Press Gazette is proud to launch The News Yacht – a gathering that aims to place news back at the top of the agenda during the biggest advertising industry gathering in the world.
This fringe event, taking place during the Cannes Lions Festival, is happening on board Equativ’s yacht moored minutes away from the Cannes Palais, on the afternoon of Monday 22 June.
There will be a series of discussions featuring leading figures from the news, marketing and technology industries, followed by networking drinks.
This will be the key gathering of news industry leaders at Cannes during the week of the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival.
With around two-thirds of UK and US advertising spend now going to just three companies (Alphabet, Meta and Amazon) the need for publishers to reassert their place in the advertising ecosystem has never been more urgent.
This session will discuss new ways to make quality journalism pay. It will also assert the benefits for advertisers of supporting online news as a democratic as well as a business necessity.
Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford said: “When I visited Cannes Lions last year, I was struck by how much giant tech companies dominate the prime spots around the town. Where was the ‘news beach’ or the ‘news yacht’, I thought, because engaged readers of news are the perfect audience for advertisers.
“So this year I am chuffed to announce the launch of the Press Gazette News Yacht, hosted by publisher-friendly advertising platform Equativ, with the support of PR partners Propeller Group.
“It was also made possible thanks to support from two brilliant partners of the news industry: Q5 and PA Media.”
Jonathan Haines, managing director Northern Europe at Equativ, said: “Quality journalism is fundamental to a healthy advertising ecosystem, yet too often it is undervalued in the digital marketplace. Both advertisers and publishers benefit when investment flows into trusted news environments that deliver engaged, attentive audiences.
“The News Yacht is about bringing the industry together to have honest, forward-looking conversations about how we restore balance and ensure journalism is properly funded. By connecting leaders across news, marketing and technology, we can help shape a more sustainable future where premium content is recognised for the value it creates – not just for advertisers, but for society as a whole.”
Martin Ashplant, product development and operations director at PA Media, added: “PA Media is dedicated to helping news and media outlets thrive in the digital age. We are pleased to join this conversation to share how PA is enabling publishers to scale output, maintain trust and support with their commercial goals through efficient, multi-format content production.”
The News Yacht is free to attend for senior news industry leaders. Register your interesting in attending here.
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