Join DEPT® at Cannes Lions 2025
The DEPT® Secret Garden: where real conversations grow
1300 sqm of space to breathe, meet, work, or just take five. Daily panels, a live podcast studio, AI-powered art, and some of the best coffee (and cocktails) in town.
Whether you’re into bold ideas or quiet moments, it’s all here—under the trees, on the terrace, in the thick of it and away from it all at the same time…
What to expect in the Secret Garden
Cannes is where the industry comes to talk about the future. The Secret Garden is where we make it real.
Tucked just off the Croisette, a few steps from the Marriot (and a million miles from the chaos), we’re creating a calm, curated, and unexpected space.
Think morning coffees that turn into partnerships, panels that say something, and conversations that don’t feel like work.
AI, minus the buzzwords
We’re done waiting for the AI “future.” The brands winning now are already doing it—transforming how they create, communicate, and connect. We’ll show you how. No pilots. No fluff. Just people actually making it work.
NVIDIA on AI for Public Good
Wednesday, June 18 | 10:00–13:30 | The Secret Garden
Hosted by DEPT® and NVIDIA, this invite-only session brings together top policymakers, global tech leaders, and industry innovators to shape how AI can drive measurable public impact.
Through a panel, real-world case study, and private roundtable lunch, we’ll align on what it takes to govern, scale, and deploy AI that truly serves society.
Creators are coming
With Cannes doubling down on creator-led work (hello, rebranded Social & Creator Lion), we’re welcoming the people who don’t just influence culture—they are the culture. Join them in our sessions, or grab a drink and start a new collab.
AI Installations you’ll remember
We’re not just showing off AI. We’re letting you mess with it. In the garden, try Signs, the world’s first AI-powered sign language platform by NVIDIA — designed to make communication more inclusive and fully live for you to explore.
You’ll also meet Talking Portraits, where you can chat with AI versions of historical and fictional figures. Think Harry Potter’s moving paintings, but smarter (and a bit cheekier). These are real AI experiences you can talk to, learn from, and play with. Go on, ask them something unexpected.
Let’s make something happen
Our garden is big—and full of possibilities.
While our programme is nearly finalised, we’re still open to partners who can bring something truly unique to the experience.
Whether you’re interested in co-hosting, joining a panel, or adding a fresh perspective in some other way—we’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to reach out!
THE Program
Time and Location
14:00 – 14:30
Microsoft Beach House
Speaker
Jeff Bowerman, Paul Woolmington, Amy Thorne, Sven Segler
Session
EQ of AI: Unblocking creativity
Join us for an insightful panel discussion on the empowering potential of AI in creativity and how it’s redefining our comfort zones. This session will delve into how AI can play a crucial role of personalization in the context of the creation process. AI is revolutionizing storytelling, delivering tailored and relevant content, and optimizing communication channels, and it can support us individually as an advocate and catalyst to help us tame our everyday creative blocks so we can find a new sense of flow. We will explore the evolution of creative potential and the cultural shifts brought by AI.
Time and Location
15:00 – 15:45
DEPT® Secret Garden
Session
Building a durable brand in the AI era
The performance-marketing era is ending. As AI reduces barriers to entry, competitive advantages rooted solely in performance advertising are disappearing. The only lasting advantage is a durable brand built on authenticity, trust, and meaningful consumer relationships. Durable brands weather disruptions and maintain loyalty. They show up time and again, with consistency, clarity, and focus. This session will share how to build a durable brand and why brands need to optimize around tech, creativity, and media to drive outsized impact.
Time and Location
10:30 – 11:15
DEPT® Secret Garden
Session
AI That Serves: Policies for Public-First Innovation
AI is changing how we protect, heal, and serve—but policy is still catching up.
From disaster relief and digital twins to education, accessibility, and sustainability, AI has the potential to transform how governments operate and how communities thrive. But to unlock that potential, we need frameworks that balance innovation with public trust.
This session brings together tech leaders, policy makers, and creatives to explore the future of AI governance: How do we build systems that are secure, fair, and inclusive? How can we ensure AI works for people—not just with them in mind? A conversation rooted in action—because when policy lags, progress does too.
Time
11:15 – 11:45
DEPT® Secret Garden
Session
Signs of Change: Building Tech That Connects Us
Not every breakthrough comes from a boardroom. Some start at the kitchen table. Signs is a browser-based ASL learning tool, co-created by DEPT®, NVIDIA, and the American Society for Deaf Children. Built with generative AI, it empowers parents to connect with their deaf children through language—turning advanced technology into something profoundly human. In this session, we’ll go behind the scenes of the project—from the dataset challenges to the creative breakthroughs—and explore how responsible AI, driven by empathy and purpose, can bridge communication gaps and unlock real-world impact.
Time
15:00 – 16:00
DEPT® Secret Garden
Session
The Death of One-Size-Fits-All: AI’s New Era of Personalization
What if your media strategy could think for itself? In this session, media leads from OpenAI, Foot Locker, and Salesforce unpack how they’re using AI to make campaigns that adapt on the fly — more relevant, less invasive, and surprisingly creative. Forget flashy gimmicks, this is where the real innovation is happening.
Time and Location
10:30 – 11:30
DEPT® Secret Garden
Session
The Signal and the Noise: AI, Climate, and the Future of Brand Action
Can marketers still lead on climate and inclusion in a world obsessed with speed, scale, and synthetic content? This panel unpacks new research from 200 brand leaders in the UK and US, revealing how companies are navigating carbon goals, AI disruption, and cultural accountability. With insights from top marketers, climate leaders, and technologists, we explore how brands can act decisively, communicate credibly, and still build at the speed of now.
Time and Location
15:00 – 16:00
DEPT® Secret Garden
Speakers
Session
Beyond Likes and Follows: The New Rules of Influence
People trust creators over brands—but the influencer playbook is outdated. What’s next for brand-audience collaboration?
meet the Speakers
meet the Depsters
