Cairns Hatchlings, presented by Yahoo, is set to return for another year to give emerging talent the chance to tackle real-world briefs and take their ideas to the big stage.
Entries are now open, with this year’s competition challenging Round 1 participants to turn a few minutes of everyday screen time into a meaningful contribution to reef conservation with a real brief from Citizens of Reef.
In Round 2, held live in Cairns (and we’ll pay for finalists’ travel and accomodation in Far North Queensland!) participants will have work to a brief set by the United Nations Foundation.
Round 1 Brief
This year’s Round One entrants will be working with Citizens of the Reef, to develop ideas to encourage 30,000 people across Asia-Pacific to download the Great Reef Census app and analyse reef imagery. The goal is to have enough people contribute 10 image analyses each to process a full year’s worth of Great Barrier Reef Census images in a single day.
The brief is centred on the idea that people can donate something other than money to conservation: their attention. Most participants can analyse 10 images in less than 10 minutes, with the collective effort helping generate data that informs reef management and conservation work.
Entrants can tackle the challenge across the wider Asia-Pacific region or focus on a market they know best.
The competition spans 10 categories: Audio, Design, Digital, Film, Marketing, Media, Out Of Home, PR, Publishing and Strategy.
The competition is open to anyone with between three and eight years of industry experience, with entries submitted by teams of two.
Find the full entry criteria HERE!
Round 2 details
The Round Two briefing will take place on Tuesday, May 25, with live pitches scheduled for Wednesday, May 26. Film finalists will have a longer 48-hour window, with their pitches taking place on Thursday, May 27.
The competition will culminate in an awards ceremony on Thursday, May 27, as part of the Cairns Crocodiles Festival, bringing together some of the industry’s most promising up-and-comers and established leaders for a celebration of creativity, connection and the ideas shaping what comes next.
Want to know what it takes to hatch a winning idea? Explore the work that came out on top in 2026.
Key Dates:
- Entries open: Monday, November 2, 2026
- Round One submissions close: Friday, February 12, 2027
- Late submissions close: Friday, February 19, 2027
- Finalists announced: Wednesday, March 17, 2027
- Round Two briefing: Tuesday, May 25, 2027
- Final pitches: Wednesday, May 26, 2027
- Film final pitches: Thursday, May 27, 2027
- Winners announced: Thursday, May 27, 2027
For those looking to make their mark, Cairns Hatchlings offers a chance to get out of the usual work routine, meet new people and show the industry what they can do.
Early bird tickets won’t hang around forever. Get your tickets NOW!
