Cannes Lions scraps options for reside festival

Right after months of sector speculation as to whether the Cannes Lions would genuinely return as an in-particular person festival this 12 months, dad or mum organization Ascential announced these days that the event will not take place in the South of France. As an alternative, it’s heading entirely digital for 2021.

The digital pageant, dubbed Cannes Lions Reside, will consider place from June 21-25. It promises to bring the unveiling and examination of Cannes Lions winners, as well as are living and on-demand from customers information to viewers.

The announcement of the new structure will come ahead of the May perhaps debut of the Lions’ new membership system. People who join will get access to the digital competition. The membership cost is €249, the charge of a standalone digital pass to the function. All preceding Cannes Lions honorees will obtain complimentary membership, and there will be decreased service fees for skills under 30. 

“Over the past 12 months, we’ve been consulting with our shoppers and functioning on our programs, like the advancement of Cannes Lions Are living as component of the new Lions Membership system,” reported Lions Chair  Philip Thomas in a assertion. “ We are now equipped to move absolutely to this format for 2021—which will have all the celebration, inspiration and participation of Cannes Lions—to unite the world neighborhood nearly in the course of Cannes Lions Dwell this June.”

Final yr, the pandemic pressured the Lions to cancel its once-a-year occasion, extensively regarded to be the most considerable awards fest of the marketplace. The corporation then debuted Lions Reside, a system that introduced inventive situations and written content during the course of the 12 months.

At the start out of 2021, Lions announced that the pageant would resume for this year in June. 

Given that then, nevertheless, the pandemic has ongoing to choose its toll, with surges viewed all around the planet despite the rollout of the vaccine, building the in-individual celebration seem to be a lot more unlikely. In February, organizers ended up considering scaling down the fete to a hybrid format, with smaller reside occasions in France and the U.S.  Past 7 days, Advertisement Age claimed that MediaLink is in talks with The Whitney Museum of Artwork for a New York occasion.

MediaLink seems to be doubling down on that plan. In a assertion this week, Chairman and CEO Michael Kassan said, “In the course of the calendar 12 months, MediaLink hosts industry gatherings and believed management sessions that accompany significant tentpoles and times that make a difference. We have determined to convey our annual MediaLink Beach this 12 months to both of those New York and London for our companions and the marketplace at substantial. We glance ahead to sharing much more facts soon.”

Cannes Lions father or mother Ascential has been below strain to resume the festival following a enormous 2020 reduction owing to very last year’s cancellation. Final 12 months saw a profits drop of 31% to  £264 million ($367 million). Revenue at its promoting division fell 60% right after the pageant was canceled.