In the event you’re a first-timer at Cannes then you have to be conscious that the week on the sun-drenched Côte d’Azur could be very positively a marathon, not a dash.
As such, it can hopefully be helpful to get some suggestions from a veteran who has loved — and generally endured — a dozen journeys to this smorgasbord of creativity, thought management, networking, social climbing and occasional debauchery.
Initially, in case your Cannes expertise is anticipated to contain chauffeured SUVs as much as fancy villas within the hills surrounding Cannes, helicopter journeys to San Tropez or Monaco or fancy lunches on yachts touring the French Riviera, then this information might be not for you. Another person clearly has all the small print of your journey lined (and also you’re most likely a CMO, media proprietor or media company boss). Take pleasure in!
However for the common-or-garden foot troopers who make up nearly all of the 15,000-20,000 guests to Cannes for the competition, the expertise encompasses lengthy days traipsing up and down La Croisette in sweltering warmth, navigating the crowds in Le Palais queueing to get into that sizzling session with Chrissy Teigen, babysitting shoppers, wrangling occasions, networking, doing offers and grabbing a glass of Domaines Ott rosé.
One tip for starters: study a couple of phrases of French for the frequent requests you’ll have on the streets or in bars and eating places. Nobody expects you to be fluent in a international language, however the effort is way appreciated and goes down a lot better than repeating your request in English in a louder voice. Even “Parlez-vous Anglais?” places you in higher graces with servers than simply launching into English on the idea that they perceive. It’s frequent courtesy.
Listed below are 9 issues to assist information you thru the craziness and maximize the effectiveness of your week:
1. Cannes geography
The motion areas in the principle a part of Cannes stretch alongside the promenade (La Croisette) from Le Palais des Festivals on the harbor finish, the place the Lions are handed out in the principle Lumiere Theatre every evening and many of the competition programming takes place, right down to the Resort Martinez on the different finish of the strip, simply past the well-known Gutter Bar. On the Mediterranean facet of the promenade is the seaside, with its varied areas sponsored by tech platforms, company holding firms and business organizations. On the opposite facet of the road are the well-known inns the place numerous programming and partying takes place, such because the Carlton, JW Marriott, Majestic and Martinez. Common attendees Havas and others even have areas on this strip. There’s a row of cabanas between the congress corridor and the beginning of the seaside the place Meta and different advert tech platforms usually set out their stall. All of them characteristic content material programming, occasions and networking that competes with the official programming in Le Palais and makes scheduling so difficult. PRWeek and our sibling titles Marketing campaign and MM+M will principally be primarily based on the Givsly Suite on the eighth ground above the Dior retail outlet straight reverse Le Palais, producing occasions with our companions.
2. Planning and registering
It’s effectively value taking time earlier than you land in Cannes to plan your schedule and try to establish the occasions you’ll positively wish to attend, these you’d prefer to attend, these which can be good to-dos however not important, and easy enjoyable actions reminiscent of seaside events and drinks occasions. For some individuals, the previous will begin with any principal actions you’re in Cannes to take care of, the principle occasions associated to your explicit position, whether or not that’s servicing shoppers, making talking appearances on panels and occasions or taking enterprise conferences. In the event you’re there principally for the content material, planning is extra essential, even if you happen to’re prone to base your self at Le Palais, as there are quite a few choices there for every time slot. In the event you wait till you land in Cannes you’ll end up overwhelmed by the choices and may uncover that some occasions and periods are already full. You’ll want to go and register and choose up your badge as quickly as you’ll be able to once you arrive, to keep away from the strains and get that out of the way in which.
3. Don’t overfill your schedule
So as to add to the above, whereas it’s essential to plan upfront, don’t exclude the probabilities provided by these likelihood conferences and alternatives that can inevitably come up in the course of the week. Don’t fill each hour of your day with commitments and anticipate to have the ability to go to or fulfill them. If in case you have a 3 p.m. on the Resort Martinez, don’t anticipate to have the ability to swing by Le Palais at 4 p.m. Imagine me from expertise, the stroll alongside La Croisette in blazing warmth takes at the very least 15-20 minutes, and that’s earlier than you consider bumping into and chatting to contacts alongside the way in which, which frequently occurs. By all means join as many issues as you need, however don’t anticipate that you simply’ll have the ability to get to all of them.
4. The Olympic Flame
This 12 months, the Olympic Video games will happen in Paris from late July and the flame will likely be carried by Cannes subsequent Tuesday in the course of the Competition of Creativity between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. That will likely be a enjoyable diversion, however it can additionally trigger a specific amount of chaos on the principle drag, making it troublesome to cross the highway and get to the place you need. Plan accordingly and permit additional time for attending to appointments. There may be additionally persevering with building in Cannes, particularly within the harbor space this 12 months.
