Things I wish we knew as Cannes first-timers and a 5-minute survival guide for 2024

It’s the end of May, which brings us closer to the Cannes season. Last year, my Xenoss teammates and I made our debut in France, and this year, we are going as well (if you are coming, too, let’s connect for a quick chat).?

As first-timers, there are many things we did not take into consideration, but there were just as many pleasant surprises and realizations along the way.?

As I excitedly look forward to this year’s Cannes events, I decided to put some of the lessons learned last year into a Cannes-special edition of the MadTech Digest. In this article, I am sharing 5-minute tips on packing, accommodation, transportation, side events, and brand activations in Cannes.?

If you are new to the digest, I write biweekly reflections on AdTech and MarTech trends, pressing issues, and go-to resources. Follow the newsletter so you do not miss the next update.?

Let’s dive in!?

What to pack

It’s tough to balance packing too lightly and overpacking — in our experience, it’s better to err on the side of caution. Mishaps during important and stressful events like Cannes will happen, and there isn’t always a way to replace or buy things while you're at the event.?

What you take with you depends on the duration of your stay, whether or not you have a car and much more. For the general Cannes survivor starter pack, we love the list of The Digital Voice? :?

Accommodation

If you plan to stay in Cannes, be ready to pay extra for convenience and find a room in advance. We’ve heard that many of our colleagues stayed in nearby towns: Antibes, Juan les Pins (moving by train is relatively straightforward). This way, you can drive costs down without losing much convenience.?

Extra tip: If you are booking a hotel, try to find one with a shuttle service to get to Cannes comfortably.??

Events and networking?

Schedule your movements strategically

In Cannes, it’s common for events to be 15-20 minutes apart, and teams should keep this in mind when scheduling meetings. Plan gaps between two meetings at distant locations to give yourself enough time to get there in advance.?

If you want to have meetings at restaurants, it’s never too early to start booking

Demand spikes in the two weeks before the events, making it hard to find accessible meeting places.

We recommend scouting restaurants well in advance to have peace of mind with all bookings in place and to plan your route upfront.?

Book as many meetings beforehand as possible?

This time, we are sharing the Calendly links of the members going to France and focused on scheduling calls with maximum precision (time, venue, duration, talking points).?

However, we learned that, with a high focus on efficiency, it needs to walk the line between organization and rigidity.?

While we keep an agenda, we try to allow for enjoyable conversations that can deviate from our plans.?

The earlier you start signing up for events, the better?

While Cannes Lions are the pinnacle of the event, there are plenty of other engagements that are worth checking out.?

Here are the side events we are keeping an eye on:?

• DV's Cannes Kickoff: Women’s VIP Dinner (Invite Only) by DoubleVerify ?
• Taboola Happy Hour at Cannes by Taboola
• A’Maison: The House of Amazon @ Cannes Lions 2024 by 亚马逊
• Group M Rooftop by 群邑
• NDA Cannes Networking Drinks by NewDigitalAge

If you haven’t heard of The Cannes Social, a networking party hosted in La Croisette by FirstPartyCapital and ExchangeWire , check it out and sign up for the event. I am excited to announce that Xenoss is a co-sponsoring partner for the event. It’s a pleasure to be a part of creating a relaxed and discussion-enabling space for AdTech professionals.?

Tip: In Cannes, the early bird takes the worm. Choosing which events you will attend in advance will help you get your foot in more doors. Watch event announcements and try to be among the first registered.

Be a team

After reflecting on our first time in Cannes last year, we realized that communication between team members helped us find more opportunities, access hard-to-enter events, and avoid scheduling mishaps.

This year, we are going to Cannes as a yet more versatile group:?

• Dmitry Sverdlik ?? ??CES Las Vegas , the CEO of Xenoss, is our go-to for sharing the company’s mission and vision and a powerful knowledge holder on MarTech and AdTech development. He brings years of practical experience in building and scaling AdTech projects to discussions with AdTech vendors, publishers, and agencies.?
• Maria Protsyuk ?? ??reInvent , Partnerships and Alliance manager, is a seasoned event attendee skilled at finding promising partnership opportunities and finding common ground even with attendees who work in different fields.?
• Our AdTech Engineering consultants, Anastasia Bushuieva and Vladislav Busko , help connect the technical and business sides of building advertising solutions with business needs. They offer AdTech product teams unique insight on driving costs down and building innovative features without spreading tech resources thin.?
• I am also excited to meet fellow AdTech professionals for conversations on MarTech/AdTech development, discuss partnership opportunities, share our perspective on AdTech development, and more. To connect with me in Cannes, reach out here on LinkedIn or via Calendly.??

This versatility allows us to take a 360-degree view of the festival and find the most optimal way to connect with different types of attendees.?

How do we go about maintaining teamwork at the event??

I discovered it helps to keep a separate internal chat for event attendees to share new information in real-time, ensure everyone has editing access to key event documents, and follow file naming conventions that make it easier to find the file you need in a split second.?

Remembering to ask for help if things are not working out is another thing we learned last year.?

Want to get in? Just ask

A lot of seasoned Cannes attendees will tell you that being too late to sign up for an event is no reason to give up going.?

Last year, we experienced it firsthand: Xenoss Alliance & Partnerships Lead Maria Protsyuk ?? ??reInvent successfully networked her way to a high-profile boat gathering.?

Since everyone understands the struggle of getting everywhere you want in Cannes, people will be not annoyed at least and extremely helpful at most if you ask around for ways to attend.?

Don’t be afraid to stand out?

Not all AdTech events are alike—some are more technical and formal, while others are more creative and relaxed. Cannes falls on the “chill” end of the spectrum.?

Last year, we realized that creativity and a willingness to stand out can drive attention to teams.?

To this day, we remember the I’m Still Branding parody by Terence Kawaja , which got everybody talking last year.

Rob Brett 's Cannes-inspired crossword is another excellent example of tailoring social media content to the event. It was fun to solve (though I admit some were hard to get).

In short, if you want to do something eyebrow-raising in Cannes, you have the right audience.

Use your chance to double down on thought leadership

Last year, we realized how overwhelming Cannes’ ability to bring the industry together. We were able to have a lot of inspiring conversations with media that would have taken months to secure offline.?

Besides, if you are actively involved in everything that’s going on, you can even get an ad-hoc appearance on some of the industry’s leading podcasts. Last year, I was honored to film an on-site episode of Six Sells (shout out to Mike Nicholson for having me).?

This year, we plan to engage more with the Cannes community by putting together AdTech Inside Scoop, a project where AdTech industry leaders share their take on AdTech trends and big stories.?

If you want to share your thoughts and the work you are proud of in Cannes, drop me a line.??

Waiting in lines is an excellent networking opportunity

If we had to rank the circumstances under which we got to meet most people and have the most productive conversations, waiting in lines would be a top contender.?

Always stay observant and “on.” See who’s standing next to you, and turn the not-so-enjoyable experience of standing in the heat into an opportunity to connect, start discussions to follow up on after the event, and secure hard-to-get event passes.?

The last unspoken but highly relevant thing I wish I’d known sooner is the importance of accepting the fear of missing out. A lot will be going on, and we only have that much time to do everything. It’s important not to spread yourself too thin and focus on one engagement at a time.?

Are you coming to Cannes this year? What are your survival tips for the event?