#Cannes2024: Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 71st edition launches
Among the planned innovations for next year, a breadth of new initiatives and pass types will provide a balance of opportunities for everyone to attend the Festival in June.
€1m worth of complimentary passes
In a new initiative that prioritises supporting underrepresented and underserved communities to attend the Festival, any organisation will be eligible to apply for complimentary passes with priority given to registered charities, not-for-profit and diverse-owned organisations.
In total, €1m worth of complimentary passes will be provided, with allocations based on an eligibility scoring system.
“This is about driving equity and increasing accessibility so that everyone in the global creative community has the opportunity to attend and benefit from the progress-driving possibilities that Cannes Lions brings on both a personal and business level,” says Frank Starling, chief DEI Officer, Lions.
Applications for the initiative open in December.
Other new passes
Additional pass options will be on offer for 2024.
These include:
- Start-Up Pass, which will provide smaller businesses and individuals with an opportunity to access the Festival.
- A new Connector Pass will also be available for attendees focused on networking.
“We’re constantly evolving the Cannes Lions offer to meet the changing needs of our diverse audience. We’re committed to providing greater access to Cannes Lions, and addressing the different needs and circumstances of our global community,” says Simon Cook, CEO, Lions.
Annual call for content open
Cannes Lions annual Call for Content, which welcomes proposals from anyone, anywhere, is also open with applications accepted until 5 January 2024.
“Creativity can come from anywhere. Our open call for content ensures that we provide a global platform and that’s why we want our platforms to be open to as many voices as possible to come in,” says Jenni Middleton, editor in chief & SVP content, Lions.
Applications to speak on the stage can be made via the dedicated content portal.
Doubling down on content and activations
Content and activations at the 2024 Festival will continue to double down on creativity, with the last day of the Festival once again dedicated to bringing the focus onto the work.
Creative impact
Additionally, with analysis from the 2023 Festival showing that Creative Impact was the most highly rated content stream, next year’s agenda will build on this and continue to provide the business case for creativity, ensuring that the global community leaves with the tools and evidence they need to connect creative and marketing departments to the board room.
Lions Scholarship
Next year will see the continuation of the Lions Scholarship. Designed to support the next generation of talent, the scholarship offers 10 young people from around the world a fully funded place on the Cannes Lions Brand Marketers and Creative Academies, which take place during the Festival in June.
Kateryna Kononenko, who was part of the 2023 scholarship programme, says the Academy had “elevated her as a brand marketer”, describing the experience as, “It’s intense. It’s emotional. It’s unimaginably insightful and inspiring”.
10th cohort to See It Be It
Additionally, next year, the Festival will welcome its 10th cohort of women onto its fully funded talent accelerator programme for women, See It Be It.
Founded in 2014 by Cannes Lions, the programme’s mission is to achieve equal gender representation of creative directors and leaders across the global industry.
To date, 124 women have taken part in See It Be It, and many alumni have progressed into leadership positions, won Lions Awards and served as Cannes Lions Jurors. Applications for the programme are open until 8 January 2024.
Luxury & Lifestyle Lions launched
Recently announced was the launch of the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions, which recognises the significant transformation and disruption to the creative marketing of brands in the luxury space.
As part of the updates to next year’s Awards, the Mobile Lions will be retired.
Submissions for the Cannes Lions Awards will open on 18 January 2024.
For more:
- Cannes Lions special section and search
- More info: Google News, Cannes Lions Twitter
- Official site: http://www.canneslions.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
