Cannes Lions: A First-Timer’s Survival Guide

Photo credit: David Griner

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity can be, in a word, overwhelming.

While there are larger conferences you might attend as a creative industry professional—Lions hosts about 15,000 attendees, with a few thousand more unofficially attending on the periphery—none has the glitz, glamour and chaotic charisma of this 70-year-old gathering on the French Riviera.

To help first-time attendees prepare for the weeklong experience of Cannes Lions, The Creative Ladder partnered with global agency VaynerX to create a “survival guide” covering everything from packing and prep to networking and navigation.

You can watch the recording of our virtual event, “Cannes Lions: A First Timer's Survival Guide,” here, (after the 9:00 mark, please feel free to fast forward from the breakout rooms to the 11:45 mark to watch the panel discussion) and I’ve shared our presentation deck and a few quick pointers of note below for you to browse at your leisure.

Our team’s suggested packing list:

1. Sunglasses + hats

2. Sunscreen

3. Reusable water bottle (but expect to misplace it along the way)

4. Charging block + cords for phone and devices

5. Outlet adapters

6. A fan and/or water mister

7. Protein bars (but not with chocolate coating, which gets messy)

8. Berocca (for recovering from a long night; can be bought at Cannes pharmacies) or Liquid IV powder

9. Band-aids 

10. Allergy meds (French mosquitos are no joke)

11. Hand sanitizer 

12. A Covid-19 test

But what about clothes?

Our friend Shannon Miller, executive director of development at agency Courage, created this super-helpful mood board for the outfit vibe at Cannes Lions:

Curated by Shannon Miller

A few tips our experts shared:

1. Comfortable shoes are a MUST (expect to walk about 20,000 steps a day!). If you want to bring dress shoes for a party, carry them separately until you arrive at your destination.

2. Dress for hot and sunny, with a mild chill at night.  

3. Pack a blend of casual with fancy, using accessories to make a comfortable outfit feel more “cocktail soiree” 

4. When in doubt, wear white, but florals are always a hit too

5. Checked bags WILL get lost en route. Always keep some essentials like underwear, toiletries and a change of clothes in your carry-on

Getting there and getting around

If you’re flying in, you’ll arrive in the Nice airport, which is about a 30-45 minute drive to Cannes.

There are lots of options for getting to Cannes, but the most cost-efficient, climate-friendly and convenient is the shuttle bus that runs just about hourly between the Nice airport’s Terminal 2 and Cannes’ Gare SNCF station.

In Cannes, you’ll primarily be walking between the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès (known as simply “the Palais”) and the beaches along the Croisette, a road and walking path connecting the city’s major venues.

Attendees typically use the city’s major hotels as navigational aides, so get to know destinations like the Martinez, Carlton, JW Marriott, Majestic Barrière and Mondrian (formerly the Grand) and you’ll have an easy time comparing notes with others about where to find a certain beach, activation or restaurant.

Some advice on networking:

1. Start by being clear on your objectives for the week. Write out your intentions and goals, and then build your calendar and networking schedule around that!

2. The Cannes Lions app has networking features built in, and the festival hosts a wide array of events for first-timers each day. Those are great places to build some early connections.

3. RSVP to as many things as you can, unless it’s a strictly limited opportunity (like a dinner for 10) and you’re unlikely to attend. But generally, you’ll be glad you signed up for opportunities and activations hosted by companies in and outside the festival grounds.

4. Nervous about a party, reception or other meetup? Or maybe you’re just a bit too introverted for most networking meetups? Show up early! It might sound counterintuitive, but showing up early makes it easy to meet the hosts and guests as they arrive. Show up late, and you have to elbow your way into conversations or just hover awkwardly at the edge of the crowd.

5. Use your time in lines or waiting in audiences to meet people! Popular sessions can have long waits, both outside and inside the halls, so you might as well get to know the folks next to you.

6. The Gutter Bar (actually called 72 Croisette) and Carlton Terrace are the epicenters of networking in the Cannes nightlife. Check both out and see if you spot anyone you know—or just strike up a conversation with random people speaking your language!

7. Want to get into parties/concerts? Ask around! Don’t be shy about letting people know which events you’re hoping to get into, because you never know who might have connections to get you access to the evening’s hottest opportunity.

More tips from veteran Cannes-goers:

1. As mentioned above, show up early for popular festival sessions, such as a celebrity’s talk. If it’s a big name, getting to the Palais 30-60 minutes early to wait in line can be a smart call.

2. Stay hydrated. Always have snacks, eat at every opportunity and take time to have a proper lunch, if and when you can. (To-go food isn’t really a thing in Cannes, nor is “a quick meal,” so always keep an eye out for quick food options.)

3. You won’t see your apartment/hotel much, so pack your day bag accordingly. Don’t carry too much (do you REALLY need that laptop?), because weight and the hassle of keeping track of things can quickly become a frustration.

4. Give yourself plenty of time to get from one spot to another. It can take about 20 minutes to walk from the main festival grounds at the Palais to an event at the far end of the Croisette, and you’ll likely be a bit sweaty and winded when you get there. So avoid creating a schedule with back-to-back obligations.

5. You can’t do it all. And that’s OK. There’s too much going on in Cannes for you to catch everything, and you’ll run yourself ragged trying to spring from one opportunity to the next. Just enjoy the moments you’re in and let the FOMO wash away.

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The Creative Ladder is so thankful to VaynerX for partnering with our nonprofit on creating this pre-festival "Survival Guide.” Thank you to Andrea Sullivan, CMO of VaynerX, and Harriet Flory, global head of communications at VaynerX, for coordinating and facilitating our virtual event on May 31!

Thank you as well to the panelists who joined our virtual event:

• Raquelle M. Zuzarte, founder and CMO, Equity Project for All

• Suzy Deering, former global CMO for Ford and eBay

• Steve Latham, head of learning at Cannes Lions

• Shannon Miller, executive director of development, Courage

Have more questions about making the most of your first Cannes Lions experience? Drop me an email and I’ll try to get back to you before I head out!