Rosé and Realisations: A Producer’s First Taste of Cannes Lions

Attending Cannes Lions can be a transformative experience for anyone in the advertising, marketing and creative industries. Serving as a creative reset of sorts, the festival presents a diverse array of learnings and insights across official programming, partner-hosted events, and informal gatherings.. In addition to the many events and networking opportunities, highly anticipated brand experiences and activations take place each day, reiterating the festival’s reputation as the leading platform of world-class creative work.

This year, over 12,000 professionals headed to La Croisette to celebrate creativity in all its glory. One of those people was Marisol Sahagun, head of production at ALTERED.Services, who travelled to Cannes from Mexico City, joined by ALTERED.LA founder Marcos Cline-Márquez, and global coordinator, Natalia Escobar.

Talking to LBB, Marisol reflects on how her expectations of the festival lived up to the reality, the importance of attending the less “obvious” sessions, embracing serendipity whenever possible, and rethinking her role in a broader creative context.

I knew Cannes was a big and important festival, but I didn’t realise just how massive and meticulously organised it would be, until I got there. The setup was truly impressive, though many of us wondered: why do they do this in the middle of summer? The heat was unreal.

A typical day at Cannes Lions started around nine am, with one of the strongest coffees in France and a perfect croissant. From there, we’d head to a few panels before lunching at one of the many incredible restaurants.

In the afternoon, we’d attend pop-up happy hours and connect with super interesting people — not just from production and agencies, but from the tech world too, which added a fresh layer of perspective.

The nights were all about celebrating the day which meant amazing parties, great music, and tons of conversations.

I was blown away by how many brilliant people were there and how inspiring the panels were. However, there were so many things happening at once, it was impossible to attend everything I wanted to. It was a little overwhelming at times: all the talks, pop-ups, and events were nonstop.

What really stood out to me, though, was how much the empowerment of women was being platformed by the industry – it was inspiring. Of course, the recurring theme of AI also came up in many conversations and panels. AI is no longer just a buzzword because there has been a real shift in how we work with it. I believe there is no need to fear it and, instead, we need to embrace it as a tool. It’s clear that production and execution will evolve, but I still believe human creativity is irreplaceable.

Of all the talks I attended, one that really resonated was with Mark Miller from Universal. He spoke about the power of people who fill in the gaps and bring something different to the table, rather than duplicating what's already there. It truly reframed how I think about building teams and collaborating.

I loved hearing about innovative ways of connecting with audiences, not just through creative ideas, but through creative strategy behind the ideas. That level of thinking really inspired me.

At times, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, because Cannes is a very high-energy event. Even if you go into the week wanting to make connections or land new clients, in reality, people are constantly on the move.

I quickly realised that the most valuable thing you can do is show up with an open mind and no rigid expectations. Agencies aren’t just there to be pitched — they’re looking for fresh thinking, new approaches, and authenticity. That mindset helped me reset and focus more on genuine connection than transactional conversations.

Over the course of the week there were a few random connections and conversations which surprised me and shifted how I think about the industry, as well as my role in it. One such conversation was with an agency executive who told me that it can be exhausting to constantly be approached with a pitch or something to sell. He said, sometimes, the best connections come from just having a real conversation — getting to know someone as a person, not just for what they do or represent.

That really stayed with me and is a powerful reminder that relationships built on human connection often lead to better creative work down the line.

Cannes Lions 2025 was bigger, hotter, and more inspiring than I ever imagined. The energy was non-stop – from thought-provoking panels to spontaneous encounters that reminded me the best connections are human, not transactional. AI, innovation, and purpose was everywhere, in addition to a strong sense of community, especially among women in the industry.

My main advice for anyone attending Cannes for the first time is pick a few key things you want to see or experience and just go with the flow for the rest. The most important thing is to listen, be open, and stay curious. And don’t forget: Cannes is about connection not just credentials.

If I could do it all over again, I’d set aside more time and space to breathe — instead of trying to do it all and ending up doing less than I planned. It’s important to prioritise what truly matters to you and let go of the rest. Oh, and comfortable shoes are a must. No question.

As a producer, attending Cannes Lions served as a reminder that our role goes beyond execution: we hold space for creativity, connection, and change. While we play an important role in the process, we are only one part of a much larger ecosystem and community. And, like any community, personal connection is a crucial component which helps it grow and evolve.

​Read more from ALTERED.LA here

Read more from LBB’s April Summers here