Bringing Cannes to a Marina Near You

Cannes is coming, which means a week of boats, booze, business, and beautiful weather. Last year, I attended the festival as a delegate for GumGum, which was definitely a worthy investment for the company. But in 2017, we’ve decided to do something different.

Cannes can be an excellent opportunity for networking and free-flowing conversation, and we made the most of the experience last year, setting up more than 150 meetings. For some, however, it can be too expensive to pay thousands of dollars for passes and send employees to Europe for a week. Vendors, meanwhile, have to spend $25,000 just to get a pass to dock a boat. Throw in other line items like entry fees and travel expenses, and it’s easy to see how the final bill can quickly add up.

As a Frenchman, it pains me not to go back to Cannes again. But as a businessman, I came to an inevitable conclusion when we were debating whether to return. Cannes is known for it’s lavishness and extreme excess. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly harder to stand out as companies keep going for bigger and bigger shows of extravagance. It’s just hard to make a splash when everyone is diving into the water at the same time.

So this year, we’ve decided to take the Cannes vibe and bring it to other cities around the world. On June 21 and 22, we are bringing yachts to our clients in Los Angeles, Chicago, and London. Our goal is to give people the chance to experience the French spirit without needing to sacrifice their hard-earned time and budgets. We’re flying in three DJs from France to perform in each place, and we’re also importing champagne and rosé for the parties. Sticking with the theme, French chefs will prepare the food on deck for attendees.

After talking to our clients and prospects, we felt it was the right time to zig while others zag. We realized many of them don’t go to Cannes. Their executives don’t have the time to travel to the festival, which is one group of people Cannes may be overlooking. We think there’s a fair amount of professionals who fall into that category, so it didn’t really serve our interests to make such a major investment. Close to 20,000 people may attend Cannes this year, but we’re interested in filling a gap for all of those who aren’t.

That’s not to say we’re never going back to Cannes or that it’s a bad investment for everyone. The marketing conference circuit presents an interesting dilemma. Sitting face to face with so many like-minded people who have similar goals and needs can be a great way to develop relationships. But there’s also a fear of missing out that drives people to commit. If everyone else is going to be there, it’s easier to justify your own presence.

Those kind of bets come with huge risks, though. The ROI is uncertain, and they take away resources that could’ve gone to more proven tactics. As marketers, it’s always important to be creative and differentiate ourselves rather than just conform to what’s been done in the past.

That’s why we’re excited to give the advertising world another option. There will still be plenty of entertainment and schmoozing, but instead of it taking place on the French Riviera, we’ll be floating comfortably on Lake Michigan, the Marina Del Rey, and the river Thames.