Attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has always been a dream of mine.  I looked forward to the festival as a beacon of innovation and networking opportunities. However, my first time at Cannes Lions in 2024 has been a mix of exhilarating highs and frustrating lows.

The journey began on a rather shaky note. Upon arriving in Nice, I discovered that my airline had lost my luggage. There I was, in the heart of the French Riviera, with nothing but the clothes on my back and a sense of impending panic. The airport, overwhelmed by the surge of festival attendees, offered little solace. The lost luggage counters were inundated, and the staff seemed as stressed as the passengers. My attempts to get any definitive answers were met with vague reassurances and long waits, setting a frustrating tone for the start of my trip. However, in this misery, I found company of three others in a similar situation.

We spent hours together in the airport, having conversations we may never had time for in the week ahead. The lost luggage group – Santosh (Linkedin), Mish (IPG) and Aditya (AI Start-up Founder).

Navigating through the airport chaos, after five hours, when we finally got our luggage, we found a taxi queue longer than one we could imagine at a Coldplay concert. Tony, a taxi driver found us ready to pay five times the amount of a regular taxi and we called out to other passengers to join and help split the bill. The taxi-rescue group – Rosie (VML), Santosh (Linkedin) and Callum (Media Monks). As the obstacles grew, so did our network – united in our oppression. 

I’ve booked a hotel in Antibes, a seven-minute train ride from Cannes. On the first day, I caught a bus to the train station and looked around helplessly, trying to figure out how to buy a ticket. The only human available at the station was there to help disabled and handicapped people and refused to discuss my ‘how-to-buy-a-ticket’ challenge. Figure it out yourself, seemed to be his message. The self-service machines required 20 minutes of fiddling around with a round knob to navigate. Clearly, in India we’re spoilt with human intervention even where machines are meant to automate jobs. 

I made it to my first meeting of the day at the Marketing Academy Villa on the Boulevard, Croissette. It was the gathering of the Climate Task Force of the UNDP and ICCO’s collaboration on the Weather Kids Campaign. The campaign features children meteorologists forecasting the 2050 weather using 2023 reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UNDP Climate Horizons with future scenarios of a 1.5 to 2°c increase in temperatures. My firm, On Purpose, is the India implementation partner for this campaign. We discussed successes, learning and plotted what’s next in the quest to ‘believe’ that 1.5-C is still possible. Boaz Paldi, the global chief creative officer, UNDP, and the driving force behind this campaign is our Ted Lasso – remaining steadfast in his belief and rallying the rest of us to believe, that change is possible. 

Post lunch, I walked 30 minutes in the sun to reach the Palais, the main festival hall and stood in line to attend a session by Deepak Chopra on Neuro Insight: Creativity Unleashed: Bridging Minds & Machines. He outlined a nine-step process and approach to the creative process. I’ve read the books. It landed differently when he’s on stage in front of you, a few meters away. 

The scene at Cannes was a spectacle unto itself. The maddening crowds, buzzing with excitement and anticipation, were both inspiring and overwhelming. Every corner seemed packed with people, from seasoned industry veterans to eager newcomers, all vying for the next big connection. Networking here is not just a possibility; it’s a necessity, almost a sport. The sheer volume of introductions, business card exchanges, and impromptu meetings was dizzying but exhilarating.

The day ended with an invitation to a VIP culinary, soiree at sunset, by UNDP. Despite the initial setbacks, the festival sessions provided a much-needed anchor. One standout was a session with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which focused on leveraging communication strategies to drive social impact. The insights shared were profound. Hearing from global leaders about real-world applications of communication for social good was both enlightening and motivating.

As I reflect on these first few days, the frustration of lost luggage and chaotic travel logistics fades in the face of the immense learning and connections made. The challenges have been substantial, but they have also underscored the resilience and adaptability required in our field. The sessions and interactions have rekindled my hope and enthusiasm, reminding me why I embarked on this journey in the first place.

The next three days promise more opportunities for growth and inspiration. I look forward to diving deeper into the sessions, expanding my network, and finding innovative ways to amplify the impact of On Purpose. Cannes Lions is not just about the glitz and glamour; it’s about the convergence of minds dedicated to shaping the future of communications for the greater good. Despite the rocky start, I remain hopeful and excited for what lies ahead. This experience, with all its trials and triumphs, is already shaping up to be a transformative one.

The author is vice-chair of the Climate Task Force set up by ICCO to support UNDP’s Weather Kids campaign. He is also national chair, marketing, communications and global networks, Public Relations Consultancy Association of India (PRCAI), and founder On Purpose.