Sessions of the 'Bridge 2025 Summit' addressed topics reflecting the profound transformations in the world of content. The event featured a number of the world's top content creators, including American chef Andrew Zimmern in the 'Strange Recipes' session, Zachary Diereniewski in the 'The Cause: Between Advocacy and Exploitation' session, Paralympic champion Liv Stone in the 'From Message Carrier to Change Leader' session, renowned chefs Abu Joliah and Abir Al-Sayegh in the 'Food as a Cultural Bridge' session, economic expert Ashraf Ibrahim in the 'Fast-Paced Economy' session, and James Domilhon, Amit Sharma, and Sarah Rifai in the 'Content Creators: The Rise of the Next Generation of Entertainment Giants' session.
Andrew Zimmern during the 'Strange Recipes' session explained that the essence of successful content lies in connecting with people and offering them something they have not heard before, noting that he learns daily from the new generation of content creators who move spontaneously and belong to their audience's environments.
Zachary Diereniewski during 'The Cause: Between Advocacy and Exploitation' recounted his beginnings in human content during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a moment of sincere listening became a turning point in his life that pushed him to build content based on closeness, support, and standing by others.
Liv Stone during 'From Message Carrier to Change Leader' affirmed that her first visit to Abu Dhabi was exceptional, pointing out that the emirate represents a model of hospitality and Arab culture and a supporter of the movement in the content, media, and video games industry.
Abu Joliah and Abir Al-Sayegh in the 'Food as a Cultural Bridge' session discussed the power of food to build strong bridges between peoples, explaining that recipes have become a space for storytelling and introducing communities to one another. Abu Joliah highlighted his experience with the 'Mabbouba' recipe, which showcased the strength of cultural interaction, emphasizing that authenticity is the secret to success, while Abir Al-Sayegh stressed that exposure to the world's kitchens consolidates knowledge and enhances rapprochement, and offered beginners advice to start directly and use the phone as a primary tool.
Dr. Ashraf Ibrahim in the 'Fast-Paced Economy' session spoke about the importance of trust as a cornerstone of economic content, clarifying that simplifying the economy for the audience was his primary goal, while committing to reliable sources and disclosing advertisements.
Building Independent Projects
In the 'Content Creators: The Rise of the Next Generation of Entertainment Giants' session, industry experts discussed the transformation of the digital landscape from a numbers race to building independent projects and enhancing trust with the audience off-platform. James Domilhon shared his journey from simple beginnings to eight million followers and $100 million in revenue, confirming that relying on a single platform poses an existential threat to a content creator, and sustainability is achieved only through diversifying channels and investments. Amit Sharma presented a different model focused on turning content into tangible products and services, stressing the importance of teamwork in developing brands, analyzing the audience, and building sustainable projects.
Yasra: Failure is a Natural Part of Any Artist's Journey
Egyptian star Yasra offered three essential tips for maintaining a long and successful artistic career, emphasizing that an artist must continue to communicate with all generations to ensure continuity in the relationship with the audience, be smart in choosing artistic works, and constantly renew through collaboration with creative minds capable of innovating new styles. She noted that failure is a natural part of any artist's journey, and talent alone is not enough; it is necessary to develop it through practical experience and continuous experimentation. The actress also pointed out that modern means of communication provide a wide range of opportunities for support and direct communication with the audience, but at the same time, they are not without significant risks.
Yasra explained that an actor's success in the pre-social media era was not related only to their skill, but other factors, such as timing and suitable opportunities, played a major role, whereas today there are stars who emerge through social media platforms.
Yasra also clarified that failure is a natural part of any artist's journey, and learning from it is a fundamental step towards success, mentioning her personal experience where she worked on 25 films that did not achieve the desired success, confirming that the greatest actors have failed works.
