2014 Cannes Young Lions grad Celeste Toffanello delivers top tips for this year’s Young Lions

May 3 2015, 3:18 pm | BY Lynchy | No Comments

celeste.jpg2014 Cannes Lions Young Account Executive graduate Celeste Toffanello urges this year’s attendees to be yes people… and to hydrate.

I had no idea what to expect when I found out I was going to Cannes Lions for the Young Account Executive Academy, except that it would be amazing. Talking to others who had been before, I gathered the festival was an insane, weeklong enlightenment where the delegates were completely blown away by creativity. And it didn’t disappoint.

Last year I was the only Australian in the Young Account Executive Academy, but that didn’t matter. During my week at Cannes I quickly made lifelong friends from all parts of the globe. I also learnt some amazing things and had experiences I will remember for the rest of my life. Ultimately, I credit all of this to the approach I took to Cannes – to make the very most out of my time.

celeste2.jpgIf I could give any advice to the young professionals headed to Cannes this year, it would be to say yes. Don’t let any experience pass you by while you’re there. Do you want to sit in on this seminar by Bob Jeffries? Yes. Would you like to have drinks at the Cannes Connect Bar? Yes. Would you like to watch the Titanium and Integrated Lions award ceremonies? Absolutely yes!

While I’m not innately an extrovert, I challenged myself to go in with this philosophy and it took me to places I had never even dreamt of.

Celeste’s top tips for a successful Cannes Young Lions experience:

·       Be a ‘yes’ person

·       Pack a positive attitude

celeste3.jpg·       Be open to new ideas

·       Immerse yourself in the creative atmosphere of Cannes

·       Don’t let your insecurities stop you

·       Know how to talk about yourself – the first thing people at Cannes usually want to know is who you are, where you work and what you work on. Brush up on your elevator pitch and practice ways of talking about yourself so you feel confident when you meet amazing new people

·       Take a notebook and your phone pict5.jpgeverywhere. Even a Go-Pro if you have one. Keep your phone handy particularly during the speaker series so you can record all the interesting points raised

·       Be a social butterfly – because the networking opportunities at Cannes are incredible

·       Take advantage of all opportunities to network with other people and make new connections

pic4.jpg·       Give all your new connections a business card and add them on LinkedIn

·       If you’re in the academy zone, get out of the classroom as often as you can. Make sure you go to at least one award show on your break and take a stroll around the campus to check out all the amazing work on display

·       If you’re attending one of the more popular seminars, make sure you line up early because seating is first in best dressed

pict6.jpg·       Keep your energy levels high – don’t expect to get too much sleep at Cannes. Each day is packed so full of interesting and exciting things it definitely drains your brainpower and can be exhausting. To make sure you don’t miss out on anything or get too fatigued I say hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Also eat regularly and do whatever else you need to do to stay alert and active.

·       Share your ideas and thoughts with others. There are no bad ideas. It’s easy to feel insecure around so many other inspirational people but try asking them questions first and know that everyone is there to be supportive of each other. One of the great things about Cannes is that the big guys are just as interested in young talent as we are in them.

·       Ask questions. Lots of questions. After all, you’re there to learn! And what better way to make new connections and learn new things than to approach speakers after their presentation and engage them in conversation. I saw this happen a lot last year and it’s something I definitely recommend doing.

“The mood at Cannes Lions is infectious, electric and inspiring. I lived my week at Cannes in complete awe and I encourage anyone going this year to live it to the fullest because it’s one of the greatest experiences you’ll ever have.”

Celeste Toffanello is an account director at Brisbane creative and digital agency Khemistry. Throughout her career she has worked on a range of big name accounts including the likes of Volvo Group Australia, Virgin Australia, RACQ Insurance, Tourism & Events Queensland, Ergon Energy, Mantra Group, Brisbane and Gold Coast City Councils and TAFE Queensland.