured in a special-edition ‘Mekong From Above’ book, published by Knowledge Media Group. Additionally, select and inspiring photos, at the consent of each participant, may also be showcased in a number of regional and international exhibitions including one at the 2019 Mekong Tourism Forum in Dali, PR China from May 21-22.
The “Mekong From Above” contest is the second regional visual storytelling social media campaign hosted on the award-winning Mekong Moments social commerce campaign platform. The first campaign, the 2018 Mekong Mini Movie Festival, generated over 300 eligible videos of 60 seconds or less, reached over seven million people, and is being recognised with a prestigious HSMAI Gold Award. The 2019 Mekong Mini Movie Festival will officially be launched at the ASEAN Tourism Forum on the 16th of January, 2019 in Halong, Viet Nam. This event will also be the location at which the Public Choice Winners of the 2018 Mekong Minis will be announced.
It is to be noted that any aerial photography and videography, as well as the use of drone-like equipment must adhere to national and local rules and regulations of the participating member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. The contest organizers explicitly ask participants to respect the privacy of residents and organizations when publishing any footage.
source: eTN
