While the content hasn’t officially kicked off, proceedings are well underway! After a long and strenuous day of judging for the Cairns Crocodiles Awards, the jury (as well as their counterparts on the Cairns Hatchlings Jury) descended on Rocco to ascend for one of the best views of the Cairns skyline.
While that was happening, Microsoft Advertising took a selection of Australia’s leading agency bosses to Ochre for a slap-up dinner and important conversations.
After all that excitement, we expect there’ll be a couple of tired folks. But fortunately, Mission Australia Cafe One Coffee Van, sponsored by Mutinex is on hand to give you a caffeine fix on the way into the Cairns Convention Centre.
Cairns Crocodiles Awards & Cairns Hatchlings Jury Dinner At Roccos
After 347 days, hundreds of entries from around the region and seven intensive hours of judging the finest creative work from around the Asia-Pacific region, the Cairns Crocodiles Awards jury packed away their pencils and decamped to the spectacular wharfside Rocco for a restorative dinner.
The Cairns Crocodiles Awards jury features creative and marketing luminaries such as VML India’s ECD Birger Linke, Subhash Kamath, chairman of India’s Advertising Standards Council, Zespri’s CMO Nikos Patiniotakis and Xanthe Wells, Pinterest’s VP of global creative.
Together, this panel of 26, ably steered by Navigare’s Jeff Estok, Think HQ’s Jen Sharpe and consultant Rob Brittain in their roles as jury advisors, picked apart and mulled the merits of campaigns from Thailand, Singapore and beyond. With the votes cast and the trophy etchings underway, the jury relaxed, enjoying a refreshing XXXX Gold or two.
For the Cairns Hatchlings jury, meanwhile, the fun was yet to start. The first live briefing will be taking place tomorrow, after which the 20 finalists will be given just 24 hours (48 for the Film category finalists) to produce exceptional work for the Cairns Hatchlings charity partners, Mission Australia and Singapore’s Women on a Mission.
The finalists will be presenting their work on Wednesday (Thursday for the Film category) to the jury. The winners will be revealed on Thursday afternoon.
Microsoft Advertising’s Magnificent Agency Dinner
As the sun set over Cairns last night, Microsoft Advertising’s Agency Dinner brought together great company, smart conversations, and a relaxed, memorable meal grounded in place.
Hosted at the stunning Ochre, perched right on the harbour’s edge, the evening brought together agency leaders and Microsoft’s advertising team for a night of big ideas, fresh perspectives and even fresher food.
From the moment guests arrived, it was clear this wasn’t just another networking dinner. With Ochre’s famed native ingredients setting the tone, the atmosphere was intimate and ambitious.
From rosella flower-cured kingfish to indulgent lemon myrtle and macadamia meringue, the dishes were passed around like insider tips, as glasses clinked with locally sourced wines and stories from the frontlines of media and tech flowed just as freely.
The guest list was a who’s who of industry minds, including Chris Parker from Awaken, Stephen Leeds of The Media Store, Thinkerbell’s Adam Ferrier, Curious Media’s Poppy Reid, Melissa Roberts from The Advertising Room and Bridget Cleary from Big Red Group, each bringing their own perspective and personality to the table.
The Microsoft leadership team didn’t hold court, they pulled up chairs. Their openness set the tone for the evening: thoughtful, curious, and future-focused. There were no presentations or panels, just conversation and it worked.
By 9pm, no one wanted to leave, and that wasn’t just the view, the food or the wine. It was the rare feeling of alignment, across agencies, across goals and across the table.
Mission Australia Cafe One Coffee Van, Sponsored By Mutinex
If you’re needing a caffeine hit, make sure you check out the Mission Australia Cafe One coffee van, sponsored by Mutinex. The van is located on the ground floor of the porte cochere area outside the Cairns Convention Centre. Mission Australia is determined to break the cycle of homelessness with the baristas, all paid trainees, to give them the skills they need to secure full-time employment. The coffee is free, but donations are very welcome.
