A few years ago, I had the privilege of attending the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival in the South of France as one of three proud recipients of a Horizon Media award that recognizes outstanding employee performance.

I couldn’t believe that my work was being noticed by the company, let alone being recognized for such a big award among so many other equally deserving employees from across New York and Los Angeles.

My experience at Cannes was beyond unbelievable! The agency made sure that we had the best experience by reaching out to their partners at Cannes and hooking us up with tickets to the best events and parties.

We listened to conversations about native advertising, and startups offering an enhanced ad experience. I also heard celebrities such as Sir Patrick Steward, Jerald Leto and Kanye West speak about entertainment and live branded content.

Digital technologies were transforming the industry, and looking back, I realize that I witnessed what was to come. For example, I was one the first people to try out Oculus Rift — before virtual reality became a hot topic.

It was incredible to be there and it was a great memory to have.

Horizon Life is: a place where your hard work is celebrated.