Briefing Pack

On behalf of the IRG team, welcome to the IRG Cannes Summit 2026 Marketing Leadership Lab!

With this welcome letter, we would like to provide more information about the weekend and share the pre-reads for the discussions.

Over the two days, we will come together as a community of Marketing leaders to explore the latest Marketing2030 learnings and discuss their practical implications. As always, the value of our time together will be shaped not only by the content we share but by the quality of the conversations we have.

We begin on Saturday at 15:00 with a Connect activity, designed to help us reconnect and set the tone for the weekend. Following that, I will share the latest Marketing2030 Phase 3 findings to prompt our discussions. We have intentionally dedicated significant time throughout the afternoon to discussing, debating, and challenging these findings. Most importantly, we will ask for your help in translating the insights into practical implications for Marketing leaders, providing critical input for Marketing2030 Phase 4 and the final recommendations to be launched in October.

Later in the afternoon, we will be joined by our M2030 NextGen Board – a group of exceptional, smart, and passionate young leaders from around the world who will inspire and challenge us with their perspectives on the future of leadership, business, and society.

We will then transition into the evening, with dinner together and an opportunity to practice the Marketing2030 Anthem with the band – a Cannes tradition in the making!

On Sunday morning, we will shift our focus from the future of marketing to the leadership required to navigate it. We will begin with a Personal Impact Session, followed by a discussion on the Leader of the Future. These conversations will directly inform the evolution of the Marketing2030 Da Vinci Leadership Profile, which will be launched in Istanbul this October. We will conclude the morning with an Engagement planning session focused on the next 6–12 months.

Afterward, we will join the IRG100 Community at the Evancy campus for lunch. In the afternoon, we will come together for a series of Marketing2030 sessions, with several MLL members taking an active role in shaping and facilitating the discussions. Following a short break, additional guests will join us at 18:00 for the Marketing2030 presentation, followed by an evening of dinner, drinks, laughter, music, and dancing.

To make the most of our time together, we are sharing two prereads: a summary of the Marketing2030 Phase 3 learnings and a provocation on the Da Vinci Leadership Profile. Please take the time to review them before arriving, as they will provide important context for the discussions and enable us to focus on implications, debate, and action.

So please roll up your sleeves and come ready to contribute. Your insights, experience, and perspectives will be invaluable. The output of the Marketing Leadership Lab will help shape the final Marketing2030 recommendations and support the global launch in Istanbul, October 6–8.

On behalf of the IRG team, and the 150+ IRG community members joining you on Sunday, thank you in advance for sharing your experience, practical advice, and energy.