Technology is constantly transforming communication and marketing disciplines, creating new business opportunities and areas for growth.
For this reason, I’m particularly happy and honored to be President of the Marketing Innovation award competition, celebrating this culture of hackers and makers. In our digital world, innovations come from engineers, creative technologists, and entrepreneurs, that are inspiring today’s marketers. The Cristal Festival creates a fantastic opportunity for them to meet, connect and debate around their vision.

Together with my fellow jury, we will dedicate ourselves to rewarding the most innovative and disruptive initiatives in marketing. I’m really looking forward to hear from your ideas and achievements.

Let the competition begin!

Maybe it is fitting that I am the sole female jury chairwoman at this year’s Cristal Festival. For so long ‘media’ has been the odd one out when it comes to creative awards, so I’m looking forward to leading my fellow judges in a charge for equality…equality for media as a creative discipline.

Media is often seen as the cul-de-sac of creativity; a world of numbers-driven efficiency where the focus is the endless race to the ‘best value’ – which usually means the lowest price.

I’ll be spearheading the battle with my fellow judges to rid media from the dual yoke of ‘efficiency’ and ‘value’, heralding the best examples of creativity – whether that is technological or data-driven, insight-derived or through content creation.

Make no mistake my fellow judges, it is going to be brutal, but we’re going to reassert media as THE creative and exciting discipline.

I’m both honored and excited to be joining such a talented group of peers in what I anticipate will be a fantastically enriching experience, a learning and sharing opportunity and, above all, a chance to see in a single occasion the best work of the year, from all around the world.

This jury consolidates from within its members enormous experience and a very diverse scope of knowledge and I’m committed to make the best of the time we’ll spend together, sharing opinions, criteria and ambition, selecting the ideas that truly represent the best this industry is all about: Creativity.

I’m very much looking forward to meet you all in Courchevel, to be inspired by you, by the work and by that white-carpeted amazing location. See you at the Cristal.

At a time when a lot of disciplines are converging under the influence of the digital transformation, the PR jury will work hard to demonstrate that PR, taken in a very broad sense, has a great role to play in the integrated mix of communication and marketing.

PR after all has always been about conversations with media, governments, and various influencers, it has always been about influence, well crafted and credible messages. It now has to show that it can also be very creative, and is very at ease in the always-on conversation.

I am looking forward to meeting with my distinguished colleagues from very professional agencies.

The power of sport to inspire, connect, impress, and bring the best out of people makes it one of the most compelling means of communication and sources of content to engage and entertain people around the world. Sport has made and continues to make a great contribution to marketing and advertising with some of the most memorable campaigns and spots created around, for, or with sporting events, athletes, and fans at the heart.

Sport gives advertisers a unique way to build meaningful and long lasting relationships with fans by making them part of the conversation about what they love most. This category therefore celebrates people’s passions, and the creative and innovate ways and channels that bring them to life. The Cristal Festival has demonstrated its forward thinking in recognizing the influence and distinct nature of campaigns involving sport.

As such, it is a privilege to inaugurate the first Sports Marketing Cristal and serve as the President of its Jury. I look forward to working with all of the jurors to set the foundation for this new category and celebrate the best ideas and strategic thinking that puts sport and fans at the forefront.

I look forward to presiding the Integrated, Film & Radio jury, working closely with such a great team of judges. As a jury, we will ensure that the best work prevails and we award the work that we collaboratively feel strongly about, are proud of, and can set the bar with.

This is a great opportunity to be surrounded by great creative minds, in search for and in discussion about breakthrough trends and transformational ideas in an ever-changing industry.

I am glad to also be representing the MENA region for the first time, leading over a global jury, as our region is becoming a key player on the global stage with many of our colleagues pushing creative boundaries and being recognized for it.

With audiences interacting with media and brands in more diverse and intricate patterns, the world of marketers, publishers and creatives are constantly pushed to innovate new ways to tomorrow’s eyeballs, tomorrow’s engagement and tomorrow’s dollars.

As a jury in the global Cristal Festival will get the opportunity to find out who is ahead in that game. I’m looking forward to get inspired, and I’m looking forward to get impressed.

As a festival celebrating Creativity and Innovation, Craft is at the foundation of everything we do. Light, sound and images; cinematography, direction and editorial are the instruments through which we tell our stories.

This year’s jury will be dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, quality and overall aesthetic of the filmmaking and storytelling process. We will seek to honor work that’s truly best-in-class and that pushes the boundaries of creativity by propelling the narrative forward in innovative ways.

I look forward to seeing the work and meeting all of you in Courchevel…