Bec Matlioski: Cannes from the classroom

By Bec Matlioski, senior copywriter at M&C Saatchi.

Nestled amongst the shiny tech giants, the free flowing Rosé and the swarm of 15,000 people from over 100 countries, is the Cannes Lions School. Home to the greatest classroom in the world. I was lucky enough to be one of 30 creatives selected globally for the Cannes Creative Academy, a certificate programme designed to catapult young talent to the next level of their careers. And even luckier now to call the other 29 delegates my friends.

Art directors, copywriters, and creators from everywhere came together to gain insights, skills and confidence. Together we discussed groundbreaking work, what it takes to crack a big idea, and what it means to have confidence in ourselves. All the while, getting exclusive access to incredible speakers and guest appearances including one session on a yacht (because Cannes).

Every day from 9am to 6pm, our schedule was packed with intimate presentations from leading creative thinkers, panel discussions in the Palais and access to company spaces including Warner Bros., Microsoft and Meta. Across five days; we learned how to be a creative polymath, the importance of play, the art of collaboration and how great work sells itself. The program helped me navigate the sea that is the festival and guided me and my cohort to the best.

It was a sensory overload and my only regret is that I didn’t figure out how to clone myself by four before I left. So I could be in the basement peering at the awarded work, perusing the Palais for the next talk, in the classroom, and on a yacht with a Rosé (because Cannes)—all at once.

While I feel like my learnings would far exceed any acceptable word count, here are some of my favourite takeaways from the incredible week:

• – “Be a learn it all, not a know it all” – MJ DePalma, Global Director of Cultural & Inclusive Business Impact Microsoft
• – “Hobbies get you hired” James Coburn – Vice president, Mandrake
• – “Play matters” Julia Goldin – Chief product & Marketing Officer/Executive Vice President
• – “Don’t think about what you want, think about what they need” – Michael Ouweleen, President [Adult Swim], Cartoon Network
• – “Without collaboration, you’ll never win a Lion.” – Luis Camono, Co-founder Imper/Active

Big thank you to M&C Saatchi for supporting me going over to participate in the Cannes Creative Academy.

If you’re considering applying, I cannot recommend it enough. Click, click: https://www.canneslions.com/learn/young-lions/creative-academy