Starcom MediaVest Group, TED Bring 'Beautiful Minds' to Cannes Main Stage

NEW YORK, June 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Starcom MediaVest Group and TED are partnering again to inspire and challenge audiences at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. This year's main stage presentation, "Beautiful Minds," will examine how advances in neuroscience are changing the fields of design and media.

Understanding how we perceive others and the world is key to effective communication and building genuine, lasting connections. For brands, a deep appreciation of human perception and behavior is central to establishing relationships and engaging with audiences. Dr. Beau Lotto, professor of neuroscience at University College London, and Imogen Heap, experimental artist and musician, will discuss the intersection of art and science, and what it means for the human experience. Laura Desmond, CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group, and Bruno Giussani, European director of TED and curator of TEDGlobal, will introduce the seminar.

"Technology is fueling new creativity, overlapping with art in unique ways, and producing new kinds of spatial and emotional experiences," said Desmond. "Exploring the intersection of these spheres helps us better understand how the brain perceives its surroundings and how consumers experience the world."

The TED@Cannes seminar will take place on Tuesday, June 17 at 10 a.m. CET at the Grand Audi, Palais. Follow TED and SMG updates through @TEDPartners and @Global_SMG as well as visit http://blog.smvgroup.com for festival highlights throughout the week.

About the speakers:

Beau Lotto is a professor of neuroscience at University College London. With his team, he explores how the brain functions, through a mix of proven research methods and unorthodox open-science experiments. From uncovering the nuances of context to determining the reception of a message, Lotto's work stimulates creativity and creates new narratives for how science informs cultural behavior. He recently co-founded the first neurodesign studio "to explore how neuroscience (and behavioral neuroscience more generally) can contribute to design and how design can add to neuroscience.'' He's also the CEO of Traces, a new social platform startup. (www.lottolab.org)

Imogen Heap is an eclectic and innovative British musician and singer. This classically trained, tech-savvy multi-instrumentalist's most recent projects include her 4th solo album, "Sparks," and the amazing music-making Mi.Mu Gloves. The Gloves, created from scratch with a growing team of software and hardware specialists, enable Imogen to make music wirelessly on the move, bridging the gap between imagination and expression while using her computer. "I have music in my hands," she says, "and the playground of the stage around me." (www.imogenheap.com)

Laura Desmond is CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group. She was one of the youngest CEOs when appointed to lead SMG globally in 2008, but that was only the first of many marks she has made on the industry since. Commanding a staff of more than 8,000 employees across 130 offices globally, Laura attracts diverse talent and executives who bring unconventional thinking to reinvigorate the role of a media network. She has ushered in and nurtured relationships with some of the most iconic marketers worldwide, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Samsung, Spotify and Walmart. Beyond clients, Laura has secured partnerships with pioneering organizations such as TED, The Association of National Advertisers, Google, AOL, Facebook and Twitter. (www.smvgroup.com)

Bruno Giussani is the European director of TED and the curator of the TEDGlobal annual conference. He is a member of the organization's senior team and participates in the development and implementation of TED's strategy and initiatives globally. (www.ted.com)

About Starcom MediaVest Group
Starcom MediaVest Group is the Human Experience Company. We believe experiences matter. They enhance lives and build brands. We bring brand experiences to life through SMG's three global award winning agency brands: MediaVest, Starcom and Spark. Ranked the number one global media network in billings in the world by RECMA, SMG (www.smvgroup.com) encompasses an integrated network of human experience strategists, investment specialists, content creators and digital & technology experts. With more than 8,000 employees in 130 offices worldwide, SMG partners with the world's leading companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, P&G, Samsung and Walmart, among others. In 2014, SMG was named Festival of Media Global Network of the Year for the second year in a row. SMG is part of Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40], one of the world's leading communications groups.

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SOURCE Starcom MediaVest Group