Salon Culture Conversations
will be returning to cannes
June 22-24 2026
Where change happens at the intersection of marketing, creativity, and technology.
Salon Culture Conversations is creating a space where change happens at the intersection of marketing, creativity and technology. This edition will feature two dynamic tracks designed to provoke thought, spark collaboration, and drive actionable insight for marketers, innovators, and cultural leaders.
Day ONE: June 22, 2026 · AI & Creativity
What Does AI Actually Mean for Creativity?
The opening day puts the industry's biggest question on the table: what happens to original creative work when the machine can make it too? Across four panels, leaders from brands, agencies, and the creative community dig into authorship and ownership, the bias hiding inside the black box, AI as a genuine creative collaborator, and the CMO's tightrope walk between efficiency and humanity. Less hype, more honesty.
The four talks:
The Algorithm Has No Soul, But We Do: authorship and the future of original work
Trust, Bias & The Black Box: who AI sees and who it erases
Prompt Culture: building with AI, not around it
The CMO's Dilemma: brand voice and the measurement problem, moderated by Rhonda Hiatt of M&C Saatchi Consulting
Day two: June 23, 2026 · Creators & Ecosystem
The Creator Didn't Just Make Content. They Built a World.
Day two follows the creator's evolution from content-maker to world-builder. The panels trace the full arc: becoming the brand, renegotiating the creator-brand relationship, turning an audience into a true community, and diversifying revenue well beyond the brand deal. It's a working session on power, ownership, and what comes next in the attention economy.
The four talks:
The Creator Is the Brand: identity and ownership
Platform or Partner?: renegotiating the creator-brand deal
Community Is the Content: ecosystems over audiences
Show Me the Money: monetization beyond brand deals
Day ONE: June 24, 2026 · Reid This Reid That: Amplified
Live Podcast Recording
Salon Culture Conversations closes with a live recording of Reid This Reid That, co-hosted by Joy-Ann Reid and Jacqui Reid. It's a State of the Media town hall covering the stories Cannes doesn't usually tell: Black excellence on the Croisette, commerce meeting conscience, and the future of media and the mic. Evan Shapiro joins the conversation, followed by a VIP networking reception.
The segments:
State of the Media Town Hall: the live recording, with Joy-Ann Reid and Jacqui Reid co-hosting
Episode themes: stories Cannes doesn't tell, Black excellence on the Croisette, commerce meets conscience, power and the mic
VIP reception: networking, open to sponsors and VIP guests
The Salon will continue the conversations on purpose-driven marketing, inclusive creativity, and innovation in the advertising and marketing space. Our curated program offers unparalleled opportunities for learning, connection, growth, and change.