Following a global call for content, Cannes Lions has today issued an opening volley of speaker names for Lions Innovation – the new 2 day “festival within The Festival” that fuses data, technology and ideas. The speakers will be part of an avant garde programme that explores, explains and expounds the opportunities inherent in rapidly changing creative conventions.
Programme probes outer limits
“The Lions Innovation programme is a representation of our belief that great ideas can come from anywhere, and to bring it together we looked further afield for sources of inspiration than ever before,” said Cannes Lions Chairman, Terry Savage, confirming that a groundbreaking keynote from NASA would be part of the line-up.
Dr. Francesca DeMeo, Planetary Scientist and Hubble Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Jason Kessler, NASA’s Asteroid Grand Challenge Program Executive, will join Tyler DeAngelo, Executive Creative Director, mcgarrybowen on stage for the session, which says Savage, will epitomise the spirit of the festival.
“‘Innovation’ means venturing away from familiar ground into uncharted territory to create something new and valuable,” he said. “And with its vision to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown in ways that ultimately benefit humankind, there could be no greater embodiment innovation than NASA.”
Catalysts for creativity in the spotlight
Much of the Lions Innovation programme will also be dedicated to exploring the role of data and technology as the impetus for ideas.
In Changing the Formula, Konrad Feldman, CEO of Quantcast and Justin Pearse, MD of The Drum Works will assist former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard to demonstrate that data is no longer just an output but increasingly the input into the ideas that drive us.
The CTO Exposed: What it Takes to Create Remarkable Products, brings together fellow Chief Technology Officers and innovation evangelists, AKQA’s Ben Jones and Nike’s Chris Satchel to share the reasons why they see technology as a kind of magic that will continue to transform brands.
Chuck Porter, CP+B’s Chairman will join his Chief Digital Officer, Ivan Perez-Armandariz, and Karen Kaiser, Domino’s VP of Advertising, to discuss how collaboration created superior products, revolutionized online ordering and delivery systems, and unearthed unique ways to resonate with consumers and culture in Philosophies on Creativity, Innovation and Why Domino's Works.
Gender on the agenda
With only 17 per cent of the tech workforce made up by women, the innovation gender gap will also be highlighted by the festival.
Sarah Wood, Cofounder & COO of Unruly, Deirdre McGlashan, Global Chief Digital Officer of Mediacom and Kathryn Parsons, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Decoded will examine how the talent crunch will impact the digital economy in their session How the Gender Gap Could Derail the Global Creative Tech Sector, suggesting ways companies can better support women in the workplace.
New stages set for enlightenment
The Lions Innovation programme will unfold in-the-round, across 3 dedicated stages.
Seminar-style keynotes by international thought-leaders including those mentioned above will be delivered on the Inspiration Stage. Sessions on the Discovery Stage will break down tech trends and feature live displays. While the Experience Stage will feature interactive educational sessions designed kick-start or accelerate in-house innovation within brands and agencies.
Brands invest in innovation
Putting their weight behind Lions Innovation will be 11 Founding Partners representing the breadth of the industry:
AudienceScience
Experian
Google
Marketo
MEC
MediaMath
Ohal
Oracle – Datalogix
Rubicon Project
Teradata
The TradeDesk
Lions Innovation takes place 25 – 26 June. Passes to the festival can be booked standalone but for the launch year only, holders of a Classic 7-day Cannes Lions pass will also be able to attend Lions Innovation. Entries to the Innovation Lions and Creative Data Lions are now open and submissions will be accepted until 27 March 2015. Winners from both categories will be revealed at the Lions Innovation awards ceremony on Friday, 26 June. Further information can be found at www.canneslions.com/lions_innovation/
Lions Innovation, 25 – 26 June, Cannes France
Lions Innovation explores data and technology as catalysts for creativity in communications and celebrates the work leading the way. Held during Cannes Lions, this intense, inspiring “festival within The Festival” will ignite ideas and initiate the partnerships that bring them. It includes two days of talks, demonstrations and networking events and culminates in the awarding of Innovation Lions and the inaugural Creative Data Lions.
62nd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, 21-27 June 2015, Cannes, France
The International Festival of Creativity, also known as Cannes Lions, is the world's leading celebration of creativity in communications. Founded in 1954, the Festival takes place every June in Cannes, France.
As the most prestigious international annual advertising and communications awards, over 35,500 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion trophy, a global benchmark of creative excellence, for Film, Print, Outdoor, Interactive, Radio, Design, Product Design, Promo & Activation, Film Craft, Mobile, Branded Entertainment and Integrated advertising, as well as the best Media, Direct, PR, Titanium, Creative Effectiveness, Creative Data and Innovation ideas. The Festival is also the only truly global meeting place for advertisers, advertising and communication professionals. More than 12,000 delegates from 95 countries attend a week-long programme of exhibitions, screenings and talks by worldwide thought leaders. As the networking and learning opportunity of the year, Cannes Lions is the must-attend event for anyone involved in brand communications.
