Bankrupt iHM Hosts Exclusive VIP Dinner At Cannes

Jon Bon Jovi

“Hello, hello, hello!,” shouted Jon Bon Jovi over a crowded room of media execs at the restaurant inside the ultra-swanky Hotel du Cap Eden Roc, in Antibes, on Tuesday night.

The NYPost reports the rocker played an acoustic set for an intimate crowd of 300 industry heavyweights for iHeart Media and MediaLink’s annual bash. The ’80s icon played pared-down versions of his greatest hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer,” as attendees sang along and sipped his new rose, Hampton Water.

The party is widely considered to be the crown jewel of Cannes Lions Festival — not for its high quotient of celebs, but for its exclusivity among the media’s elite.

Hosted by iHeart CEO Bob Pittman and president & COO Rich Bressler, along with MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan and vice chair Wenda Harris Millard, the intimate dinner brought together influential decision makers and thought leaders from the brand, agency, media, technology and financial sectors. According to InsideRadio, top execs from AT&T, Unilever, Facebook, Vivendi, DDB Worldwide and Hulu schmoozed with celebs like Katie Couric, Ryan Seacrest and singer/songwriter Miguel.

Despite the bustling room of execs, some at the party noted that this year, the mood at the festival was more muted, with brands shelling out less money for elaborate events.

“I’ll be honest about this, very honest about this. The narrative seemed to be that people were pulling back from Cannes,” Kassan told The NYPost. “That is absolutely not the case because the brands that matter more to our industry are here in full force and they are demonstrating their interest in creativity and how the intersection of marketing, media, advertising and entertainment and technology come together."