Media, tech and advertising elite return to Cannes Lions Festival

The media, tech and advertising elite are steering their mega-yachts toward the French seaside town of Cannes, where the industry’s biggest names are set to wine, dine and hammer out deals worth millions. The rosé and champagne-fueled week-long event, known as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, is back this week for its 73rd year with over 13,000 attendees from more than 90 countries, including a heavy-hitting list of celebs, musicians and athletes.3C Ventures founder Michael Kassan, who has been coming to Cannes Lions for over 25  years, reminisced about how the festival has evolved into the place to be if you’re in media and advertising. “Twenty-six years ago, you went to Cannes, you went to the Palais, you saw the work, and then you went to the Gutter Bar and got drunk,” Kassan said, referring to the town’s dingy, all-night waterhole.In the years since, Kassan helped grow the festival beyond the confines of convention center the Palais and onto the town’s beachfront, becoming a mega-event that melds creativity, commerce, tech, entertainment and business. The conference’s guest list reflects that evolution.This year, Cannes Lions will honor Oprah Winfrey, who will deliver a keynote talk and accept a LionHeart award for her creativity and philanthropic leadership, as well as Eddie Cue, Apple senior vice president of Services and Health, who will accept the “Entertainment Person of the Year” award.Headlining speakers include actor and producer Alan Cumming, “Saturday Night Live” writer and performer Colin Jost, Seth Meyers, the host of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” as well as Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun, EBay CEO Jamie Iannone and E.L.F Beauty chairman and CEO Tarang Amin. But most of the action will take place outside of the Palais and spill over to La Croissette, the beachside main drag where companies will hold talks on the hottest topics such as artificial intelligence, sports media, commerce me...