Gavin Chimes’ LIA Diary #2: “The spirit of this festival is the real deal”

Gavin Chimes, Chief Creative Officer, Howatson+Company ~ current Campaign Brief Australian Agency of the Year ~ represented Australia as Jury President for the Creativity In B2B and Transformative Business Impact competition at LIA in Vegas. Here, Chimes, along with most of the other Australian and New Zealand jurors, reports exclusively for CB.

Judging’s wrapped. Trophies handed out. Nobody threw a chair. Success.

It was a total pleasure to chair a room full of smart, passionate, genuinely kind people. The type who can debate for hours and still share a drink afterwards.

The winners confirmed what I suspected early on: judging Transformative Business Impact and B2B might be the best seat in the house. The work wasn’t just clever, it moved things. Changed how companies behave. Shifted how industries operate.

The ideas that rose to the top had both scale and bravery – and something rarer still. Heart. In B2B, it’s often overlooked, yet it’s what gives the work genuine power.

AXA’s 3 Words was a standout. Elegantly simple in concept. Exceptionally complicated in execution. Turning a giant insurer into something human. Making a real difference for women’s lives and for the business.

Big thanks to LIA for having me. The spirit of this festival is the real deal. No egos, no fanfare, just inspiring creative leaders who love the work and push it forward.