John Koay’s One Show Diary day 1: Hello from Punta Cana!

John Koay, Chief Creative Officer of Omnicom Advertising Hong Kong, is currently in the Dominican Republic for The One Show 2026 judging. Here he shares his day 1 dairy.

Hello from Punta Cana! After a sneaky nap, I’ve finally managed to regain my basic motor skills to report my trip to The One Show ‘26 judging taking place in the Dominican Republic. After a total of 26+ hours sat on planes, a non-functioning inflight entertainment system that united an entire cabin in collective disappointment and 4 hours of an absolute sh*tshow in JFK airport, I’m glad to have finally arrived at this spectacular resort.

This year I’ve been invited to judge on the Direct Marketing jury alongside some of the world’s greatest creative minds, led by jury president Andre Toledo. Over the past few weeks, we’ve all been moonlighting as judges after our day jobs, scoring hundreds of online entries in solitude, but now is the fun part: we get to talk to real humans, debate passionately – maybe even argue, and award the best work done over the past year. There’s something special about the One Show – it feels less mass, more intimate, and more exclusive. It makes being here feel that much more meaningful.

My first impressions upon arrival have been great. The sun came out, I met the other judges and discovered some were friends of friends, and the setting is just beautiful. Last night’s welcome drinks were surprisingly civilized despite this place’s reputation as a party hotspot. At one-point, other resort guests walked by and thought we were real court room judges. I overheard one say, “Oh, isn’t it lovely they get to let their hair down outside the courtroom”. Honestly, I’ll take that level of gravitas!

Tomorrow is the first day of judging, I’ll do my best to capture all the action.