MediaLink will be flying in Paris Hilton for a second year to DJ at its flagship party on Tuesday, it’s also bringing a diverse slate of creator talent with help from owner talent agency UTA.

Chairman and chief executive Michael Kassan said his new favorite acronym was “DTC – ‘direct-to-creator,’ and this way of working is firmly established across the marketing sector,” adding that a reflection of this was the dominant way creators are showing up at creative festivals like Cannes Lions.

“Any brand that wants a shot at relevance knows they have to be a part of culture to matter,” he added, giving a flavor of the conversations that will be going on under the beating hot French sun come mid-June.

“Creators give [brands] capital,” he said. “On the flip side, creators want in with the brands both in front of and behind the camera. They’re tapping them to fund and co-create passion projects and they’re asking to be part of the marketing process.”

If 2015 was ad-tech’s high summer, 2023 looks set to be a scorcher for creators.