A CMO Summit in a Private Villa during Cannes Lions

For the team behind AI Trailblazers, Cannes Lions week was a chance to do something bigger than attend the festival. They wanted to host their own summit: a curated lunch and panel discussion for an audience of Fortune 500 CMOs.

Finding the right space in Cannes during Lions week, at short notice, with a clear brief around panel setup, F&B, and branding, was the challenge. Native Spaces handled it.

📋 The brief

AI Trailblazers needed a fully privatised venue for around 50 guests, with a proper panel setup (stage area, seated audience) plus a light lunch with sparkling wine, branding capability on-site (signage and banners), and a location within easy reach of the Palais.

🏛️ The chosen venue: a villa near La Croisette

AI Trailblazers ended up in a spacious villa: 1,500 sqm in total, a six-minute walk from La Croisette and 15 minutes from the Palais. Floor-to-ceiling french doors flood the main entertaining space with natural light, a terrace overlooks the gardens and pool, and the indoor space seats up to 70 guests in a theatre-style setup.

The panel took place in a 65 sqm living area spread over two adjoining rooms, with the garden and pool just outside. It gave the session a much warmer feel than a classic conference room, and the separate access for the production team plus parking for 4–5 cars made the day easy to run.

Once the panel wrapped, the whole event moved outside. Guests spread across the garden and around the pool for the networking session, with a DJ set and catering.

✨ How it came together

Once the venue was confirmed, the AI Trailblazers team was connected directly with the host to finalise F&B, branding, chair setup, and on-site logistics; everything coordinated through a single point of contact.

Shiv Singh, Co-Founder of AI Trailblazers, summed it up when the booking was confirmed: "We're excited about the space and are hopeful it'll serve as a great setting for our summit."

Planning a summit, panel, or private gathering during Cannes Lions or another major congress? Submit your brief and browse our Cannes venues.