What was the best thing about the event?

Is it the fact that you can see thousands of commercials, print ads, DM & interactive ideas over the week?

Or that you can go up to people like Trevor Beatty and just chat about the business?

Or perhaps it is going up on stage as the winner of a gold Lion…

Honestly I cannot separate one specific thing that makes this event so special, it has to be the magic combination of it all that has been bringing talented people here for over 50 years.

What was the worst?

It’s not winning, and cursing yourself when you see so much incredible work….

As a creative how important is being there?

If you want to be someone or make it in this business, you must come to this obscenely expensive place, drink Kir Royales on the patio of the Carlton, meet all the legends of the business and exchange ideas all day long.

What other show immerses you over one week with so much media creativity – from all over the world?

Will what you’ve seen have an impact on your own creative?

We’re living in a multimedia world. We no longer look to classic media to get our news or entertainment. Therefore we as communicators must always be looking for the next new way to reach our consumer. This was the big message I took away from Cannes.

The mantra around the halls of GJP will be: ‘Break the barriers, break through in all areas and do it brilliantly.’

Which campaign did you absolutely adore?

The EMI anti-piracy campaign with its overwhelmingly powerful art direction grabbed [the press and outdoor judges] instantly. In a world of clean and structured Mac’d ads, this campaign understood the relevance of a musician’s creativity and talent and made you feel a fool if you simply ripped it off. [The ad, awarded the Press Grand Prix, uses the tagline: ‘Nothing Great Comes Easy’ and highlights what makes musicians great, i.e. Keith Richards’ fingers.]

Overall impressions?

There’s a big change in the air.

The most obvious thing was the blurring of lines of all the traditional disciplines. It wasn’t about great print. And certainly [not] the 30-second TV spot. It was the multimedia of it all. Advertisers were showing how great ideas come in all forms and mesh fully across the board.

Did the Canadian work make you proud?

As always, yes. The only thing that eludes us is a Grand Prix. That must be our next goal.

Is the trek to Cannes still worth it?

How can you even ask that question!