The first year, I was on the inaugural PR Jury and was treated like royalty, staying at the Majestic gratis and getting the red carpet treatment. It was harder work than I expected (and hotel pool was closed for renovation!), but it was an extraordinary experience judging and getting an injection of of new ways of thinking from the seminars.
Last year I was a mere spectator but put to work by my firm - introducing our seminar speaker in the Debussy Theatre, interviewing CMOs and other marketing influencers for our Cannes Eye broadcasts, and helping to stage our Cannes "Improv Everywhere" stunt.
This year I'm unveiling my new book, The Changing MO of the CMO, in a workshop on Thursday afternoon. Teaming up with Mark de Swaan Arons of EffectiveBrands, Simon Clift, ex-Unilever CMO, and Rob Malcolm, ex-Diageo CMO, we'll be talking about What It Takes To Win In Global Marketing which is a key tenet of my book. If you're in Cannes, I hope to see you there!