Who Needs Cannes When You Have Cairns

When you think of wheels on a working sugar cane farm a tractor, perhaps a truck, and maybe even a wheelbarrow come to mind. Think again and replace it with the ferris kind. Yes, a 27m ferris wheel in the middle of a tropical sugar cane field.

Cannes in Cairns has set the bar high for the new must-have at your next business event. The conference for advertisers, marketers and creatives was not about to let a COVID delay (or three) dampen their spirits, putting on a Pinterest-worthy display of luxe for the Welcome Party. Oh, did we say the event was sponsored by Pinterest?

The inaugural event was devised to fill a cancelled-international-conference-sized void, courtesy of the pandemic. Australian delegates who normally attend the global advertising, marketing, and media industry event, Cannes Lions in the south of France, calling for a local version to get around closed international borders. The Australian representatives for the Cannes Lions, The Misfits Media Company, produced the conference hailed as an all-round success for 2022.

“Cannes in Cairns was the BEST industry event I’ve ever been to. I’m talking globally. It just worked across every element. Speaker insights, networking, location, entertainment, and laughs. Lock in 2023!’ – Jules Lund, Australian TV and radio host, founder of TRIBE

Sensational Sessions

The sessions during the day were hosted by Cairns Convention Centre. Over 700 delegates experienced the fully refurbished Centre. With the $176 million Cairns Convention Centre project now focusing on the extension, and still underway on the exterior of the building, the refreshed internal areas were impressive for delegates. The refurbishment showcased the Centre’s contemporary interiors and the state-of-the-art technology. Bespoke menus were created for the conference highlighting the regions abundance of fresh local produce.

Traditional Custodians, Minjil, welcomed delegates to Gimuy Walubara Yidinji country. The welcome was performed in language, English and French – definitely a first for the Indigenous cultural group. The impressive line-up of speakers from the Australian media, marketing and advertising industry included former women’s world number one tennis player Ash Barty, executive chairman of Yellow Brick Road Group, Mark Bouris, author, DJ, podcaster, TV host and founder of ‘Flex Factory’ Lillian ‘FlexMami’ Ahenkan, writer and filmmaker John Safran, and Australian Paralympian Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson.

Concurrent sessions were held in an Australian-themed room versus a French-themed room, taking the tongue-in-cheek branding to a whole new level. The exterior signage at the event, referenced all the cancellations due to COVID-19 (the May 2022 dates were the third set). On the back of the delegate passes there was a French to ‘Queensland’ phrasebook, and loud speaker announcements made in both English and French!

Swag For Days

Taking a break from the sessions, delegates were spoilt perusing the conference partners’ expo stands.

Nine was the first to get the party started with their frosé (frozen rosé) and swag stand. Pinterest was on-brand with their uber-trendy, colour-blocked stand where they spilled the tea on their predictions for 2022. Yahoo! encouraged everyone to ‘snap, share, and save the reef’ with their interactive, augmented reality reef-themed space that drove donations to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. NewsCorp brought the vibes with a place to sip juice and chill to the beats of DJ Bart. Pubmatic ingeniously gave delegates (and their many devices) a place to recharge. Ben & Jerry’s satisfied all of the sweet tooths, and Tug, Adobe, and Microsoft kept the whole conference caffeinated.

“Between bringing Pinterest V-VIP, Ash Barty to the conference… to a Pinterest welcome party [that] I heard someone refer to as ‘Pinchella’ and an unmissable Pinterest Hub, I think we’ll … be reliving the week that was for a long time to come!” – Melinda Petrunoff, Country Manager, Pinterest Australia and New Zealand

Happy Hour

Following the two days of plenary and concurrent sessions, delegates networked at Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf, sponsored by Nine on Day 1, and LinkedIn on Day 2. The brewery’s heritage building, perched on Cairns’ waterfront, epitomises the charm of the tropical lifestyle. Soaring timber arches from the original wharf buildings, frame the outlook of the Trinity Inlet, catching a light breeze as dusk settles across the evening of each day of the conference.

The Hemingway’s Brewery flagship range features 7th Heaven, a pale ale that contributes 50% of sales profit to Great Barrier Reef Legacy. Great Barrier Reef Legacy is a not-for-profit organisation and a leader in marine expeditions, delivering innovative science and education to accelerate actions vital to the survival of the world’s largest coral reef system. By adding the 7th Heaven pale ale to their beverage menu, the Cannes in Cairns bar tab directly supported conservation efforts on the Great Barrier Reef. And the beer tasted pretty great too.

