The Media Leader’s guide to Cannes: How to survive and thrive
Cannes Lions preview
There is a paradox at the heart of a good Cannes Lions. You cannot wing it, but you cannot over-plan it either.
We asked regulars, veterans and one first-timer for their thoughts on how to prepare, and almost everyone landed on some version of the same instruction. Carl Huber-D’Cruze, UK sales director at Disney Advertising EMEA, put it most plainly.
“Go in with a plan, but don’t be afraid to tear it up,” he says.
“No two days are the same. Although the meetings in your diary are important, some of the most valuable and energising conversations happen unexpectedly, so leave room for spontaneity.”
Susan Kingston-Brown, global brand president at UM, frames it as a daily discipline rather than a one-off. “Plan meticulously, then stay flexible. Have a clear agenda before you arrive, but rework it every morning and evening based on the conversations and opportunities that emerge. Some of the most valuable moments are never on the official schedule.”
Virginie Chesnais, chief marketing officer at Happydemics, has turned that into a rule she keeps. “I always try to say yes to one thing each day that isn’t on my calendar, because serendipity is part of the magic. What I avoid is filling every hour with back-to-back meetings.”
That, repeatedly, is the warning: a packed diary is not the same as a productive one. “Cannes rewards focus, not FOMO,” says Clare Beddow, senior director of agency partnerships at MiQ.
Richard Ottoy, senior vice-president of sales EMEA at Assertive Yield, sees the same mistake from first-timers every year. “They try to justify the trip by filling every available slot in their diary. Prioritise the conversations that genuinely need to happen, then leave space for everything else.”
Where the real business actually happens
Ask where the deals get done and nobody points at a stage. “The real business happens in the moments between the big sessions,” says Felicia Asiedu, European marketing director at Cvent. “Some of the most valuable conversations start over coffee, during a walk between meetings or at smaller gatherings where people have time to really talk.”
Sam Hicks, head of advertiser strategy at Channel 4 Sales, would add one more venue to that list. “Despite what Instagram and LinkedIn might suggest, the real business rarely happens on the biggest yacht or beach activation. Some of the best conversations happen over breakfast, on the walk between meetings or increasingly at the run clubs and morning meet-ups that have become a fixture of the week.”
Her advice is to prioritise conversation over commitments: “Leave enough room to follow an introduction, join an unexpected coffee or stay in a conversation that’s more interesting than the next thing in your calendar.”
The more useful truth is that most of it does not happen at Cannes at all. “Most of the business in Cannes actually takes place after Cannes,” says Nigel Clarkson, UK MD of Adwanted. “The festival is the connector that makes those conversations start. A warm introduction always helps.”
Asiedu agrees on where people go wrong. “The biggest mistake is waiting until you’re home to turn conversations into action.”
Kingston-Brown is blunt about the follow-up. “Capture ideas, contacts and actions while they’re fresh, then follow up quickly and specifically. Discipline beats enthusiasm every time.”
It is also worth remembering what the trip is not for. “Don’t attend expecting presentations and meetings,” says Vicky Bloyce, head of marketing at The Media Leader, heading into her 12th festival. “Use the time to build your network, and sit down to do the meeting with slides when you are back home instead.”
Respect the Croisette
Every veteran has the same logistical scar. The Croisette is longer than it looks, the heat is worse than you remember, and your calendar lies to you about both. “Map out your meetings in advance,” says Antonia Faulkner of Samsung Ads. “The Croisette can be deceptively long, and what looks close on a calendar rarely feels that way in 30-degree heat.”
Mathieu Roche, co-founder and CEO of ID5, plans around the geography rather than fighting it. “Break the Croisette into three sections and block your meetings by location, as there is a 15-minute walk between each. There is nothing worse than running back and forth in the heat.”
Clarkson’s rule of thumb is to “allow 30 minutes between meetings, because Cannes time-keeping is fluid, and register in advance with all your partner businesses to avoid being stood at a gate in 34°C heat.” Expect, he adds, to clock 20,000-plus steps a day.
