According to DMEXCO around 40 000 international trade visitors and over 650 exhibiting companies and partners from across the world filled the halls over two days to conclude successful business deals, proving that DMEXCO really is Europe's digital hotspot.
International top speakers think AI is more of an opportunity than a threat
Whether for marketing, digital transformation or society as a whole — Artificial Intelligence has enormous potential. Most of the speakers at DMEXCO 2023 were generally on the same page about that, says DMEXCO.
In her keynote, Aude Gandon, global CMO at Nestlé, spoke convincingly about how AI is reinventing creativity.
"The secret is to hold on to our expertise with fundamental marketing skills which have not changed and amplify them with the tools of the time," Gandon says.
Gaurav Bhaya, vice president at Google, addressed a major concern that Artificial Intelligence is threatening people's jobs.
"You are not competing against AI — you are competing against another marketer," Bhaya says.
Bhaya thinks that the industry needs to get to grips with these new tools, as that will enable "marketers to focus on marketing again".
Ute Hildebrandt, managing director of continental Europe at Hotwire, calls for a positive image to be instilled in society.
Hildebrandt says, "We need to find a narrative for AI that isn't just monetary or dystopian."
Samir Fadlallah, CIO at Axel Springer, believes that media companies have a key role to play here, especially when it comes to combating fake news.
Fadlallah says, "We need to establish ourselves as a trusted source."
Around 150 agencies show their presence at DMEXCO
Alongside national and international brands, startups and e-commerce providers, agencies were also among the big exhibitor groups. According to Anke Herbener, vice president of the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW), they are the "backbone of digitalisation" and offer great potential.
Franziska von Lewinski, CEO of SYZYGY, even views agencies as a "transformation engine for the economy".
Neil Heinisch, Creative and founder of PlayTheHype, confirmed that the event fueled great discussions.
"DMEXCO was a big class reunion of the digital industry. In addition to facilitating inspiring conversations, the event also provides the space to talk about future projects and partnerships. [It is] an excellent platform for shaping the future together," says Heinisch.
Retail media is gaining momentum
"Retail media is a wave that's only just getting started but will take the market by storm in the coming years," says Patricia Grundmann, chair of the BVDW's Retail Media Circle and managing director of OBI First Media Group.
However, Maike Abel, vice chair of the German Advertisers Association OWM, believes that the category still has some homework to do before it can really take off.
"Retail media is media. It's where retailers become publishers and thus represent competition for all well-known media companies. That's why we need to ensure comparability between channels, transparency in KPIs and a separation between media and sales talks."
Abel also calls for a joint industry committee to define harmonised standards across all marketers and a code of conduct for retail media.
Similarly, Kristina Bulle from Procter & Gamble is still unsure as to whether and how advertising in retail can also be used for brand-building measures.
Abel says that retail media should help "product categories grow overall rather than market shares simply shifting within the product areas".
Immersive worlds and new groundbreaking digital possibilities
NFTs, blockchain and the metaverse are no longer just buzzwords — they've become established business strategies. At the DMEXCO Conference, numerous formats ranging from lectures to impressive practical examples provided fascinating insights into the opportunities and challenges of Web3, says DMEXCO.
The digital fashion format, which had its premiere at the 2023 DMEXCO, highlighted that digitalisation has well and truly made its way into the fashion industry as well.
For example, David Geisser, CEO of collectID, showed how real-life objects can be seamlessly merged with digital ones and how new immersive worlds are being created for users to wear physical products in video games, dress avatars in them and more. Thanks to technology, exciting options are thus arising for consumers and brands to create unique customer experiences.
4.screen, a company recently co-funded by Sir Martin Sorrell's S4Capital Group, presented case studies for in-car marketing. Tesla was also at DMEXCO to demonstrate the various ways in which it is integrating multimedia digital apps into its new vehicles.
Authenticity, diversity and a level playing field are the key
Whether it's different genders, generations or ethnicities working together, or agencies, influencers and brands joining forces across the fields of AI, data, creation and retail — the majority of speakers at DMEXCO 2023 agree that collaborating on a level playing field is the ultimate key to success.
"Diversity has to come from inside before it can be promoted to the outside," says Kerstin Erbe, managing director of dm-drogerie markt.
Maggy Chan from NBC Universal thinks the solution lies in the formula "global reach, local impact" and encourages businesses to "act globally but talk to people locally in the way they like".
Eko Fresh talked about how being authentic first made him a successful rapper and then a no less successful entrepreneur and influencer.
Fresh says, "My roots are the essence of my brand."
Cologne becomes an international hotspot for the digital industry
Held at the same time as DMEXCO, Digital X — the European digitalisation initiative organised by Deutsche Telekom AG — pulled out all the stops with:
- George Clooney
- musician Björn Ulvaeus, and
- futurist Amy Webb.
United by a mindset focussed on driving digitalisation, the two joint events created the perfect platform for international tech and digital experts in both Cologne's city center and exhibition center on Wednesday, 20 September and Thursday, 21 September.
Koelnmesse's CEO Gerald Böse says, "Koelnmesse will be celebrating its 100
th anniversary in 2024. By hosting successful flagship events like DMEXCO, we show how important the transformation toward the digital era is and that in-person trade shows significantly contribute to advancing the economy and society."
"Thanks to the successful collaboration between DMEXCO and Digital X, we managed to bring nearly 100 000 multipliers from the tech and marketing community together in Cologne across two days and turn the city into Europe's digital hotspot," adds Böse.
Prof Dominik Matyka, chief advisor of DMEXCO, says, "An energetic atmosphere, jam-packed halls and stages, trade visitors from all over the world, and a whole lot of positive discussions; we're delighted by the market's amazing feedback and all the positive vibes in response to this year's DMEXCO."
Matyka adds, "AI and retail media were at the heart of 2023's conference. Altogether, the range of topics is vast, DMEXCO offers all stakeholders excellent guidance, plenty of inspiration and — above all — a space to successfully do business."
Dirk Freytag, president of the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW), says, "DMEXCO is the meeting place for international pioneers and thought leaders. We're the top event for the entire digital economy. That's also corroborated by the positive feedback from exhibitors regarding the specific deals they concluded at the event."
"Artificial Intelligence dominated the stages and at the same time highlighted the diversity of this disruptive technology. The well-attended BVDW masterclasses demonstrated how important it is to discuss these far-reaching changes. We're approaching a new era, and DMEXCO will continue to be a place for shaping the future," Freytag concludes.
DMEXCO will return to the Koelnmesse exhibition center for 2024's event on Wednesday, 18 September and Thursday, 19 September 2024.
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