Marketing

DFC: Marketing — Cannes LIONS 2026

Jun 21, 2026 7:30 PM · Empower Cafe · Cannes, France

Digital Fight Club returned to Cannes LIONS after a blowout performance at POSSIBLE 2026, where the highlight was a come-from-behind upset win by Terence Kawaja over Michael Kassan. 300 VIP invite-only guests, 4 premium fights between agency and ad tech CEOs, and 3 big-name CMO referees — all the mayhem you'd expect. Hosted at the Empower Cafe with partner Propeller Group.

RSVP
June 21, 2026

The Fight Format

  • Each fight runs ~10 minutes
  • Opening arguments: 45 secs each
  • Rebuttal rounds: 15 secs each (6–8 rounds)
  • Refs call fouls (buzzer) anytime — 15 sec response each
  • Audience votes to decide the winner

Event Timeline

Sponsors

The companies backing this fight — and all the decision-makers in the room. Want in on the action? Reach out below.

Fights

Defending your ideas in front of a crowd of your peers. Educational and entertaining at the same time.

Brand Identity & Chasing Culture

Rhonda Hiatt
  • Interbrand vet
  • Longtime Saatchi vet
  • Raider
VS
Crystal Foote
  • Ad tech vet
  • Former media director
  • Red Storm

Brand vs Performance & Budget Allocation

Kamran Asghar
Founder & CEO, Crossmedia
  • 25-year founder of Crossmedia
  • Ogilvy media planner
  • The Tribe
VS
Paul Frampton-Calero
  • OG media planner
  • Havas vet
  • Team Southampton

AI: Creative Partner or Brand Killer?

Adam Epstein
  • Ad tech founder
  • Recovering lawyer
  • Lion
VS
Stu Solomon
CEO, HUMAN
  • Brigadier General
  • Cyber & ad tech guy
  • Zoomie

Media Fragmentation: Creative vs Data

Francesco Gugliemino
CEO, Cuebiq
  • Mobile data vet
  • Telecom vet
  • Milano!
VS
Emma Armstrong
CEO, BBDO
  • Agency vet
  • Former adventure guide
  • Cambridge Blues

Referees

They don't judge the debate — they call fouls. The audience decides the winner. All referees below officiate every fight at this event.

Mimi Swain

CMO, Amazon
  • Ring vet
  • Sonos vet
  • Rock Chalk!

Melissa Hobley

CMO, Tinder
  • OK Cupid vet
  • Recovering agency vet
  • Ram

Jessica Williams

CMO, OnePay
  • Visa vet
  • Former quant
  • Sun Devil

Watch

Event videos here and fight videos on the fight pages

Photos

Mayhem captured for posterity

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