World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF) 2027

The World AI Cannes Festival, known as WAICF, is a two-day conference and exhibition about artificial intelligence in business. The 2027 edition takes place on 10 and 11 February at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, and the organiser says the event now has the backing of Informa. Its pitch also leans on the short distance to Sophia Antipolis, a European technology hub. WAICF targets senior European decision-makers on AI, from the C-suite and AI leads to IT directors and architects, plus the vendors, start-ups and investors who want to reach them. The programme centres on putting AI into production, scaling it and governing it, with a deliberate European angle that includes implementation of the EU AI Act. The organiser cites more than 7,500 attendees, over 200 speakers and over 200 sponsors and exhibitors. Ambassadors named for 2027 include representatives of Mastercard, SAP, CNRS and Institut 3IA Côte d'Azur. The format combines headliner and conference stages, masterclasses and an expo floor with live demonstrations. Closed-door roundtables are restricted to directors, VPs and C-suite attendees, and there is a Start-up & Investor Village plus the AI Trail, a route through the building where any attendee can try AI tools. The 2027 agenda and speaker list had not been published on the official pages at the time of writing. The prices currently listed are super early bird rates that expire on 22 November. A Delegate pass costs €795 plus VAT, against a regular €1,195 plus VAT. VIP All Access is €2,195 during the offer (€2,795 regular) and adds a VIP lounge and premium Headliners Stage seating. The Expo Pass is free until 3 January, with a regular price of €50. Start-ups with fewer than 49 staff and under three years old pay €295, academic and government attendees pay €395, and companies booking three or more Delegate or VIP passes get 20% off. A free, application-based Future AI Leaders pass is open until 4 January. For affiliates and media buyers the fit is indirect. WAICF is about corporate AI adoption rather than performance marketing, and its published themes do not cover traffic, acquisition or partner programmes. It is more useful for companies that sell AI or SaaS tools through affiliate channels, and for publishers covering enterprise AI who want face time with vendors. The free Expo Pass keeps the cost of a scouting visit low.