The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival (IAF) is one of the most important trade events for the advertising and related fields. The seven-day festival, which hosts the coveted Lions awards, is held yearly at the Palais de Festivals in Cannes, France. The 2010 event is slated for 20–26 June.

Thousands of delegates from around the world attend the festival to view shortlisted work and attend seminars, workshops and master classes. The week’s activities include four award ceremonies – culminating with the Film, Titanium and Integrated Lions awards – as well as an opening and closing gala.

In 2009, some 22,000 items were submitted for the awards, which regularly lead to claims of “fake” campaigns being awarded. Like many other trade fairs of recent years, attendance has been down somewhat. But the Cannes Lions remains the advertising business’ foremost gathering with a truly worldwide reach.

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