June 19, 2015 - For creative content, inspiration, and networking, look no further than the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, the world’s leading celebration of creativity in communications. As the industry’s most prestigious event, Cannes Lions comprises of hundreds of awards, screenings, talks and exhibitions spotlighting the world of advertising.
With such a diverse lineup, the world’s leading brands and agencies in attendance, and parties and rosé galore, Cannes veterans will tell you that sleep is for the plane ride home. So what do marketers descending on the south of France next week need to know to make it through the next 9 days?
Don’t succumb to option paralysis
For delegates overwhelmed with the deluge of sessions and events taking place in Cannes, there’s an easy way to hone in on the content that's most relevant to you. This year’s official Cannes Lions app serves up My Recommendations, an interactive wall of sessions that match with attendees based on user profile, what’s popular with other delegates, and what your LinkedIn contacts have favourited in the programme.
This new level of content discovery removes the friction from personalizing your Cannes experience and will get attendees to the events that matter most.
Serendipity could use some help
Last year’s Cannes Lions app used beacon technology to provide festival-goers with a view of profiles for nearby attendees and made it easy to send messages within the app. Building on that to make networking more efficient and to prompt more meaningful interactions, the app now alerts you to LinkedIn contacts in the area to let you know if they have attended or favourited the same sessions.
This new feature also works with beacons, recognizing if delegates have spent time at a specific venue to tag them to that specific session. Then when attendees from the same LinkedIn network are in the vicinity, ‘icebreaker’ messages will prompt you to instigate conversations with those delegates with similar interests.
Rosé is just one tap away
If you’re one of the lucky few with an invite to the new Cannes Lions Beach at the Carlton Hotel, the Rosé Time app for Apple Watch ensures you’re never without a chilled glass of rosé. Born out of a collaboration by Eventbase’s sister agency Intergalactic and partner Urban Airship, the app will showcase the power of beacons by notifying festival-goers when rosé is being served, and letting them order with one tap on their watch.
Designed to deliver a VIP experience and demo mobile innovation to top-tier creatives, Rosé Time will run Monday through Thursday, from noon to 6 p.m. at Cannes Lions Beach.
It’s a marathon not a race
It’s paramount to strike a balance between the long, intense days of work, networking, and partying with enough downtime to ensure that you last the entire festival. Take a dip in the Mediterranean before breakfast as a remedy for the previous night. End the week with a day or two in St. Tropez to decompress. Cannes Lions Extra also has a host of more low-key pursuits including morning fitness activities, juice bars, reflexology massages, and more.
And lastly, don’t forget the essentials. No-brainers like sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, comfortable shoes, and phone chargers often get missed but can derail your day if forgotten.
Festival pros have gotten their survival kits dialed from years of attending stellar yet intense events not unlike the one in Cannes next week. What will get you through the Cannes Lions?
The official Cannes Lions app is available for iOS, Android and Windows devices.