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5. Keep hydrated
A primary level, however one that’s straightforward to neglect within the hubbub of the busy days you’ll expertise in 80-degree warmth. Gas up on liquids and meals the place and when you’ll be able to so you’ve gotten the vitality to deal with lengthy days that begin early and end late and might contain loads of rosé and different alcoholic drinks. On many events, I’ve “forgotten” to eat in the course of the day and located myself at a nook store at midnight stocking up on stale bread, cheese and water to place collectively a snack (although it’s good to have that possibility in your again pocket in an emergency).
6. The Gutter Bar
Through the day the nook of La Croisette and Rue Latour-Maubourg is marked by a nondescript little café referred to as 72 Croisette the place prospects seize a espresso, pastry or a sandwich. Within the night, 72 Croisette is reworked into the well-known Gutter Bar and overrun by lots of, if not 1000’s, of revelers spilling out onto the streets and creating one of the vivid experiences of the week that continues effectively into the early hours of the morning. The Gutter is extra regulated than it was once, as a consequence of safety considerations and a horrific incident a couple of years in the past when an individual was killed after a automobile plowed into the group. It’s effectively value a go to for the expertise, although very a lot one for the youthful crowd, and it’s develop into one thing of a vacationer vacation spot for media and advert varieties from world wide.
7. Keep protected
When so many individuals collect in a vacationer space for one single motive in a celebratory environment the place numerous alcohol is consumed, there are threat elements. Not everybody in Cannes has your greatest pursuits at coronary heart and it’s essential to verify staff members — particularly ladies — are in a position to expertise the week and revel in it with out worry of harassment or crime, particularly in the event that they face walks again to their lodging late at evening.
This 12 months, for the primary time, Cannes is laying on evening buses to assist individuals get residence, which run till 3 a.m., and a Cannes Lions evening shuttle that runs each half-hour between Gare Maritime and Juan-les-Pins. For many who have had points with alcohol, a bunch of attendees has arrange an AA assembly on the Riviera Suite on the 4th ground of the Majestic Resort on Wednesday, June 19, between 1:30-2:30 p.m. For Muslims celebrating the Islamic vacation of Eid on Monday, June 17, a day of actions will happen on the sixth ground of Le Palais from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., so look out for the indicators.
With Inkwell Seashore well-established as a middle for range and associated discussions, and different areas celebrating the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, Cannes is extra various than it was once. Although I nonetheless keep in mind seeing a competition delegate being harassed by native gendarmerie solely a few years in the past seemingly purely for being Black and being on La Croisette, which was disturbing. To their credit score, the organizers are doing way more to verify all people enjoys the Cannes Competition of Creativity expertise, no matter their gender, ethnicity, faith or private circumstance — and that’s good to see.
8. The Work
Amid all of the events, celeb audio system, VIP attendees and basic mayhem, it’s straightforward to neglect that the principle motive to go to Cannes is to expertise the very best inventive work from throughout the globe and to be impressed. So do take a look at one of many awards exhibits within the Lumiere Theatre and watch because the studiously cool creatives wander up on stage to gather their Lions and attempt to outdo themselves with their image poses. Do attend a Behind the Jury session to listen to how the very best work was chosen. And you may even take a look at some reside judging on Tuesday morning for the Innovation Lions in Audi Okay at Le Palais and the Glass Lions within the Salle de Presse. There’s nothing fairly like seeing the tables turned on entrepreneurs who’re normally scrutinizing pitches and watching them promote their very own work to business luminaries from the company facet who’re normally doing the presenting.
9. Not there? Don’t fear
Little question many readers will likely be shaking their heads studying this considering, what’s all this received to do with me? “I received’t be at Cannes and if I see one other article or social media put up of individuals carousing within the sizzling summer time solar within the wonderful South of France, I’ll lose my thoughts.” Honest sufficient and completely understood. Nonetheless, the week is considered one of real inspiration and celebration of creativity and the takeaways aren’t confined to those that attend in individual. PRWeek will likely be operating complete protection of the entire greatest earned-media work, traits, opinions and insights. We’ll have a podcast interview with the PR Lions chair of jury, One Inexperienced Bean’s Kat Thomas. And we’ll put collectively a post-show rundown of all probably the most important case research from throughout all of the Lions classes, not simply PR, figuring out greatest apply and key learnings from the cream of the crop in international creativity. Bookmark this web page for all that you want to know. Our colleagues from Marketing campaign US and MM+M may also be on the bottom bringing the very best insights from their respective content material beats.
In case you are attending and have additional questions, or simply wish to join on the bottom in Cannes, please electronic mail me right here.