Hasta La Creative!

This year, total entries at this Cannes International Advertising Festival grew 10.2% to more than 28,000. Every category is up, and the new design Lions attracted about twice as many entries as expected — 1,126 — so the festival had to scramble to add more judges to the jury.

Americans aren’t deterred by the weak dollar that has pushed delegate fees above $3,000 and room rates at the beachfront hotels such as the Majestic and Carlton to close to $500 a night. It’s estimated up to 800 of this year’s 9,000 or so attendees will be from the U.S., up from almost 700 last year.

Apart from the beach, the ads and the parties, Cannes has evolved into a major business opportunity. That’s why the company that sends the most people to Cannes isn’t an agency like TBWA (175 festival goers) but Microsoft (which won’t give a number but is believed to be sending at least 300).

[via Ad Age]