Pekanbaru, August 7, 2025 — Universitas Riau (UNRI) has received the Entrepreneurial Marketing Campus Award 2025 from the MarkPlus Institute as part of the 2025 Pekanbaru Marketing Festival (PMF). The award was presented during the Corporate Day event held at The Premiere Hotel Ballroom in Pekanbaru on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
The Entrepreneurial Marketing Campus Award is a form of recognition and appreciation for universities that have successfully implemented the values of Entrepreneurial Marketing based on Creativity, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership (CI-EL) and have made a tangible impact on society—especially in addressing the challenges of digital transformation in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This Corporate Day event is part of the Indonesia Marketing Festival (IMF) 2025, which this year carries the main theme: PEKANBARU for IMPACT – Sustainable Marketing in the AI Era. The theme emphasizes the importance of adopting AI technology to support more effective, personalized, and sustainable marketing strategies.
UNRI Rector, Prof. Dr. Sri Indarti, S.E., M.Si., expressed pride and appreciation for the award given by the MarkPlus Institute, and emphasized the importance of mastering emerging technologies, including AI, for university graduates.
“This award serves as a motivation for UNRI to continue building an adaptive, innovative campus that can respond to the demands of the times, including preparing graduates who are skilled in digital technologies and possess an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Prof. Sri Indarti.
“UNRI is committed to developing AI-based research and innovation to support the teaching and learning process, strengthening partnerships with the digital industry, and equipping students to face an increasingly digitized workforce,” she added.
IMF 2025 in Pekanbaru featured various discussion sessions exploring the role of AI in modern marketing strategies. According to the official Corporate Day agenda, the event began with an Opening Session featuring a keynote speech by the Vice Governor of Riau, S.F. Hariyanto, the presentation of the Industry Marketing Champion and Public Service for IMPACT Award, and a seminar by national marketing expert Hermawan Kartajaya titled “Trade War or Tech War: Understanding New Challenges in Marketing”, which explored how technology, including AI, has become a key determinant in global business competition.
Panel discussions held during the event also highlighted AI utilization, such as the session “New Customer Management: Building Loyalty with Smart Technology”, which emphasized using AI to analyze consumer behavior, and “New Product & Brand Management: Strengthening Innovation and Brand Reputation with AI”, which discussed the role of AI in product innovation and brand building.
The Indonesia Marketing Festival, organized by the MarkPlus Institute, has been held annually for twelve consecutive years across major cities in Indonesia, serving as an important meeting point for business, industry, government, and academia. This year, IMF introduced a broader range of activities under the AI for IMPACT theme to create more significant impact in each host city.
In Pekanbaru, IMF 2025 was held over three consecutive days, from August 6 to 8, 2025, divided into three sessions: Community Day, Corporate Day, and Knowledge Day.
By winning the Entrepreneurial Marketing Campus Award 2025, Universitas Riau reaffirms its commitment to strengthening collaboration with technology-based businesses and industries, supporting the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program, and enhancing graduate competencies in this era of AI-driven digital transformation. (RIRY)
