The CMO Accelerator I City Editions

Part of the Cannes Lions CMO Accelerator global series

Why attend the CMO Accelerator | City Editions

It’s designed by people who’ve done the job.
The programme is practitioner-led, shaped by CMOs and senior marketer
and built by real work that delivers results – not academics or generic leadership providers.
Off-stage is just as important as on-stage.
Attendance is curated. So you’ll learn alongside senior leaders with comparable responsibility – facilitating honest, peer-level connection.
Global standards. Local relevance.
Each City Edition combines Cannes Lions insight with regional market
context, so your learning is world-renowned, and immediately applicable.
It’s immersive, not performative.
This is not a conference. It’s a focused, discussion-driven experience that delivers clarity rather than content overload.
It connects you to a global CMO community.
City Editions are part of a year-round global programme, not a one-off event. Meaning you’ll have a ready-made network from day one.

The CMO Accelerator opportunity

We’re looking for senior marketing leaders responsible for brand building in their organisation. Whether that’s leading the business, owning the strategy and marketing function, or acting as a thought leader within your company.

You should have a proven passion for brand building, alongside a track record of leadership and progress-pushing in your business. Demonstrated interest in the newest and most innovative ways of building a business through the lens of the brand is a plus.

Which industries and companies do attendees typically work in?

Global Multinationals

High-growth regional businesses

Private and public companies

B2B and B2C brands

Financial institutions

Healthcare

Tech

Which roles are they typically working in or aspiring to be?

Chief Marketing Officer

Chief Brand Officer

Chief Growth Officer

Chief Experience Officer

VP or SVP Marketing

Global Brand Director

Head of Brand or Marketing

CMO leadership agenda

The City Editions follow the proven Cannes Lions CMO Accelerator structure – with each session adapted for the region it serves so that it feels rooted in the local marketing landscape, not imported.

Across two focused days, guided by an experienced Programme Director, you’ll sharpen your creative effectiveness, strategic foresight, and personal leadership through content that’s globally informed and regionally relevant.

Peer-to-peer reflection is built in – giving you structured time to step back, compare notes, and sense-check your thinking with other senior leaders. It’s where insight sharpens, blind spots surface, and confidence comes from real conversations.

LIONS Learning brands featuring the Cannes Lions, WARC, and Contagious logos

Coming to a city near you in 2026

SIN

CMOA Singapore

15–16 October 2026

NYC

CMOA New York

5–6 November 2026

SAO

CMOA São Paulo

16–17 November 2026

LDN

CMOA London

25–26 November 2026

Ready to go?

Explore the City Edition closest to you, and apply to join the next cohort. Application is crucial to secure your place in the CMO Accelerator | City Editions. Early-bird and group pricing is limited and allocated on a first-come basis.

How does it work?

The City Editions follow the proven Cannes Lions CMO Accelerator structure – with each session adapted for your region so that it’s rooted in the local marketing landscape, not imported.

The Role of the CMO Today: How the function is evolving in a complex, creativity- driven marketplace
What it takes to win a Lion: Behind the scenes with Cannes Lions Winners and Lions Presidents and Jurors
Manage your creative self: Take charge of your career
Brand marketing hot shots: What do they want from their CMO?
Inside the creator mindset: What CMOs need to know now

Key Learning Outcomes

Strategic capability boost. Leave with renowned clarity on how to lead with creativity fuelled growth, translating big ideas into measurable business impact
Peer-to-peer learning. CMOs and marketing leaders share live business challenges and pressure-test strategies in a trusted environment with global peers
Immediate activation. Participants often return to their teams and apply frameworks immediately - whether it's updating brand purpose, restructuring agency partnerships or rethinking customer engagement
Career acceleration and visibility. Several alumni have been promoted within 12-18 months of attending, citing the programme as a career inflection point
Award-winning work. Creative campaigns developed or reshaped after the CMO Accelerator have gone on to perform brilliantly at Cannes Lions, the Effies and regional effectiveness awards

Meet your Programme Director

Fernando Machado

Fernando Machado is one of the world’s most awarded and respected marketers of his generation. Formerly CMO at Activision Blizzard, CMO at Restaurant Brands International and a Senior marketing leader at Unilever – where he led Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ platform – he’s won over 200 times at Cannes Lions and is known for combining creative ambition with commercial discipline.

Fernando’s involvement guarantees consistency, quality, and credibility across every CMO Accelerator I City Edition.

As Programme Director, Fernando is responsible for:

Curating the agenda
Leading key sessions
Facilitating peer discussions
Keeping the experience practical, honest, and relevant

Testimonials

Laura Ness Owens

Chief Marketing Officer, Doosan Bobcat

I am more knowledgeable and inspired than ever! A fellow attendee said she wished she would have known about this 5 years ago. I shared that I felt like it came at just the right time – and I'm so excited to apply the new thinking to all that I do.

Sam Southey

SVP Brand Equity & Creative, Coty

An executive summary of all the inspiration there is in the world from the last 12 months. It is a jolt to the system and will certainly give you wings.

Lorretta Romero

VP of Marketing, LCOR, INC

The CMO Accelerator continues to deliver exceptional value. It's one of the few experiences that truly supports CMO-level growth and connection.

Wendy Walker

Chief Marketing Officer, Salesforce

It’s an incredible space for CMOs from all around the world to come together, learn, challenge each other, and grow.

Ebru Ozguc

Group Strategic Marketing Director, Babcock

Whether you're looking for inspiration, to see outstanding work, learn new things or meet brilliant minds, there is no better place than the CMO Accelerator Programme.

Patricia Wong

Global Salesforce Alliance Marketing, Deloitte

The programme expands how we think, lead, and create. It offers honest conversations with CMOs, the chance to dissect award-winning campaigns, meaningful discussions on emerging trends and the space to rethink how we show up as leaders.

Dominic Kreutzmer

Brand Director, Bacardi Global Brands

The CMO Accelerator is a genuinely transformative two-day experience. You learn as much from the CMOs sitting beside you as you do from the world-class speakers on stage. The diversity of industries, perspectives, and challenges in the room pushes your own thinking fast. I walked away with practical takeaways. I could apply immediately and a stronger sense of where modern marketing leadership is heading. I’d recommend it without hesitation.

Sayed Hajamaideen

Head of Brand and Marketing, Smarty

The CMO Accelerator programme is the single most important investment I've made in myself in years. There's never been a more exciting time to do what we do as marketers, and this programme brings the opportunity to life with real practical takeaways you can genuinely implement as soon as you return back to the workplace,