The World Influencers & Bloggers Awards in Monaco

The World Influencers & Bloggers Awards is an event that gathers around top influencers in the world. Its founder, Mariia Grazhina Chaplin wants to expand its concept internationally starting from the South of France. This year's editionwhich will be held at the Grimaldi Forum on May 17th, in Monaco. 

Tell us a little bit about your background and how the idea to start WIBA came up?

I've been thinking about the idea of a big project for twenty years before launching my initiative.The digital influencing and blogging are the most relevant and, at the same time, unstudied topics,requiring a lot of analytical work. This is what concerns the most recent profession of bloggers.And at the same time, this is an up-and-coming project from the point of view of show business, as bloggers gradually become celebrities on the same level with actors.The idea of creating the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards and Association was born in 2018 in Monaco, in the place where platforms for content creation are literally at every square meterfrom the historic and picturesque to architecture to haute cuisine, and from cutting edge sportingand cultural events to the place where business meets with art and beauty.

What is the mission of WIBA?

The aim of the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards is to honor the remarkable talents invarious domains and to award the best opinion leaders and bloggers from all over the world. To have an award in bloggers and influencers' world like Oscar in the world of cinema.Your star-studded guest list always features impressive VIPs.

Who are some of the most remarkable celebrities to grace WIBA's red carpet?

Nusret Gökçe, Gianluca Vacchi, Foodgod, Jacob Arabo, Coco Rocha, Ellen Von Unwerth, Kat Graham, Victoria Silvstedt, and others.

Who can apply for WIBA?

Every blogger starting with audiences from 1000 followers can apply for WIBA.

What's the criteria for selecting influencers for WIBA?

How many nominations do youhave?There are a few main criteria of selection. First of all, it's the importance of message conducted byblogger, then professionalism (quality of the posts, authenticity, etc.), of course, the genuineness ofthe influencer (activity, relationships with followers, etc.) and engagement, also influence ability(according to qualitative analysis of the comments), and sustainability.

What made you pick the South of France as the location for WIBA?

There was not only the choice of location but also the specific period of time - the Cannes FilmFestival. It's the hottest season in Europe of the year, the highest concentration of stars,celebrities, and media in one place at the same time. All these factors give everyone the greatopportunity to unite several aims of the trip together. People from all over the world and from allcontinents come to participate in both the Cannes Film Festival and World Influencers and Bloggers Awards.

In 2021 WIBA supported the Diana Award Anti-Bullying program - how did you come upwith this initiative? Do you have a charity you'd like to support in the future?

Diana Award Anti-Bullying program is crucial when it comes to the digital space and social media.Because bloggers and influencers get a lot of hate and bullying during their activities, and they arevery weakly protected from it.

What are your goals for future events? Anything exciting coming up for 2022?

The fourth edition of the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards in Cannes during the Film Festivaland the first edition of the World Influencers Forum in Monaco.

Do you hold other events besides the World Influencer and Blogger Awards?

Along with World Influencers and Bloggers Awards, we are launching the World Influencers Forum- the international event established by the WIBA Association that acts as a platform for meeting influencers and business, for cooperations, for discussion on relevant matters of influencers,bloggers, activists, creators, and brands interaction globally. The WIF unites representatives of brands, experts, representatives of social organizations, influential intellectuals, and journalists.

What makes an influencer in your opinion and would you classify it as the "new age"profession?

An influencer is no doubt a new profession that rushed in the world and it's something between journalistic and showbiz.The influencer is defined by audience number, media acknowledgment, when the person is quoted and whether media write about he/her, whether followers share his/her posts and thoughts,whether a person is referred to as a source of information.

Do you think "influencers" in the future will replace some of the professions like modelsand actors?

Actors definitely would not be replaced by Influencers. Being an actor requires talent. The cases would be but just a few. Models probably will be replaced but not completely. Although models-influencers will have more chances to get contracts than ordinary models.

Do you believe with the "right influence" we can change the world for the better?

Absolutely! Moreover, our World Influencers and Bloggers Association declares the idea and it'sthe Association's concept.Reach out to people, using social media and the latest technologies, is a reach acrossgenerations, across all genders, races, and nationalities, and across all continents, speakingdifferent languages and representing different backgrounds and professions. And this representstremendous potential - to reach out to and help raise the awareness of millions all over the world.It is this potential that we want to turn into a wide-reaching power to act, to change the world forthe better, to help bring about universal peace, justice, and equal opportunities for all.WIBA Association aligns, motivates, and educates bloggers, spreads critical messages aimed atthe better future of our planet and humanity, holds events and campaigns to celebrate and promotethe unique power of the influencers.The World Influencers Forum has the concept "Era of Awareness" to highlight the main qualityevery influencer should have and conduct to the world.

How do you see the Influencers industry in the future?

The future is already here. The industry exists and develops. There are production companies,advertising agencies, and managers, assistants which work only with Influencers. Influencesmarketing is the separate branch in the companies, agencies that work for Youtube, educationalplatforms for influencers, etc.And we are the first who organize the Forum and Exhibition for the industry. The World InfluencersForum launched by WIBA this year is the first international event in the field which is devoted tobringing together influential personalities, creators, activists, brands, productions, advertisingagencies from all over the world to cooperate across industries and borders to share ideas,information, and innovations.In 2023 the World Influencers Forum will be held along with a market that will expand theopportunities for cooperation in the sphere.

Can you tell us a bit about the process of designing awards? Do you have free rein over a design?

The award's concept is a globe because WIBA is a worldwide prize, which connects people fromall continents and there are borders between.
In your opinion has the social hierarchy changed at all because of technology I don't think so. There just appeared new professions which became very successful.

What would be your advice for teenagers just starting to explore and experiment in the social media space?

My bits of advice for beginners are the following: choose your strongest side and the topic you arean expert in, do everything professionally from the start, because nowadays isn't that easy tobecome a blogger by chance. There are much fewer amateurs in the field. And the main point is torespect the principles of communication culture.

Are you excited about the metaverse? How far in your opinion are we from the complete crossover of digital and reality?

Everyone has a right to choose what is comfortable. If someone finds happiness in the metaverse,why not?

Do you have any tips to avoid digital burnout?

I think digital burnout isn't different from any other professional one, and such a phase could be in anyone's life. And in that case, a person needs the support of a professional psychologist.

How do you define success in the digital space? What about real-life success?

For both kinds of success, the key factors are: media presence and how often the person is quoted, in addition to that in digital space success is defined by engagement rating also.

Who is your dream guest for WIBA? What about the dream event location?

We already got a dream location in this hemisphere. And every year we host dream guests.Unfortunately, I can't disclose the names of this year's guests.

How do you envision WIBA in 10 years? Any plans for expansion?

I think it will be the same except for the quantity of the World Influencers Forum visitors and participants. I'll increase.