It’s amazing we are already thinking about June 2020! Even though it is nearly six months away, it will be here before you know it.
I am thrilled we will have the Educators Summit again at Cannes Lions this year! As mentioned in previous posts, this was the first event of its kind at Cannes Lions, and it was a huge success!
This event would not have happened without the investment, support, and leadership of Steve Latham. Steve is truly the best and it’s been awesome to create and work on this event together these past few years.
We are in the early stages of planning the event since 1) the speaker applications are still being submitted, 2) the work that will be showcased and judged are still open, and 3) we are still waiting for confirmation of speakers, brands, and others will be attending. What has been exciting is to be able to see who will be attending as far as educators and schools go. We see there will be more educators coming this year and from different schools from around the world, which is very exciting.
I am getting lots of questions about the event from fellow educators, professionals, and students, so here are some I would like to answer:
What is the Educators Summit and what is it like? The Educators Summit is held during the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, but there are specific sessions and activities that are dedicated just to educators and speakers. We had several panel sessions that were exclusive for our community at Cannes Lions last year, and a dedicated half day summit where we were able to summarize the lessons, sessions, and materials from the week.
You will also make new connections and friends along the way. We all got together at the Summit for the week and really felt this was a strong community built on mutual interests and goals for our students. Our group is still connected and chatting on our WhatsApp group chat, which is great! You will be able to meet some fellow colleagues and make new friends – and we are all here to help each other out.
That’s the beauty of this community – we want this to be a win-win situation not just for educators, but the professionals as well attending Cannes Lions.
How is Cannes Lions compared to other professional conferences? I would have to say – and I have been to a lot of industry conferences – is that it is the best one I have been to.
At Cannes Lions, you not only get to learn from leading brands and professionals behind the campaigns that have helped shape our field, but you get to meet people in person and chat with them. It was at Cannes Lions where I had the chance to chat w/ Gary about education, future of work, and social media.
How can attending the Educators Summit help my work in the classroom? This is one of the biggest things I have found the most value! I am able to gather insights, samples of the work, and case studies to bring to the classroom for my students to learn, discuss, and apply in their work. I was able to use the case studies and work for the first time in my classes when I worked with The Breeders’ Cup with my PR students. We incorporated insights and case studies in our class working with Facebook Blueprint. By providing students with the best of the best case studies and examples, they are able to bring forth their ideas and creative executions to the next level.
Another benefit here are the connections you are able to bring to your students and classes as well. Based on the interactions, connections, and people I met in Cannes, I was able to bring them and their work into my classes to again – extend my network for myself and for my students.
For example, before people were *really* talking about the work Burger King was doing – we saw the work first hand at Cannes Lions. We saw the team, leaders, and visionaries who were part of making the burger chain the marketing household name it is today. Little did we know we were seeing the early stages of Popeye’s work here at Cannes Lions as well. That’s also a big factor to consider here is the importance of timing – and being ahead of the curve with insights, creative ideas, and executions.
In other words – you are getting to hear from speakers who are actually doing the work that “marketing influencers” talk about in their keynotes. This is one of the things I feel Cannes Lions really does well – they bring in professionals who are walking the walk, and not just talking the talk.
This is why Cannes Lions and the Educators Summit is the leading event that truly bridges academia and industry together.
I do have some *dream* speakers for sessions at Cannes Lions – which would include Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) and Ryan Reynolds (Aviation Gin). This would be EPIC!
Cannes Lions is pretty expensive, right? Yes, it is expensive – but let me help clarify a few things on this account because – you would be surprised to see the value it offers compared to other events.
The cost for the educators is 1895 euro (translation is $2100) – and you may think that this is pricey, but in reality – it’s not for the value you are able to get from the experience. Cannes Lions is a five day event – and with the educators pass, you get full access to sessions, workshops, exclusive events brands are able to host on the beach, etc. The networking possibilities here as well is one of the biggest values. Where else would you be able to sit down with the President of Saatchi & Saatchi and talk about the future of education? Cannes Lions, because that was me this past year.
Now, if you are more focused on the financial cost, we can take this approach as well. Let’s compare some costs for other conferences. For example, PRSA’s conference in Nashville costs $1495, and the International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC) is $450. IPR also has their Bridge Conference (2 days) for $495. So, based on these registrations alone – educators would be spending more on these conferences than going to Cannes Lions.
Also, can we talk about location? Let’s see – South of France or…. Orlando, Washington D.C. and Nashville? Hmm, hard choice here. Don’t get me wrong – love all of those cities in the USA, but there’s nothing like sitting on the beach on the French Riviera and soaking up the sun like Grace Kelly did in the movie “To Catch a Thief!”
Summary. If you have any additional questions about Cannes Lions or the Educators Summit, please let me know and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Stay tuned for more updates and news as we get closer to the event!
Have a great day!
Best Wishes,