“The menu featured fresh seafood including melt-inyour-mouth scallops and lobster with pork crackling accompanied by perfectly matched brews. We can’t think of a better way to put a full stop on a spectacular two days of blockbuster content.” – Dan Uglow, Co-Founder, The Misfits Media Company

Wheels Up

The Welcome Party on Day 1, featuring the jaw-dropping 27m ferris wheel, was a highlight for delegates. The event brief was to provide a uniquely Tropical North Queensland experience and wow, did Cairns deliver. The Misfits aim is to work with their sponsors to activate their participation in the event in unusual and exciting ways.

The ferris wheel’s last outing was the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Normally home in Townsville, the wheel didn’t have far to go to the Yorkey’s Knob Cane Farm, just 15 minutes north of the Cairns CBD. The region has three working sugar cane farms (Yorkey’s Knob, Freshwater, and Port Douglas) that host events and they are the most popular offsite venue, regularly attracting the most traffic on the bureau’s website.

Ninety-five percent of Australia’s sugar cane is found in Queensland. With the majority now harvested green, not burned, and the trimmed leaves left as mulch, not only does a sugar cane field nurture itself but it makes the perfect event back drop as well.

In Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, three bespoke working cane farms can host unforgettable product launches, mesmerising open-air gala dinners, and welcome cocktail functions at golden hour as the sun is setting behind the Great Dividing Range. By day, the farm machinery is doing all the work and by night, the natural dance floor is getting a workout under the stars (and alongside the dumplings stand!).

“Nine wanted to do something with impact, highly visual and a bit of fun. A ferris wheel in the middle of nowhere seemed like a crazy idea, and that’s always the best kind of idea.” – Dan Uglow, Co-Founder, The Misfits Media Company

Exploring Different Venues

With so many offsite venues to choose from, it makes sense that Cannes in Cairns included as many as possible in their agenda.

Conference sponsors made use of Rocco by Crystalbrook for exclusive VIP events. Cairns & Great Barrier Reef’s highest rooftop bar offered delegates 270-degree panoramic views of the Cairns coastline. Delegates networked whilst enjoying contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, sophisticated cocktails and a stellar Champagne menu, second to none.

Salt House provided the perfect waterside backdrop to support a lunch and learn session. Delegates enjoyed a panoramic view of the Coral Sea alongside the large alfresco restaurant with a custom woodfire grill and open kitchen. The cocktail bar is surrounded by ponds, and fire features.

Not content with just being waterside, the group made spectacular use of the 31m Superyacht Oscar II for an evening on the Trinity Inlet as the sun set. Oscar II is the ultimate on-water indulgence, creating a seamless experience with luxury style, service and onboard dining. Its sleek lines and opulent internal volume make this vessel an easy choice for anyone wanting the finest in international super yacht standards.

The Fun Stuff on the Agenda

Day 3 of the Cannes in Cairns Conference sent the delegates inland to Kuranda or out to the Coral Sea. The conference selected Sunlover Reef Cruises to host delegates on the Great Barrier Reef. What’s better than visiting the Great Barrier Reef for the day? Sliding into the Great Barrier Reef! Sunlover Reef Cruises boasts the only waterslide on the reef.

Contrary to popular belief, visiting the Great Barrier Reef is one of the single best ways delegates can help in its conservation. Every visitor to the reef pays an Environmental Management Charge which contributes to the day-to-day management of the Marine Park and funding research to improve its longterm resilience, winning it the title of world’s best managed reef.

For those not keen to get wet, the ‘village in the rainforest’ beckoned. Kuranda was the ultimate destination for group number two. With two different modes of transport up and down the rainforest range, delegates were able to view the heritage listed Wet Tropics Rainforest from every angle. Recognised as the oldest tropical rainforest on the planet and the largest in Australia, the Wet Tropics Rainforest offers endless experiences for any group size.

A gondola ride above the canopy aboard Skyrail Rainforest Cableway just north of Cairns provided an opportunity for the delegates to appreciate the diversity this ecosystem offers on the way up. The way down was aboard the historic Kuranda Scenic Rail. With heritage carriages over 100 years old, the journey down is a slower pace than most expect. After a jam-packed conference agenda, it’s a chance for delegates to relax – the breath-taking views are broken only by seasonal waterfalls, the rainforest canopy and a tunnel or two built by dynamite, buckets and bare hands over a century-ago.

As the conference ended, the group reflected on how the notion of the whole industry coming together briefly became a thing of the past. Now, they can return home with a “renewed sense of perspective, energy and purpose”, as Pinterest Australia and New Zealand’s Country Manager, Melinda Petrunoff aimed for when she opened the event.

“A surprise highlight of the trip – a slippery slide that brought out the kid in all of us very sophisticated, work-conferencing adults. (It was actually very fun!)” – Dan Uglow, Co-Founder, The Misfits Media Company

Fast Facts

Delegates: 667 | Top Speakers: Ash Barty, Mark Bouris, Dr Nick Coatsworth, Flex Mami

Key sponsor: Pinterest | How many off site events: 12