Can't Miss Cannes Panels (2025 Edition)

The countdown to Cannes is on. With 150+ hours of programming (and new categories), this year’s festival is a reflection of an industry in transformation.

Here are the hot topics and conversations you can’t miss in 2025 - plus a handy agenda.👇

📷 Creators Have Officially Entered The Chat

‘Influencers’ are no longer a campaign afterthought but are now recognized as vital "Creators," a distinct discipline and channel (as evidenced by the change from "Social & Influencer Lions" to "Social & Creator Lions"). This is not just a name change. The shift from one-off influencer managers to dedicated creator teams is key to unlocking next-generation growth within the creator economy.

✅Don’t Miss: “Advertisers vs Creators: Who Really Built Poppi’s US$2bn Sale?” with Jon Evans and Alix Earle | June 17th @ 5:00 PM 📍Rotonde Stage, Rotonde

✅Don’t Miss: “The Creator’s Economy: Reimagining the Partnership Model for the Modern Ecosystem” with Linda Boff and Joe Benarroc | June 19th @ 1:00 PM 📍ADWEEK House, Le Majestic Hotel 

🎨 Brand is Back (And Performance Marketing Isn't Everything) 

There is a deliberate counterweight to performance marketing's happening with awards and content that "celebrate long-term brand platforms" and recognize work that demonstrates "long-term effectiveness in building brand equity." 

Marketing teams must now demonstrate both immediate performance and cumulative brand strength—requiring new measurement frameworks that capture multi-year impact.

✅Don’t Miss: CMO Daily Take by the FQ and Business Insider: The Attention Recession with Lara O’Reilly, Zena Arnold, Soyoung Kang, Sofia Colucci and Dara Treseder | June 16th @ 4:00 PM 📍FQ Lounge

✅Don’t Miss: “Timeless Creativity: Lessons on Building Lasting Brands” with Marc Pritchard | June 17th @ 2:45 PM 📍Lumière Theatre, The Palais

🤖  AI + Human Creativity = The Winning Formula

The next wave of AI is focused on the integration of technology with irreplaceable, human, creative intuition. The organizations winning this transformation aren't choosing between human creativity and artificial intelligence—they're mastering the tension between them to unlock breakthrough brand experiences.

✅Don’t Miss: "The Human Touch: Creativity Can't Be Automated" (Maggie Schmerin - United, Mark Penn - Stagwell) | June 17th @ 3:15 PM 📍Rotonde Stage, Rotonde

✅Don’t Miss:  “More Humanized Growth in the Era of AI” with Marc de Swaan Arons, Marissa Jarratt, David Edelman, and Mariana Peneva | June 17th @ 3:30 PM 📍The Forum, Rotonde

✅Don’t Miss: “24/7 Brand Superpower: AI’s Impact on Marketing and Entertainment” with will.i.am and Don McGuire, Qualcomm | June 18th @ 11:00 AM 📍Canva Cabana

✨ B2B Marketing is The New Creative Frontier

B2B has shed its reputation for dry, functional communication, "rapidly becoming one of the most exciting frontiers for marketing creativity" according to Cannes Lions. B2B marketers who master emotional storytelling and experiential engagement will win.

✅Don’t Miss: The Power of Community: Your Competitive Advantage with Shannon Shae Montoya, Mona Munayyer Gonzalez, Michelle Fine-Smith, Julie Scelzo and Heather Robertson | June 17th @ 9:30 AM 📍FQ Lounge

✅Don’t Miss: “How to Be Buyable in B2B: Unlocking a US$19tn Category” with Mimi Turner, Marcus Collins and Jann Schwarz | June 18th @ 3:15 PM 📍Rotonde Stage, Rotonde

🌱 Sustainablility = Strategy (Not Just Messaging)

Sustainability is no longer just a messaging layer. Marketing leaders are expected to redesign business models, supply chains, and customer relationships through their campaigns and brand positioning. It’s time to get smart and accelerate sustainable transformation. 

✅Don’t Miss: FQ CMO: “Why Marketing Matters - Beyond Brand to Business Impact" (Lara Balazs - Adobe, Cheryl Guerin - Mastercard, Katie Welch - Rare Beauty) | June 16th @ 3:00 PM 📍 FQ Lounge

✅Don’t Miss: ”Rewrite Marketing’s Future: The CMO’s Blueprint for a Better World” with Khensani Nobanda, Cristina Diezhandino and Raja Rajamannar | June 19th @ 3:30 PM 📍Terrace Stage, The Terrace

What else is on your radar for this year? Where should we head next week?