As the Cairns Hatchlings, presented by Yahoo! gears up for its inaugural year of celebrating the brightest emerging talent across the Asia-Pacific, one of its esteemed judges, Alex Pacey, chief product officer at Omnicom Media Group, is bringing a wealth of experience and an unfiltered enthusiasm for creativity to the jury panel.
With over 25 years in the industry, Pacey has witnessed firsthand the power of a truly original idea and the visceral moment when a great thought takes flight. As an advocate for fresh talent, he sees the program as more than just an awards platform—it’s a crucial bridge between emerging professionals and the top industry leaders who can shape their careers.
Want to hear first-hand from an esteemed judge like Pacey? Cairns Hatchlings is also launching a series of workshops designed to help entrants refine their craft and elevate their submissions – with some expert advice along the way.
Kicking off on Friday, March 7, these workshops will be available online, providing participants with expert insights and practical strategies across seven categories. The Media workshop will be held in person on March 7 at the Yahoo! offices – Register now!
B&T: What motivated you to join the Cairns Hatchlings jury, and what excites you most about being involved in this initiative?
Pacey: You can never see enough people who are a mixture of proud, nervous, excited, or confident to present an idea of their own. Particularly if the shackles are off. That moment when a great thought arrives in a room is visceral and in 25 years in the industry it’s been the one thing that I’ve found that transcends beyond all previous limitations put on a brief or campaign.
B&T: Why do you believe programs like Cairns Hatchlings are so important for emerging talent across the Asia Pacific region?
Pacey: It has never in the history of our industry been more important than it is right now to demonstrate the power of the human brain. It’s my view that we must ensure that those new and young in the industry understand that they as individuals can have impact. We need to hold onto the truth that nuance matters and strong perspectives and personalities are some of the magic beans that can help ensure the longevity of this industry.
B&T: From your perspective, what makes Cairns Hatchlings stand out from other industry awards and talent programs?
Pacey: I’m very interested in the idea of hearing from people between 3-8 years’ experience. By that time people have well and truly got their feet under the table, have built some confidence in who they are and how they fit in within the industry. I’m hoping this means they will have the knowledge and the courage to really push the envelope .
B&T: How does the opportunity to showcase work live at the Cairns Crocodiles event add value for the finalists?
Pacey: The ability to sell yourself and your idea is utterly fundamental to success in our industry. Those who excel at it can separate themselves out as incredibly valuable contributors to current and future potential employers. With all the conjecture in our industry about flexible working vs in person, the ability to walk into a room (virtual or real) and command attention is a rapidly diminishing quality.
B&T: Beyond recognition, how do you think the networking and mentorship opportunities provided by the program can shape the careers of participants?
Pacey: The definition of a specialist is someone who has made all the mistakes possible in a very narrow field. If the mentees get nothing else from the program they can at least learn how to avoid some fairly deep potholes!
B&T: The program emphasises collaboration with charities to create real-world impact. How important do you think this aspect is in developing well-rounded industry professionals?
Pacey: There is an urgency that comes from charity work as by the nature of a cause a charity is being very clear about the problem to be addressed. Generally, that often comes with a willingness to try different things to make an impact which makes them perfect for a program such as Carins Hatchlings. As far as the development of a ‘well rounded professional’ goes I think that depends entirely upon the goals of the individual, I don’t think specifically working on a charity client by definition makes you more well-rounded any more than working on a breadth of any other categories. Implied within ‘real world’ impact is that working on other categories doesn’t create that which is incorrect to my mind. Or worse that working with a charity makes you more well-rounded because it somehow readdresses a balance versus the other work we do. I think we need to be prouder of what we do generally , there are a lot of incredibly smart people in our industry and their well-roundedness is rarely a result of the type of clients they work on. That way of thinking is far too reductive.
B&T: What qualities and attributes will you be looking for in the finalists?
Pacey: A distinct and memorable point of view. Obvious enthusiasm, selfishly if I see happy I get happy. Cairns is lovely I don’t want to be stuck inside all day being professional. You can be professional when you’re talking to your global head of whatever. You can have fun and do a great job at the same time. We all know that really.
B&T: In your experience, how can initiatives like Cairns Hatchlings help bridge the gap between emerging talent and top industry leaders?
Pacey: These events and initiatives are an opportunity to create ‘highlights’ in people minds. Highlights stick over time and help individuals stand out. For emerging talent this usually means that they remember the senior people that were receptive to them and for senior leaders they remember the individuals that make an impact and they see as someone who can ‘move the needle’.
B&T: What advice would you give to applicants hoping to make the most of this opportunity?
Pacey: Go for it, you’re playing with house money. Anyone sat in a room all day judging anything will remember those that were different. That took a divergent view or articulated a thought differently. So, bring your personality; don’t get yourself tied up with the thought of ‘being professional’ An awful lot of average stuff gets through under the protection of professionalism. Better to put yourself out there and be remembered than play it safe. Time is an important investment, so don’t undervalue it by selling yourself short.
B&T: Looking ahead, what impact do you hope the Cairns Hatchlings program will have on the industry and the next generation of talent?
Pacey: I’m hoping that we continue to remind our industry that we have people that are worth paying a premium for and that they work at agencies big and small and across multiple disciplines. For the individual involved, I hope that we see some of the great thinkers and future leaders who can help shape the future of the industry.
Space is limited, so make sure to sign up to the in-person Media Workshop early to secure your spot!