A word on accommodation, because it catches people out. “Watch out for the logements fantômes, the ghost flats, that haunt unverified listings,” warns Rob Blake, EMEA managing director at Channel Factory. “Stick to trusted local suppliers who can provide support, so your week is spent networking, not stranded on a pavement with a carry-on and nowhere to go.” His other tip is the one everyone forgets until it is too late: book next year’s place as you leave this year’s.
Don’t skip the actual work
For all the talk of margins and networking, several contributors made a point of defending the content. “Make time for the content,” says Faulkner. “Cannes is a rare chance to hear from people you wouldn’t normally have access to, across media, tech, entertainment and sport. Some of the most valuable insights come from stepping into a talk you hadn’t planned to attend.”
Amanda Forrester, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at OpenX, is sharper still. “If you’re flying all the way to France without being able to take practical ideas back to the business, that’s a miss. Prioritise content sessions where the speakers own P&Ls. Those learnings make you formidable.”
And while there is business to be done, Matt Longley, CEO of Mobsta, cautions against the hard sell. “Cannes is still a creativity festival, and the setting gives you permission to have a different kind of conversation. It feels like a waste to use that moment only to run through a heavy sales message.”
How to survive it
The survival advice divides neatly into the physical and the social. On the physical, it is unanimous and it is about your feet. “Think carefully about your shoes,” says Max von Weber, founder and CEO of adnomaly. “A week of hopping on and off yachts means constantly taking them off and putting them back on again. By day four, you’ll be questioning every footwear decision you’ve ever made.”
On the social, pace is everything, and the Gutter Bar is the recurring villain. “Don’t walk past the Gutter Bar after midnight, especially if you have early breakfast meetings,” says Simon Stone, general manager international at LoopMe. “You’ll get sucked into a late night and struggle to escape before 3am.”
Clarkson is of the same view: “Nothing good ever happens after 1am, so plan your escape route.” Frédéric Taillier, managing director of impact.com France and Spain, learned it the hard way. “My first Cannes involved a 6am flight, vodka at sunrise and five days of trying to keep up with rooftop parties. It was exhausting. Some of my best meetings since have been over an early coffee or a walk along the beach.”
The smartest move may be to schedule a retreat. “Give yourself permission to disappear for a couple of hours,” says Kelly Taylor, senior global growth director at Jellyfish. “Every year I block out an afternoon to sit on a balcony with a glass of wine and a fresh baguette, away from the crowds. Those quieter moments are often what help me get the most out of the week.”
Charlie Johnson of Digital Envoy offers the simplest reset of all. “If you look out to sea, the madness is mostly behind you. When it all gets a bit much, swap the frenzy for an ocean breeze.”
The human bit
Beneath the logistics, the people who get the most out of Cannes treat it as a human exercise, not a transactional one.
Erin McCallion, chief marketing officer at Perion, carries a reminder of home. “This year it’ll be a bracelet my daughter made. It keeps you grounded, and it’s a reminder that the glitz is temporary and there’s a real world to get back to.”
Marcus Orme, CEO and co-founder of Medialab, recommends bringing a colleague into the experience. “Go with a client partner. Instead of just networking, you’re learning together, and it makes the conversations far more meaningful.”
And for anyone walking into it cold, Sonia Danner, senior marketer at Marketreach, is doing exactly that this year. “Industry friends have shared plenty of stories alongside tips for staying sane: wear comfortable shoes, accept you can’t do everything, and leave room for spontaneity. My one piece of advice would be to look beyond the headline acts. The more niche underdog sessions can attract highly engaged audiences and create space for more meaningful connections.”
The last word goes to Ian Maxwell, CEO of Converge, on the great unspoken truth of any networking week. “Nobody looks like their LinkedIn photo. I’m about 12 years, two stone and 2,000 follicles away from mine. Ask for visual clues to find people. It’ll still be a game of Where’s Wally, but at least you’ll know what hat Wally is wearing.”
Cannes Lions takes place from 22-26 June, 2026 you can follow along with The Media Leader’s Postcards from Cannes live blog all week.