Your 2027 Cannes Plan
Has your FOMO maxed out from reading all the "what I learned at Cannes" posts?
I know it's no consolation, and somewhat bougie of me to say, but I was there for the entire glorious week, and I have FOMO for all the stuff I missed.
Looking for some preventative medicine for 2027? Commit to Cannes right now to ensure you get on La Croisette next year. Right now.
The beauty and challenge of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is you can't do it all. The core Festival and beaches have more programming than a midsize agency team could attend. The official event is multiplied by more than 1,488 side events, registration websites, and a plethora of private gatherings across the city. However, you can't do any of it if you are not there.
Circle the dates, friends. The 2027 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is scheduled to take place from June 21 to June 25, 2027
What's the game plan?
First, get on the list; it is easy- just sign up here: https://www.canneslions.com/festival/register-your-interest.
Next, start building your pitch for yourself, your boss, your colleagues. An easy place to start? How about leveraging snippets and insights from sponsorship all-stars who attended this year? Here are a few I have collected for you:
One of the biggest highlights of Cannes was experiencing the brand activations. As a marketer and founder of an event series, it felt like walking through a living portfolio of some of the best experiential marketing in the world. It was inspiring to see how brands translated their ideas into immersive experiences and obsessed over every detail, from the guest journey to the smallest design touches. - Brittney Oliver (Lemons 2 Lemonade)
After years of seeing it from afar, I was finally able to experience Sport Beach at Cannes Lions for the first time. As soon as I arrived I quickly understood why so many leaders from sports, business, media, and technology make the trip every year. - Chris Paul (yes, that Chris Paul)
It's no secret that AI was the undisputed hot topic of the week. Brands are leaning hard into AEO, live shopping, and agentic discovery to stay digitally relevant. But in response to this extreme digital push, we're seeing a complete 180-degree counter-movement: a massive shift back to IRL and analog. - Vayner Media
Simplicity is a differentiator. One of my favorite sessions featured Denise Campbell, VP of Marketing Strategy at Novartis. Her biggest lesson wasn't about having the biggest campaign — it was about having the clearest idea. They spent years building internal credibility before taking bold external swings like their NFL partnership, relentlessly simplifying until every element reinforced one clear message. In a world where AI can generate almost anything, clarity and a distinctive point of view matter more than ever. - LaShonda Anderson Williams (Salesforce)
Stop asking who you reached. Start asking what state of mind you reached them in — and whether your message belonged there. - Tino Meitz (EMPYRICA)
What has blown me away about Sport Beach in the three years I have been invited, is the calibre of marketers, CEO's, sport personalities, directors, commentators and creators that are on that stage.- Nick Elliott (Booster Consulting)
In addition to these snippets, take a look at the winning work via agency posts; the LinkedIn platform and YouTube are littered with the best work every year. Dedicated curators such as Amazing Ads - https://youtube.com/@amazing-ads?si=-xXBhJiGxXK9wNWY or the Clio Site Ads of the World - https://www.adsoftheworld.com are easy to access.
Then talk to five to ten people who went to Cannes and ask for their feedback, guidance, and recommendations.
From here, write your pitch. Pretending I work for a midsize music festival, my pitch to my boss might sound like this (if I asked Claude to draft it!)
Hi [Boss's name],
I'd like to request approval and budget to attend Cannes Lions in June 2027.
All-in cost (badge, travel, hotel) runs about $8,000–$10,000. Our average sponsorship deal is $75,000–$150,000, so closing just one new sponsor from this trip pays for itself 10x over.
Every major brand we're chasing in beverage, telecom, and finance is in one place for a week, which means real conversations rather than cold outreach. I'll also come back with a direct read on what competing festivals are pitching sponsors right now, which will strengthen our renewal talks this fall.
This isn't a networking trip; it's the fastest path to next season's sponsorship number. Total ask is under $10K against a realistic return of one six-figure sponsor.
Happy to put together a one-pager for finance if that's useful. Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
[Your name]
Don't stop there. Start looking through the lists of side events at Cannes and get your name on them. The Propeller https://cannes.propellergroup.com/ list is one of the most cited. I leveraged Content to Commas / Brandon Smithwick's list, and it was constantly updated; check him out here https://www.contenttocommas.co/p/how-i-turned-an-l-into-20k-at-cannes
Now that the bulk of your foundational research is done, I would plot out your plan for the next ten months. Booking accommodations, figuring out your flights (early), leveraging the "free" trip to Europe to tack on a few vacation days before or after? As you get closer, set your priorities, map out the connections you want to make, shop for some linen clothes, double-check your passport expiry (see me back in 2024 on the way to the Olympics), and let me know if you want to grab a coffee.
This was only my second time going to Cannes, and I can state clearly right now, I will be back for a third, fourth, fifth and more.