Students tackle worldwide networking through the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Four UNC Hussman students kicked off their summer abroad at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity — the world’s largest event celebrating excellence in creative communications, advertising and marketing. This week-long festival provides industry professionals and students opportunities to network, attend workshops and panels, and celebrate creativity within the industry.

Through a partnership with VCU Brandcenter, Professor of the Practice Dana McMahan traveled with UNC Hussman students Mariam Ali ’24, ’25 (M.A.), Hailey Clodfelter ’24, ’25 (M.A.), Tatum Coleman ’25 (M.A.) and Megan Macdonald ’26 to the French Riviera in France. The group spent two weeks immersed in French culture and attended the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

“Opportunities like Cannes exemplify the kind of hands-on, global learning experiences we strive to provide at UNC Hussman,” said Raul Reis, dean of the school. “Our students return not only with insight into the future of advertising and media but also with the confidence that comes from engaging directly with top thinkers and innovators in the industry.”

Students also get to engage with award-winning UNC Hussman alums showcasing their work at the festival. “It’s beyond simple networking for students. It’s an inside look at what it takes to create and launch great work that has a worldwide impact,” said McMahan.

During their first week, the group traveled around the French Riviera to tour and learn about the history of the French cities. Their first day was spent learning about the culture of Cannes, followed by trips to Nice, Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Students also had a couple of free days to venture off to places like Monaco and Menton.

The second week, students dedicated 12- to 16-hour days learning, networking and attending awards shows at Cannes. Topics focused on areas of insights and trends, innovation, talent and culture, and creativity. Some talks featured celebrity guests such as Serena Williams and Bowen Yang.

Outside of the festival line-up, brand activations were set up in the surrounding area. Delegates immersed themselves in activations sponsored by brands such as Pinterest, Stagwell, Adobe, Canva, TikTok, Microsoft, Adweek and more. These activations featured their own line-up of panels, celebrity guests, personalized activities, networking brunches and happy hours.

Mariam Ali, a graduate student in UNC Hussman’s new one-year program in media and communication, attended a panel at TikTok with Olympian Mo Farah. The panel focused on TikTok’s impact on culture and sports, with emphasis on their role in advertising the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Another panel that stuck out to Ali was “Let Go to Grow: Secrets to Building Brand Trust.” This panel, hosted at Canva’s Creative Cabana, focused on brand marketing for brands like Mattel and MasterCard. Through this panel, Ali learned about the importance of brand trust over brand benefits.

“If you get the chance, please go,” said Mariam Ali. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in the same room as high-level execs and have conversations you’d never get anywhere else. You’re surrounded by people who are all passionate, driven and good at what they do – and that energy is so motivating.”

This is VCU Brandcenter’s second cohort to attend Cannes. This program, started in 2024, gives undergraduate and graduate students course credit through their Cannes Lions Festival Study Abroad Program course. Applications open in January and are open to VCU and non-VCU students.

VCU Brandcenter sets up exclusive opportunities for students to learn and network, including a VCU Brandcenter alumni panel, a student-only happy hour and an education panel through Havas Café.

UNC Hussman alumni Susan Credle ’85, Global Creative Advisor at Interpublic Group, and Brandon Cooke, Global Chief Marketing Officer and International Affiliates Lead at FCB Global, spoke to students at panels and in small group sessions. “It’s a chance to really connect that you rarely have in an office or interview setting,” said McMahan. 

Jessica Collins, strategy chair and associate professor at VCU Brandcenter, founded the program, and it gives her a chance to connect with students in a different way. Through the Cannes Lions Festival, she sees her students learn cultures, industry trends and networking skills.

“It puts students in a place that they are not normally ever going to be in, even maybe during their career,” said Collins. “I’ve spoken to a lot of people that are very high up in the industry that have never been to Cannes. The exposure there to the connections, the talks, the panels and the interactions that you have is just above and beyond anything that you’re going to receive while you’re at school.”