This year, Cannes faces unexpected challenges, as immigration protocols and geopolitical issues impact attendance and overall experience. Non-citizen ad executives, particularly green card holders, hesitate to attend due to fears of re-entry complications. The festival, previously a euphoric retreat for the advertising community, now feels strained under the weight of economic uncertainty, AI concerns, and agency disruptions. Conversations have shifted from a celebratory nature to a more anxious tone, highlighting the increasing pressures the industry faces even in this typically festive environment.
"For U.S permanent resident holders (green card holders), there definitely has been increased scrutiny," said Manish Daftari, partner at immigration advisers Vialto Law. He's advising execs to get re-entry permits if they'll be abroad too long.
Getting to Cannes has never been as simple as booking a flight. It's a ritual of corporate theatrics - months of PowerPoint decks, internal politicking and rationalizations as to why beachfront panels and Aperol at noon count as brand strategy.
Cannes may be global but immigration enforcement doesn't care about agency credentials.
The anxiety is ambient - even in the off-the-record chats. "I'm not allowed to say anything on the record about AI - it's too sensitive a topic for corporate comms at the moment."
Collection
[
|
...
]