| Key Takeaways |
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| At VivaTech 2026 in Paris, CMOs will find a working space to rethink their role around AI, data, and customer experience. VivaTech’s CMO Summit, Exec Arena, and CMO Lounge help marketing leaders turn experimentation into measurable growth, pressure-test their roadmap, and meet partners who can accelerate results this year. |
The role of the Chief Marketing Officer is fundamentally changing. In the past, a CMO was primarily a brand guardian and a storyteller. Today, they’re becoming operators sitting at the center of AI, data, customer experience, and revenue.
As we look forward towards VivaTech 2026, it’s clear that marketing is no longer just about “the big idea.” It’s about how that idea is powered by technology and measured in euros. For the modern CMO, VivaTech is the annual health check for their roadmap; a place to see what still works, what’s outdated, and which new bets are worth the investment.
The CMO Shift: From Brand Builder to Operator
CMOs are under more pressure than before. To succeed in 2026, they have to balance three major demands. First, they have to make sense of AI by moving past hype and buzzwords to find real ways that generative and agentic AI can personalize content at scale. Second, they have to prove ROI on every euro spent, connecting marketing directly to financial growth. Finally, they have to orchestrate a consistent, but ever evolving, customer journey across all channels, which requires working closely with CIOs, data teams, and sales teams.
The New Demands on CMOs in 2026
The themes we will see in 2026 did not appear out of thin air. Last year’s event showed us that the industry was already at a turning point. We saw AI cross the hype threshold, moving from how it could be used to real-world applications that saves teams time and money. We also witnessed the data fragmentation issue, where it became clear that the leaders who win are the ones who unify their data to create one clear view of the customer.
What Big Questions Are CMOs Asking?
Every marketing leader arriving in Paris this year is carrying the same questions:
How do I move from experimental tools to building a core, “always on” marketing infrastructure? Leaders are looking to build systems that react to customer signals in real-time rather than relying on the traditional cycle of big, manual launches.
How do I manage the “privacy paradox” to build deeper customer trust? With stricter regulations and the end of third-party cookies, CMOs are searching for ways to collect first-party data responsibly while still providing the personalized experiences customers expect.
How do I keep brand authenticity alive in a world of fragmented attention? Between new search behaviors and niche social communities, marketers need to know how to maintain a human brand voice while scaling their reach across dozens of different platforms.
VivaTech 2026: The CMO’s Working Space
Vivatech 2026 is designed to help you answer your questions through action, not theory. This year’s 10th-anniversary edition offers specific environments for leaders to pressure-test their strategies:
The CMO Summit: This is a dedicated workspace where you can hear from peers about how they actually improved customer data usage and measurement, with a focus on “how we did it” instead of looking at trends.
Exec Arena & Peer Sessions: These are closed-door conversations where you can compare notes with other CMOs on difficult topics like organizational design, consolidating your tech stack, and digital governance.
On-Floor Discovery: Curated Tech Trails lead you directly to the startups and tools that matter, allowing you to test new attribution solutions and retail media technology in person.
CMO Lounge: This is a quiet basecamp away from the main floor, providing the perfect space for high-level networking and the honest conversations that only happen face-to-face.
Why CMOs Can’t Miss VivaTech This Year
For its 10th edition, VivaTech is leaning heavily into customer experience, digital trust, and sustainable growth; the exact areas where CMOs are being judged today. In a market where you must be both a technical expert and a creative visionary, this event is where you find the partners and technology to move your organization forward this year.
Don’t miss out on all the action and answers this June, get your pass today!
| FAQs | |
|---|---|
| How much business can VivaTech generate for my company? | VivaTech can represent up to 25% of startups’ annual leads, with 60k+ startup business connections and 650K online business connections. PwC, for example, generated 250+ qualified leads in four days. |
| How many visitors and decision-makers attend VivaTech? | VivaTech welcomes 180,000 visitors, 44% of whom are C-level, including 10,000 CMOs and 13,000 tech leaders. The audience is 45% international, from 171 nationalities, with 49% from 5,000+ employee companies and 100% of the CAC 40 represented. |
| How many investors and funds come to VivaTech? | VivaTech gathers 3,600 investors and 890 funds, representing over 4T+ USD of investment power. 65%+ are international, 70%+ are senior profiles, with leading funds such as Sequoia Capital, A16Z, Eurazeo, KKR, and SoftBank Investment Advisers. |
| How many startups exhibit at VivaTech each year? | Over 14,000 startups are present, spanning 30+ business sectors and connecting with 3,600+ investors and 4,000 partners and exhibitors. Three out of four exhibiting startups meet decision-makers at top companies, with past exhibitors including Hugging Face, Dataiku, Anthropic, and Mistral. |
| What dedicated programs does VivaTech offer for CMOs and marketing leaders? | VivaTech offers executive programs such as pre-event networking breakfasts, a dedicated conference track on Stage One, and concrete feedback sessions in the Exec Arena. Executives also access lounges and spaces designed for high-value networking and qualified business generation. |
