From Berocca to portable phone batteries: essential packing for Cannes Lions 2022

Portable phone chargers and the appropriate pills: An absolute must is an extra portable phone battery. Your phone will be your life: invitations, calls, texts, posting, checking the shortlists, making plans, changing plans, running late, meeting up... and all while your phone is roaming. You’ll need battery life. Must #2 is hand sanitizer. Threw this in for this year for obvious reasons. And meds. Over-the-counter is harder to navigate at the local pharmacy. Bring your drugs for colds, flu, Covid, hangovers, rashes and burns.

Miriam Franklin, executive vice-president, head of integrated production, Deutsch NY

Comfortable shoes and ‘the best hangover cure’ Berocca: The one thing you need to pack for Cannes is your sense of humor (and comfortable shoes). Other tips: only pack what can fit in your carry-on, including comfortable shoes and Berocca (best hangover cure ever!)

Beth Wade, global chief marketing officer, VMLY&R

Sunglasses and scented towelettes: Packing for Cannes is a little harder this year as we hear that bags aren’t making it easy these days with international trips. In order to get as much as possible into a carry-on, I’ll be focusing on dresses that are easy to roll up, comfortable shoes – both sneakers and sandals – and a breezy summer bag that can carry my laptop as well as essentials for being out and about. What that might be? Sunglasses, sunscreen, portable phone charger, hand sanitizer and scented towelettes. Oh, and definitely a bottle of Advil.

Beth Sidhu, chief brand and communications officer, Stagwell Global

Lipstick and a little positive attitude: Red lipstick! That and a good attitude – assume positive intent from your colleagues and it all goes much smoother.

Steven Panariello, managing director, BBDO New York

Accessory pouches and a small pharmacy: For me, accessory pouches, whether clutch bag or bum bag, are critical for Cannes. In the morning I fit a small pharmacy and tech store into my bag, then hit the streets.

Jamie Moldafsky, chief marketing officer, Nielsen

Your stamina: My number one tip for packing would be to bring your stamina. Cannes Lions is only four days, but you’ll need all the energy to get through the meetings and events that are packed into this wonderful event.

Gemma Redgrave, marketing director, and Laura Minton, producer, AKQA

About a third less than you think you need: Pack what you think you need, then take at least a third of it out. One must-bring item would be flat shoes, or a sun hat. It’s brutally hot and your feet will fall off if you wear heels all day.

Jennifer DaSilva, president, Berlin Cameron

Female-founded brands: In 2019, I started a tradition of packing only female-founded brands for Cannes. I try to lean toward using female-founded products in my everyday life, but Cannes is the perfect opportunity to challenge myself to make absolutely everything in my suitcase (down to my PJs) female-founded. It’s an effort to champion the amazing creativity of women in this industry and it’s a labor of love for me as a longtime advocate for women in business. My hope is that each year I do this, there will be more brands to choose from, and more women find inspiration and bravery to also become entrepreneurs.

Samantha DiGennaro, founder and chief executive, DiGennaro Communications

Diapers and dapper seersucker shorts for baby: Burp cloths. Diapers. Teethers. After 20-plus years worrying about Pucci and Gucci for strolls down the Croisette, I never would have thought that the most important suitcase content of 2022 would be a portable highchair... and, yes, burp cloths, diapers and teethers! All for my new baby to enjoy his first international business trip. No room for mommy’s wardrobe this year – but look out for baby, sartorially clad in his seersucker shorts, linen shirts and chambray hats, putting his mommy to shame.

Other honorable mentions:

• Outlet adapters

• Mints

• Neck pillow

• Masks

• Vaccination card

• Visine

• Condoms

• Your passport

Bonus tips:

• Call your phone company to make sure international roaming is on

• Alert your credit cards and banks that you will be out of the country

• Back up your computer if you haven’t in a while

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