Bec Brideson’s Cannes Diary #2
Bec Brideson, founder, agency owner, speaker, advocate and author is representing Australia on the Cannes Lions Badass Women panels. Here Brideson writes exclusively for CB.
Starting at The Girls Lounge Tarana Burke – the founder of #Metoo alongside Joe Oh CEO of FCB spoke about the origins of the movement and what’s next. They are collaborating to make sure the work in this space continues with an initiative called NeverFinished. Tarana described how loud the noise is when the glass breaks and how the partnership with an agency to amplify her message and scale a global solution is underway in the US.
Bravo Cannes! Another example of incredible progress.
Shelley Zaillis moderates panel with TaranaBurke and Joe Oh at The Female Quotient
I appeared on the #BadAssWomen panel and shared my thoughts on the future of women-owned agencies in the industry. As an industry we must champion and support women who start their own agencies by giving them opportunities and creating a fair procurement process – much like the HR industry has with recruitment policy.
In the US the Obama administration provided this kind of programme for people to support women-owned business. Australia – it’s time we did the same – watch this space.
In the evening I was lucky enough to be invited to an incredible and intimate 30-person dinner thanks to WarnerMedia. People from around the globe, working in corporates and boutique businesses were written up on the back of the menu so we could all connect as a result of the dinner. The idea comes out of a a consultancy in New York and was a feast for the grey matter. Seated in a dining space at WarnerHouse on La Croisette, our amazingly charismatic and deft host moderated a session where we all shared our Cannes experience so that we could hear the big take-aways from other perspectives.
Lindsey Slaby, Sunday Dinner hosted by WarnerMedia.
Everyone was given a prompt card on their plate and Surprise! And Swipe Left examples of the adjective to fit your narrative too.
Many felt that the wealth being displayed with large beachfronts and gauche entertainment expenses in a time when there are serious global issues going on is under review. Madonna Badgar’s work with saving children being detained on the border is so better aligned to where our attention should be focussed in CSR. We are clever people in an industry that can help create behaviour change.
The overwhelming drinking content from a firehose is real! Some opt to learn out of the Palais and handpick just a few keynotes. Others can’t afford the costs of the Palais but still want to be at the festival of creativity so go beachfront and connect in the smaller venues.
The tech company presence here has become de-rigueur – there can be no divide between the co-existing and interdependent industries. Droga’s now-famous acquired-by-Accenture quote about being the amazing interior decorator of a falling house was on the lips…
It has been a big day/night in Cannes and I am extremely grateful for everything I learned today and everyone that is choosing to be on the right side of history.