Any ad exec, in ad agency, in any country across the globe. Ask them what they see as the global benchmark for 'good creative' and you'll hear 'Cannes Lions' echoing endlessly. But what is it that makes this global award show stand out among all the others? What's that special ingredient that changes the typical celebration of ad work that makes a difference into an instigator of creative bravery that actually changes the course of communications?

Phillip Thomas, in roaring good company

Thomas lets us in on a few of the secrets...

1. Let's set the stage; how did Cannes Lions come about?

Thomas: Cannes Lions is actually now in its 62nd year and was inspired by the International Film Festival. A group of worldwide cinema screen advertising contractors (SAWA) felt that the makers of advertising films should receive similar recognition as their colleagues in the feature film industry. In order to promote the cinema medium, SAWA established the International Advertising Film Festival. The first Festival took place in Venice in September 1954, the second Festival was held in Monte Carlo and then another in Cannes in 1956. After that, the Festival took place alternatively between Venice and Cannes.

2. How are Cannes Lions wins perceived by the international community?

Thomas: Winning a Lion is incredibly valuable, both on a personal and business level. To the individual, it's an aspirational award to win, one that recognises your talent and creativity on a global scale. We receive over 40,000 entries into the awards, so winning a Lion is no mean feat. On the other side, Cannes Lions truly believes that creativity can drive business and the value of a Lion for an agency is therefore very high.

3. What do the different sectors (innovation, medical/health) add to the overall experience of Cannes Festival of Creativity?

Thomas: The communications industry is changing at a lightning pace and this can't be ignored. What we do at Cannes Lions is reflect the industry and provide a platform for it. This means it's crucial that we continue to evolve so that we remain relevant. Areas like healthcare, technology and data are all big news at the moment and indicative of the direction that the industry is heading in. Delegates can come to Cannes and know that they can immerse themselves in all of the relevant sectors as well as network with the right people.

4. How do these compare to other international awards?

Thomas: Cannes Lions is truly global, each year receiving entries from close to 100 countries. Our jurors come from more than 40 countries and the awards ceremonies, of which we have six this year, pull in thousands of delegates. What truly stands Cannes Lions apart though, is that alongside the most prestigious and global awards in the business, we have a content programme filled with more than 250 outstanding speakers. Oh, and there's that little detail of it happening on the French Riviera - it's not a bad place to spend a week networking with thousands of industry peers.

5. Indeed! How are the judges chosen?

Thomas: We have a rigorous process which first requires us to look at numbers - we estimate entry numbers to determine how many judges we need as well as looking at the entries and wins by country so that we can get a balanced geographical allocation of judges.