From ‘Mad Idea’ to ‘Mad Busy’: LBB's Founders on Growing a Cannes Lions Hotspot
In 2010, people told Matt and Sarah Cooper, the founders of (the then newly-launched) Little Black Book, that they would be ‘mad’ to hold a business event on a ‘sandy, boiling hot beach’. 15 years later, the LBB & Friends Beach (or what started as 'La Plage Courage') stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the biggest names in tech and advertising.
Why did they do it ? “A bit of frustration” and a decade spent “running in and out and ALL over Cannes….”
Those who have visited the LBB Beach in recent years will recognise it as a space that welcomes over 5000 industry folk across five days of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. With four distinct areas, guests can attend the curated daily panels and speaker sessions, hold meetings and catch-ups at the restaurant and unwind at its infamous 4pm - 6pm Happy Hour. But it didn’t start that way - in fact far from it. “Like many great things, it began with a simple idea driven by a bit of frustration and the need to do things differently," says Matt.
Sarah adds that for more than 10 years prior, they had both been attending the festival as part of other businesses. "Running up and down La Croisette, and in and out of town in order to meet up with the people we needed to see,” she says. “It was exhausting. Then, in 2010, we had started building an amazing online community through LBB, but there wasn’t a single real-world space where it was easy for people to get together, make great new contacts and reinforce old ones. So, we decided to build one.”
The result was the humble LBB lounge, ‘La Plage Courage’. It was named to honour the famous Fireflies riders, who cycle over the Alps to the South of France to raise money for blood cancer research, and created a base at the festival for them to land at. To make it happen, Matt and Sarah approached and partnered with a number of sponsors - something they both say is crucial to making the event available every year, even now.
“We were a small, new, independent business,” Sarah explains. “We couldn’t afford to run a beachfront on our own, so we partnered with sponsors, many of whom were, and still are, technically competitors. But everyone shared the same belief: that the industry is better when we connect as people first, brands second.”
“In our first year we partnered with some amazing people like director Jake Scott and businesses like Adstream, BBH, Framestore, Company 3, Kodak and Rushes,” adds Matt. “Jake Scott actually hand painted the signage for the beach in year one!”
Besides being an informal space for networking and meeting with clients, La Plage Courage had the dual aim of raising funds for the Leuka Charity for Leukaemia research. With the funding and support of the Beach sponsors, attendees were treated to a restaurant and bar, fussball games and even massages.
“It was perfect - It was fun, good value, scrappy and buzzing - just like LBB at the time,” says Sarah.
A Turning Point
Word spread quickly, and what started as a modest ‘clubhouse’ soon turned into one of the busiest events on La Croisette. “We were absolutely inundated,” says Sarah. “Every single day, it was packed. It became clear very quickly that we’d created something the industry really loved.
"The original beach we hired doesn’t even exist anymore! It was torn down to make way for a public beach expansion," see adds. "Our next destination landed us at the spot we still host today - Plage Croisette Beach, between the Carlton and the Miramar… and dangerously close to the Gutter Bar!”
It was this space that allowed the beach to grow.
“Still to this day we want to keep our original clubhouse vibe," says Matt. "But the beach has grown with us and we evolved it to try and provide the things the industry wants from us most." He and Sarah explain that listening and engaging with the industry over the years has been crucial for the beach’s evolution. People were enthused that LBB could offer valued discussion, education and debate to its guests, so a series of panel discussions and educational programming was introduced in 2019.
Better Together
”A few years ago, we could see what was needed on our beach was more business-focussed discussion about how we work together as an industry,” says Matt, “Of course, we will always keep space for fun stuff - you can still get yourself in the sea on our beach, but these days there’s a few less loungers and bit more room for education.”
Sarah agrees. “The year we added panel programming was a huge turning point for us. Knowing how expensive a trip to Cannes is, we wanted our guests to really feel the value of the Beach, as not just a space for networking and grabbing a drink, but gaining important insights from industry experts.”
Since then, the beach has played host to some compelling conversations. Provocative panels hosted by LBB’s editorial team, honest dialogues, and serendipitous debates are the heart of the programming. “We’ve had some absolutely incredible moments on the stage with phenomenal speakers sharing their experiences and insights that have visibly inspired - and even angered - the crowd,” Sarah recalls. “Everyone has the opportunity to get involved in the conversation and meet the speakers afterwards.”
But of course, at its core the Beach is a place where new business is sparked over a glass of rosé, creative partnerships emerge from chance conversations, and old friends reconnect on the sand. “While we’ve decked the restaurant to make it more comfortable for the events we are running down there, The LBB & Friends Beach is still, of course, a beach!" stresses Sarah. "Guests are welcome to catch some rays, have a dip, or swim out to the legendary pipe.”
Don’t Miss Out
With growing demand came the need for structure through stricter door policies, more logistics, a larger LBB team, and tighter coordination. With just two weeks to go before our team welcomes you to the Croisette, the excitement is palpable. So, Sarah has one clear message for those hoping to attend: don’t leave your registration to chance.
“Our entry policy is strict, and space is limited. If your company is an LBB member, someone in your team has been sent the link to register. Use it because if you’re not on the list, you won’t get in!” If you have questions, contact events@lbbonline.com.
And for those lucky enough to snag a spot? Don’t miss the big networking lunch on Friday, a final opportunity for connection and celebration, and a fitting send-off to another unforgettable week in Cannes. You can purchase tickets for £200pp here. BUY TICKETS.
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2025 Partners:
72Point. | Adobe | APA - Advertising Producers Association
AudioStack&Claritas | Bauer Media Group | Cannes Lions
Croud | Girl&Bear | GPN - Global Production Network
IAPI - The Institute Of Advertising Practitioners In Ireland
ICA - The Institute of Canadian Agencies
ICCO – International Communications Consultancy Organisation
ITG - Inspired Thinking Group | KEEP | LIA - London International Awards
LucidLink | MSQ | Nouri Films | Peach | Porter Novelli | Razorfish
RWS Small World Studio | Shutterstock Studios | thenetworkone | Zulu Alpha Kilo
