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In just a few days, thousands of people will descend on Cannes to soak up the inspiration and the sunshine during the International Festival of Creativity. The week will undoubtedly fly by in a rosé-colored blur of inspiring talks and great conversation. Our best piece of advice for getting the most from the festival is to plan ahead, but also be prepared for spontaneity.
With that in mind, we’ve curated our top list of talks and events to plan your week around. We’ve chosen two for each day to leave plenty of room for flexibility and spontaneous decision making.
Our team will be on the ground at these events and more, bringing coverage of the festival all week long. Check out our guide below, and follow our ongoing coverage using the hashtag #hkcannes on Twitter and Instagram.
Lions Health
18 – 19 June
Superheroes – unlocking the hidden superpowers of healthcare brands
Saturday, June 18
10:45 – 11:15AM
Health In Focus Stage
Healthcare brands have a superpower: they can save lives. But how can they unlock this superpower? It’s about sharing knowledge. Speakers Bruce Henderson, Chief Creative Officer at Jack Morton Worldwide, and Ryan Quigley, Vice President, Immunology, Global Marketing at AbbVie, discuss their approach to empowering individuals. It’s a talk that’s sure to serve as a powerful reminder of the real world effects of a great communications strategy.
The Power of a Billion
Saturday, June 18
4:15 – 4:45PM
Inspiration Stage
Facebook made global headlines last year when, for the first time ever, one billion people used the platform in a single day. There is power in these numbers, and already Facebook has played a role in our health and safety in both organic and systematized ways. For example, with the Ice Bucket Challenge viral hit, or through the safety check-ins it implemented during the Paris attacks.
In this talk, Erik Hawkins, U.S. Group Lead for Facebook, will be paired with Fred Walker, VP, Global Marketing Services at GSK, and Lynn Vos, CEO for greyhealth group, to discuss how technology like Facebook can enable us to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.
A Matter of Life and Death
Sunday, June 19
3:30 – 4:00PM
Inspiration Stage
After being hit and then left for dead by a drunk driver, Ramona Pierson was in a coma for over a year. When she woke up, she had to relearn how to see, speak, and move. In this talk, which cautions viewers to “leave your sympathy at the door,” Pierson will speak about how she puts this experience to use in her life’s work. She now runs Declara, a Silicon Valley company that uses data analytics and software to help people with learning challenges.
Slashing Arteries
Sunday, June 19
5:00 – 5:30PM
Inspiration Stage
Is this the most intimidating title of any Cannes talk we’ve seen so far? Yes. Are we excited about going? Definitely. Graham Fink, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather China, will speak about how to break through creative limits, which we’re hoping doesn’t involve any actual bloodshed.
Lions Innovation
21 – 22 June
How Calm Technology Will Save The Internet of Things
Tuesday, June 21
11:30AM – 12:00 PM
Discovery Stage
We’re looking forward to this one, and not just because a Cyborg Anthropologist will be speaking. Taking a critical look at the Internet of Things, Haydn Sweterlitsch, Global Chief Creative Officer of the HackerAgency, and Amber Case, a Cyborg Anthropologist, will explore how marketers can fit more seamlessly into consumer’s lives by developing integrated “calm technology.”
Location-enabled Thinking: Who Will Be Tomorrow’s Uber?
Tuesday, June 21
4:30 – 5:00PM
Discovery Stage
Today, we take for granted technology like Uber and Google Maps. But these services, based on location intelligence, are radically changing the way we interact with the physical world, allowing us to navigate space like never before. In this forward-looking talk, Estimote co-founder and president Steve Cheney will discuss what’s next on the horizon in a world where smartphones know more about what’s happening around us than we do.
A Fireside Chat With Daniel Ek
Wednesday, June 22
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Inspiration Stage
If anyone is qualified to speak on content personalization, it’s Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek. Spotify listens to users, finding out their musical tastes by collecting data on the songs they listen to. Using that data, Spotify creates Discover Weekly, a personalized playlist that’s delivered fresh every Monday. Over 40 million users currently engage with their unique Discover Weekly playlist. Over half of these people go on to save at least one song from the playlist, making Spotify the ultimate tastemaker. Ek will discuss the future of personalized content and how technology and humans are working together to solve consumer’s data problems.
Games, VR and Beyond: Inside Playstation’s Magic Lab
Wednesday, June 22
11:30AM – 12:00PM
Discovery Stage
Virtual reality is so hot right now. With so many VR talks to choose from at Cannes, it was hard to pick just one for this list. It’s the combination of VR with gaming that set this one apart. With the upcoming release of PlayStation VR, the director of PlayStation’s Magic Lab, Dr. Richard Marks, will discuss the unique challenges that arise when designing interactive storytelling experiences in virtual reality.
Lions Entertainment
23 – 24 June
Preserving Great Content With the Right Audience: The Mindy Project
Thursday, 23 June
11:00 – 11:45AM
Inspiration Stage
For many fans of canceled television shows, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are the knights in shining armor, swooping in to rescue the show from certain death. This fate was slated for Mindy Kaling’s The Mindy Project when Fox declined to renew it for a 4th season. Although other networks expressed interest in picking it up, it was Hulu who revived the show. Together with Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins, Mindy will discuss how the show’s migration allowed for new storytelling techniques, and helped build and keep the show’s audience.
Fueling The Content Revolution
Thursday, 23 June
3:00 – 3:45 PM
Inspiration Stage
Hosted by YouTube, this discussion explores the creative boom that social media platforms have catalyzed. Together with YouTube creator Hayla Ghazal, YouTube’s CMO Danielle Tiedt and Vice President of Content Partnerships Kelly Merryman will cover the expanded opportunities for expression in the new age of media.
Passion Trumps Talent
Friday, 24 June
11:00AM – 12:00PM
Delegate Zone
How can agencies and creatives alike standout from the pack? It all comes down to passion, argues Matt Eastwood, J. Walter Thompson Company’s Worldwide CCO. This session explores this “internal North Star,” which guides us to doing our best work and presenting our best selves.
All You Need is Time and Sleep
Friday, 24 June
2:30 – 3:30PM
Delegate Zone
How much time do you need to create? It’s a luxurious question many industry creatives never get asked, as they’re typically creating under inflexible timelines. Addressing this issue head on, Razvan Capanescu, Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett Group Romania, will discuss how to make the best with the time you have.
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