LIONS has acquired VidCon for an undisclosed amount, bringing the world’s largest celebration of digital culture and its creators under the LIONS business within Informa PLC.
VidCon has spent 15 years as the only event sitting at the intersection of all aspects of the creator economy, bringing together creators, fans, brands, and the industry. LIONS is recognized as the global benchmark for creative excellence, and its portfolio includes Effie, WARC, and Contagious. Its global Festival programme convenes the creative marketing community at Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx, Eurobest, Insight to Impact, LIONS Asia, LIONS Riyadh, and Most Contagious.
The acquisition combines VidCon’s reach across creators and fans with LIONS’ standing in creative marketing. VidCon was founded by veteran YouTube creators John and Hank Green, known as Vlogbrothers, and recently joined the LIONS business within Informa PLC.
The two brands had already announced VidCon x LIONS Creators, described as the premier global platform for the creator economy, connecting the cultural and commercial forces shaping the sector. The combined effort is intended to gather the audiences that power the creator economy, develop the next generation of creators, build relationships, drive business, and shape what’s next.
VidCon x LIONS Creators will debut as part of the North American event, Insight to Impact, taking place in Nashville in the fall of 2027. The combined entity will operate within LIONS’ existing portfolio of creative marketing brands and events, with further details to be announced.