Inside Possible’s pitch for $500,000 Cannes-style sponsorships at its marketing conference

Advertising confab Possible is starting to look a little like the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in more ways than the beach scenery and art deco hotels. There also will be sponsored yachts in Miami this year, vessels that have become Cannes fixtures for meeting spots away from the main event. When the three-day Possible kicks off at Fontainebleau Miami Beach on April 28, there will be a yacht row sponsored by a handful of the conference-going companies, including video platform Dailymotion. The yachts were on the marketing menu at Possible, which also has push carts, pools, lobbies, lawns and drone shows for sale, according to a pitch deck obtained by Ad Age. The prices for yachts cost $20,000 for a berth outside the hotel and then between $47,000 and $66,000 depending on the size of the vessel. A drinks and drone show runs $100,000, according to the pitch deck. The highest-tier sponsors, “presenting” partner, now called “founding” partner, cost $499,000, while platinum, silver and gold partnerships cost between $79,000 and $199,000, and they are all sold out, according to Possible’s pitch deck. The highest-spending partners get tiers of perks, including bigger presenting spaces, according to the deck. Possible has about 40 sponsors in those categories, including Google as a “founding” partner, as well as Pinterest, Target’s Roundel, Walmart Connect and GumGum in the platinum level. A Cannes yacht can start at $120,000 but can cost more, even double, depending on where it’s chartered from and other factors, according to a source familiar with pricing. Christian Muche, the co-founder and global president of Possible, which is operated under the parent company Beyond Ordinary Events, said that most of the big-ticket activations were taken, including a pricey drone show and sponsors in the lobby of the hotel. This isn’t the first year that Possible has had yachts, Muche said. However, the boating component has been expanded and more formalized with more sponsors. Muche said it was important to point out that there was a “wide range of activation opportunities” open to a “wide range of budgets.” “My key message is, ‘Come to Possible and have far less travel costs than going over to Europe,‘” Muche said. “It’s not a convention center, that’s the beauty of it,” Muche said. “It makes the execution challenging but it provides more creativity for partners to do activations.” The event is becoming a more popular destination for marketers, tech companies and brands. Attendance reached nearly 3,700 registered people in 2024, up 49% from 2023, according to the pitch deck. This year, there could be more than 5,000 people, according to Muche. Possible partnership tiers Possible is heading into its third year as an advertising festival that resembles the vibe of Cannes, only within U.S. shores. The event is now owned by Hyve, which bought the conference last year. It also has the support of significant industry player MMA Global. In 2023, Possible made its mark by inviting Elon Musk, who had bought Twitter, now known as X, months earlier. The conference has become a meeting ground for the ad industry to discuss pressing current events, and this year is no different, as it convenes during economic turmoil presented by the on-again-off-again tariff regime in the U.S. There also are antitrust cases weighing on major tech platforms, including Google and Meta. This year, speakers include Mark Cuban. Also read: The ad industry responds to tariffs Ad tech and agency clients of Purpose Worldwide, the public relations firm, bought out inventory quickly, as the “CMO and buyer participation was impressive [at Possible],” said Lana McGilvray, CEO of Purpose Worldwide, “and there were many opportunities that delivered similar or even more powerful opportunities vis a vis Cannes.” Still, the economic climate could dampen enthusiasm for future events. Markets have been decimated since President Donald Trump instituted tariffs earlier this month; on Wednesday, Trump announced a 90-day tariff pause on most nations. Sponsorships and activations Still, Possible is all set, and according to the pitch deck brands’ banners are being hung. Creator publishing company Raptive is sending more people to the event this year compared to last year, according to Paul Bannister, Raptive’s chief strategy officer. In 2023, Raptive sent two people and this year it is sending at least eight, Bannister said. “It’s got a lot of the benefits of Cannes, with a lot of the right people being there,” Bannister said. “But because it’s smaller and U.S .centric it, it’s just easier to execute things.” The yachts are a key addition, providing a meeting area away from the hotel, according to Sean Black, Dailymotion’s senior VP and general manager, North America. Dailymotion is a video platform that was founded in France in 2005, and it’s using Possible as a place to showcase its latest tech and the evolution of the platform. While Possible is trying to compete with Cannes, the event takes place almost entirely within the Fontainebleau. Cannes covers the entire beachfront in the French town, including inside many of the historic hotels. The yacht is a way to stand apart, Black said. “If you can put yourself in a position where you’ve got a destination for people to go, if you’ve got something interesting,” Black told Ad Age. “If you’ve got the ability to serve drinks and provide air conditioning and food, you know, it’s a great benefit.” As for future Possible gatherings, Muche said the group is considering expansion, beyond the Fontainebleau with more space on the beach. “Yes it’s growing,” Muche said, “but it’s still in one central place, and you don’t have to jump in a cab or walk a half-hour. It’s not Vegas.”

Inside Possible’s pitch for $500,000 Cannes-style sponsorships at its marketing conference

Featured Stories