French Thoughts — Edition #4
Cannes Lions Isn’t Where Business Happens. It’s Where Relationships Begin
by Julie De Souza, Co-Founder, LED Truck Media
Every year, I hear the same questions:
“Was Cannes worth it?”
“Did you close any deals?”
My answer is always exactly the same.
No.
Because that’s not what Cannes is for. At least, not in my experience.
Cannes isn’t about flying to the South of France to sign contracts. It’s about something much harder to quantify, but infinitely more valuable: Relationships.
For 5 days, the global industry shuts its laptops, mutes its Zoom calls, and leaves behind the endless email threads. We finally look each other in the eye.
You grab a coffee with someone you’ve only known through Teams or Zoom.
You run into a client while walking to another panel. You share lunch with someone who introduces you to three more people before dessert arrives. A quick conversation outside an event turns into an hour-long discussion about business, family, career, and life.
And somewhere between the small talk and the second drink… trust happens.
That’s what makes Cannes unique!
The dialogue doesn’t end when the official panels wrap up. It keeps going while walking down La Croisette, over late dinners, or crowded around a bar. The entire city becomes one giant networking event that doesn’t feel like networking at all.
You stop talking to job titles. You start talking to humans. That’s where the magic happens.
When you stop trying to see everything and just focus on actually listening to the person in front of you, everything shifts.
Some clients become genuine friends.
Some industry peers become future collaborators.
Some conversations last ten minutes. Others will stay with you for years.
A personal highlight this year was catching up with the incredible team at DPAA. Year after year, they cut through the noise and gather “La crème de la crème” of the out-of-home industry, fostering the exact kind of real connection Cannes is meant for.s
It’s easy for outsiders to look at the headlines and dismiss Cannes as just expensive partying. But the truth is, the parties are just where you let your guard down so the real conversations can finally happen.
Because the best part of Cannes has never been the yachts.
It’s the people standing on them.
To everyone who couldn’t make it this year, you were missed. And to everyone I had the chance to reconnect with or meet for the first time, thank you for making this year so memorable.
Now, the countdown to 2027 begins.
About the French Thought
I am starting The French Thoughts from a simple feeling:
Everything started to sound the same.
Same tone, same ideas, same safe opinions repeated across the industry.
This space is different.
It’s a place to share what I see, hear, and experience in the OOH industry, as well as what I’m building as an entrepreneur in real time. Not from the outside looking in, but from being inside it.
Some thoughts are analytical.
Some are more instinctive.
Some might feel a little less “polished” than what you usually read.
That’s intentional.
The goal isn’t to be controversial.
It’s to be honest, even when that means saying things a bit more directly.
About LED Truck Media
LED Truck Media is a leading provider of mobile digital billboards, experiential activations, and hyper-targeted OOH solutions operating across the United States, Europe, and Australia. With advanced LED trucks and digital bikes, we deliver high-impact campaigns that combine mobility, visibility, and real-time consumer interaction. LED Truck Media partners with global brands, agencies, and organizations seeking innovative, measurable ways to reach audiences where it matters most. For more information, visit https://ledtruckmedia.com/services/experiential-advertising.
LED Truck Media is an advertiser with OOH Today
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