Conference News: Cannes Lions Updates; Next for Reuters Next; Coming Up…
NEXT … London: Led by Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni, Reuters NEXT convenes global leaders “to tackle the defining challenges of our time.” Their flagship event has been held in New York for a few years now, and they’ve more recently expanded the franchise to APAC and the Middle East. In 2026 they will add to the lineup yet again! Reuters NEXT London will take place on 16 June 2026 with an in-person audience of 350 C-Suite executives and senior policymakers. In parallel, the broadcast of the conference will reach an audience of up to 4 million people. Website will be live soon.
The Roar of the Crowd: Last week, The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity announced a new global forum “dedicated to the cultural and commercial power of creativity in sport.” LIONS Sport will run during the festival and include people working in sports brands, broadcasting platforms, sports marketing agencies, athlete management and entrepreneurship, sports rights holders, teams, tech and wearables, and government bodies who want to explore how creativity is redefining the sports landscape. This programming will be held at the Carlton Hotel from 24–25 June 2026.
Submission Opportunity: And speaking of Lions… Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity returns to the French Riviera from 22 – 26 June 2026 and the organizers are currently accepting content proposals and speaker nominations for the event through 31 December. The conference notes that “Thought leadership and original thinking should underpin all submissions for a chance to shine on stage at Cannes Lions,” but there is more to landing a spot on the stage than having a unique idea. There are several ways to suggest a speaker for Cannes Lions Festival and each has a submission process and its own requirements. The best place to start is to read through their call for content guide to understand what they are seeking and how best you can deliver a topic and speaker that fits their vision.
Lunchtime Learning: Techonomy25 was held a few weeks ago in New York under the theme Human Agency Meets Machine Autonomy, asking questions such as how we balance human agency with the growing autonomy of AI, what role technology should it play in fostering rather than eroding creativity, and how can governments craft forward-thinking policies that protect citizens without stifling innovation? Hear from speakers such as Andrew Yang, CEO of Noble Mobile and former candidate for president of the United States; Pablos Holman Founder of Deep Future; Julie Samuels President and CEO, Tech:NYC; Christine Keung General Partner, J2 Ventures; Adam Lewis Head of Innovation, SandboxAQ, Wyclef Jean Chief Creative Officer, OpenWav – and more.
Coming Up Next Week: SIGGRAPH Asia (15-18 December; Hong Kong) brings together researchers, developers, creators to exchange ideas shaping the future of computer graphics, interactive techniques, AI, XR, animation, and gaming. In 2025, the Hopkins Bloomberg Center hosted its inaugural Discovery Series featuring conversations on a single topic at the intersection of tech, science, and public policy. Jointly presented by Johns Hopkins University and Vox Media, the 15 December event in DC will conclude a four-part interview series on AI with veteran tech reporter Kara Swisher. QCon AI New York gets underway 16 December, offering senior engineers, architects, and product leaders “blueprints for enterprise AI, from leaders who built them.” And at NewsTECHForum – also kicking off 16 December in New York – broadcasting executives can explore such topics as maximizing audience in a multiplatform world and incorporating AI in storytelling, production, and distribution.