Cannes Round-up 2018: Vox Media’s Time at the Annual Festival of Creativity

This year, we were excited to return to the 65th annual Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Representatives from Vox Media included Chief Commercial Officer Lindsay Nelson; SVP, Head of Revenue & Partnerships Mike Hadgis; VP Revenue Operations Ryan Pauley; General Manager, Experiential & Conferences Vanessa Fontanez; General Manager, Vox Creative Armando Turco, and Recode Senior Editor Kurt Wagner who spent the week sharing their smart insights into what’s next in media, tech and business. See below for a full recap of Vox Media’s activities.

We kicked off our time in Cannes with a dinner hosted in partnership with our friends from LiveNation at Villa Alang Alang. Guests gathered in “The Deep End”, Cannes Edition, with other industry thought leaders for real conversations rooted in passion points and curiosity. This notion of going deeper is the same premise that drove Vox Media’s The Deep End at SXSW this past March.

Check out the gallery below for snapshots of the night’s incredible views, Eater-curated menu, and live entertainment.

Grid View

• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media
• Photos courtesy of Hamza Zouhair for Vox Media

Days following the dinner welcomed a host of talks with various industry leaders.

Chief Commercial Officer Lindsay Nelson joined folks from Microsoft, CBS, Axios, and the New York Post among others for MediaLink’s Daily Dose where she posed the question, “When everyone became content creators, the framework of authenticity changed. So, how can we create a territory for premium content?“

Lindsay also took the Cannes official stage for a candid conversation on finding the world’s most engaging audiences with LiveNation, Cisco and St. Vincent, which Cannes Lions shared in their newsletter ahead of the festival as one of “Five of the Best Big Name Sessions at the Festival,” citing Nelson and her co-speakers among “The all-stars – the important, the influential and the iconic.”

Vox Creative’s General Manager Armando Turco made his way to the #TwitterBeach for a discussion on how to win attention in a multi-platform content world. Armando’s advice? “Build a brand with authority that people will follow.”

Recode’s Kurt Wagner also joined Vayner Media’s speaking series where he moderated a panel on meeting your consumers where they care. Kurt published his reporter’s notebook from the Festival of Creativity and was featured in Nieman Lab, CNN’s Pacific Newsletter, and Adweek. Kurt’s full recap of the week can be found here.

Thanks to all those who joined us in Cannes for beautiful views, great eats, and some powerful discussion on the future of creativity. We loved hearing all about what’s coming and providing our insights to drive the conversation about where the industry is heading next.

Shoutout to Eater for curating the top restaurants and cafes in the French Riviera, known for much more than their rosé!

Until next year, Cannes Lions.