DEPT® x Cannes Lions 2023

DEPT® Bamboo Beach: Your Ultimate Hangout during Cannes Lions 2023

Welcome to DEPT® Bamboo Beach, the ultimate hangout at Cannes Lions 2023 right on the beach. We’ve created the perfect place for you to call home amid the festival madness, with great food, lunchtime discussions, and informal chats featuring the biggest names in the digital industry. Best of all, we’re open all day, so you can hop in and out whenever you want.

Apply for Your DEPT® Bamboo Beach Wristband and Enjoy:

• All-day access to our comfy hangout and beach lounge (open to everyone, no Cannes Lions Festival badge required)

• The best breakfast and lunches on the beach, free of charge

• A chill space on the beach to relax, work, or meet with excellent Wi-Fi

• Daily happy hours with signature cocktails and rosé

• All Access Wristband holders can bring guests

Our cozy beach hangout offers the perfect opportunity to mix, mingle, and create magic with other industry professionals. Whether you’re here to gain insider insights, make new connections, or simply unwind from the festival frenzy, Bamboo Beach has got your back.

Join us for our exciting program on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday:

Tuesday, June 20 – Immersive experiences & creativity
We provide the perfect setting to share ideas, personal experiences, and insights on how immersive experiences can spark creativity. Whether you’re a fan of virtual reality, interactive installations, storytelling or the latest spatial news, this is the ideal opportunity to engage in friendly conversations and expand your horizons.

• 9.00 – 11.00 AM Bamboo Breakfast: Coffee, Croissants & Conversations – Fuel up for the day and get some work done in our inspiring space before the festival activities kick off.

• 12.00 – 2.00 PM Lunch with Friends: Creative Conversations with Nice Folks – Enjoy delicious food while engaging in thought-provoking discussions with fellow attendees, check out the detailed program below.

Our confirmed friends:
– Adrienne Lucas, The One Club for Creativity
– Chad Calcagno, Yuga Labs
– Winnie Burke, Roblox
– Oliver Lange, H&M
– Adam Shlachter, Niantic
– Alexander Dao, Snapchat

Plus, our own DEPT® stars: Isabel Perry, Tobias Cummins, Steve Denekas.

• 3.00 – 5.00 PM Bamboo Beach Happy Hour – End your busy day with a cold drink and tasty bites.

Wednesday, June 21 – The future of Tech, Commerce and AI
We’re diving headfirst into the riveting world of technology, commerce, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with some of the biggest brands in the business. Hear about the most innovative ideas around, glean insights from real-world experiences, and witness firsthand how AI is revolutionizing the way we buy and sell.

• 9.00 – 11.00 AM Bamboo Breakfast: Coffee, Croissants & Conversations – Fuel up for the day and get some work done in our inspiring space before the festival activities kick off.

• 12.00 – 2.00 PM Lunch with Friends: Creative Conversations with Nice Folks – Enjoy delicious food while engaging in thought-provoking discussions with fellow attendees, check out the detailed program below.

Our confirmed friends:
– Suso O’Brien, Just Eat Takeaway
– Boukje Taphoorn, Bol.com
– Jeff Long, KFC
– Billy Kelly, Lululemon
– Jay Pattisall, Forrester
– Caroline Yap, Google
– Lynne Kjolso, Microsoft

And our DEPT® crew: Ryan Parkhurst, Sam Huston, and Isabel Perry

• 3.00 – 5.00 PM Bamboo Beach Happy Hour – End your busy day with a cold drink and tasty bites.

Thursday, June 22 – Navigating People, Culture, and Social Issues in the Workforce
Join us for a friendly lunch talk about people, culture, and social issues in the workforce. No matter if you’re a seasoned professional, just starting out, or simply interested in creating a better work environment, this chat is for you. We’ll be talking about how we can make our workplaces better places for everyone.

• 9.00 – 11.00 AM Bamboo Breakfast: Coffee, Croissants & Conversations – Fuel up for the day and get some work done in our inspiring space before the festival activities kick off.

• 12.00 – 2.00 PM Lunch with Friends: Creative Conversations with Nice Folks – Enjoy delicious food while engaging in thought-provoking discussions with fellow attendees, check out the detailed program below.

Our confirmed friends:
– Meta, Derya Matras, Vice President UK, Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa
– The inspiring Cephas Williams
– The dynamic Black50 team
And DEPT®’s own Tobias Cummins

• 3.00 – 5.00 PM Bamboo Beach Happy Hour – End your busy day with a cold drink and tasty bites.

When: Tuesday 20 June 2023 – Thursday 22 June 2023
Where: Plage & Restaurant Croisette Beach, 65 Bd de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France

We wish we had room for all, but we’ve reached capacity – wristbands are all taken! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at events@deptagency.com.

Date

June 20 - June 22

From (UTC)

07:00 - 16:00

Where

Cannes, France

See you at Bamboo Beach!

Meet our team

Looking to attend Cannes? Our team will be present to provide you with the latest updates and help you stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re seeking to connect with industry leaders, explore emerging technologies, or discover the latest trends, we’ve got you covered.

Dimi Albers | GLOBAL CEO,
DEPT®

Dimi Albers, CEO of DEPT®, has driven the company’s rapid growth from a 130-person Amsterdam team to a global business with 4,000+ digital specialists across 30+ locations. With 20+ years of industry experience, Dimi has managed 32 acquisitions since 2015, creating a pioneering global digital agency focused on tech and marketing integration. Committed to maintaining a boutique culture and positive planetary impact, Dimi secured Climate Neutral and B Corporation status for DEPT® in 2021.

Missy Foristall | GLOBAL COO,
DEPT®

Missy Foristall, COO at DEPT® and CEO of DEPT® Americas, has 20+ years of experience at the media, marketing, and technology crossroads. Before DEPT®, she worked at IBM, JP Morgan, MediaLink, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and Razorfish, managing teams across various domains. Holding a BA in Art History from Hartwick College, Missy has served on boards for The Ridgefield Playhouse and She Runs It, and is the executive sponsor of DEPT® Women Employee Resource Group.

Steven Denekas | SVP CREATIVE,
DEPT®

Steve Denekas, Chief Creative Officer at BASIC/DEPT®, brings raw energy, originality, and a poetic approach to digital experiences. A self-taught designer, he’s adept at building teams, methodologies, and practices that scale companies and deliver results. Since 2018, Steve has been with BASIC/DEPT®, taking a dual role at DEPT® in 2022. Previously, he served as VP of Creative at Instrument and held senior positions at Wieden+Kennedy and BBDO. He’s worked with global clients like Levi’s, Google, Nike, and The Met, driven by his mission to create legacies.

Isabel Perry | VP EMERGING TECH,
DEPT®

Isabel Perry, VP of Emerging Tech at DEPT®, is a renowned expert in AI, Web3, and the metaverse, revolutionizing businesses and ranked among the top 15 advertising executives by Business Insider. With a Master’s in Architecture from Cambridge, she brings a unique approach to design and user experience. During her 8-year tenure at BYTE/DEPT®, she expanded the tech team, launched chatbots for clients like Just Eat UK, Spotify, and Google, and managed a skilled team, securing lasting brand success.

Tobias Cummins | GLOBAL SVP, CLIENTS, DEPT®

Tobias Cummins, a visionary leader passionate about transforming Barbados into a thriving business hub, champions diversity and sustainability for innovative teams. With leadership experience in five countries, he currently serves as Global SVP of Clients at DEPT®, a fast-growing digital agency, managing business development across EMEA. Previously, as Managing Director of BYTE/DEPT®, Tobias oversaw expansion into New York and nurtured key relationships with major brands like Spotify, Google, and Twitch.

ASHER WREN | Vice President Of Growth at BASIC/DEPT® + Partner at DEPT®

Creative growth leader with 12 years of agency experience and a track record of leading creative teams to pitch, win and deliver award-winning, impactful work for Fortune500 brands, in the fields of branding, digital design and innovation.

JOANNA TRIPPETT | MANAGING DIRECTOR, DEPT®

Joanna Trippett is Managing Director of Marketing/Technology Agency DEPT® and was recently named as one of Management Today’s ‘35 under 35’. Joanna’s clients include businesses such as eBay, Just Eat Takeaway, Twitch, ASOS and Amazon Prime.

As Managing Director of DEPT® in the UK, Joanna works closely with the wider management team to design and implement the business strategy that enables the 500-strong team to deliver pioneering work across the four core disciplines; Creative, Engineering, Experience and Growth.

SAM HUSTON | CSO Growth Americas at DEPT®

As we begin to see new trends emerge and changes take place, it will be important to not lose sight of the marketing tenets that transcend those trends. Understanding consumers as people, turning data into insight, implementing agility, obeying authenticity and leveraging disruption are a few of the skills required to connect with consumers and drive growth.

Over the last 18 years, Sam has had the opportunity to develop these skills while working on some of the largest brands in the world and with some of the most talented people in the industry.

Rob Murray | CEO, Growth for the Americas & Partner at DEPT®

Rob has built his career leading mid-size and early stage startups, providing strategic vision to guide growth, enhance business operations and drive revenue. He’s entrepreneurially-minded, and has a background in scaling companies, navigating mergers and acquisitions and creating shareholder value. His strong business acumen has led to increased margins and profits in every company he’s been a part of.

NILS ZÜndorf | Managing Director Marketplaces & Partner at DEPT®

E-commerce consultant and specialist in the development and scaling of paid advertising measures for over ten years. He unites startup and corporate worlds, online and offline business, and new approaches and existing structures. With a focus on online marketing and customer touchpoints, he pursues the goal of maximizing the return on every cent, regardless of the budget.

René Verbong | Executive Creative Director at DEPT®

René Verbong is Executive Creative Director and Partner at DEPT® and heads the Amsterdam creative team. He loves ideas that spark and activate people. Not just in their buying behavior, but the idea should also make them feel proud of their preferred brand, and of course be share-worthy. To accomplish this, René believes the concepts have to be entertaining, real, make sense, and should never bullshit people. In his career he has been awarded by shows like Cannes Lions, Eurobest, Webby and Lovies. Next to crafting ideas, he also loves to DJ and create music, draw with his kids, and he has an official side business in building arcade cabinets.

Danijel Bonacic | director of strategy & Partner at DEPT®

As Strategy Director, Danijel helps clients to re-invent their businesses and create engaging and innovative digital experiences – from award-winning apps to experiences powered by emerging tech.

Thomas van Slooten | Head of Account Brand & Advertising at DEPT®

Heleen Hidskes | Head of Strategy at DEPT®

Head of Strategy & Partner creating end-to-end digital experiences for top brands. Committed to positive impact environmental and social impact. Former strategy director and brand planner/strategist.

Marjan Straathof | GLOBAL HEAD OF MARKETING

Marjan has been in the marketing game for over a decade, with a focus on all things digital and tech. These days, she leads a team of 40+ marketers across multiple offices.

Whether it’s launching and building the DEPT® brand and culture, or co-founding the world’s first 24-hour Metaverse festival with over 12,000 registrations; she loves teamwork and finding ways to innovate and make a difference.

Inês Saraiva | Global Comms & PR Director

12+ years of experience in Communication and PR. She’s the happiest at the intersection of creativity and impact and has spent most of her career in the music & advertising industries, celebrating brands and elevating talent.

DEPT® x Cannes Lions 2023