COLOGNE, GERMANY – 22 September 2026 – Koelnmesse will stage DMEXCO 2026 on 23 and 24 September in Cologne under the guiding theme “Scaling Intelligence,” positioning the event as a platform for moving artificial intelligence from experimentation into concrete applications, processes and business models. Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech event will bring together decision-makers from AI, media, commerce and agencies across 17 stages, more than 500 sessions and over 230 hours of programming. More than 1,000 international speakers will participate, including executives from OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and major brands. For marketing and commerce operators, the agenda focuses on practical implementation, new business models such as agentic commerce and social commerce, and the full value chain of digital trade.
Scaling Intelligence Moves AI from Experiment to Application
Under the motto “Scaling Intelligence,” DMEXCO 2026 will show how companies can transfer artificial intelligence from the experimentation phase into concrete applications, processes and business models. The event brings together decision-makers and industry leaders from AI, media, commerce and agencies. Across 17 stages and more than 500 sessions, over 1,000 speakers will deliver more than 230 hours of programming. The agenda is designed to help businesses move beyond pilot projects and into operational deployment.
Thought Leaders’ Summit and CMO Summit Anchor the Conference Program
Keynotes from leading international AI companies and tech groups headline the DMEXCO stages. At the Thought Leaders’ Summit on day one, speakers include Dave Dugan, Global Head of Ads Solutions at OpenAI, Dr. Boris Ewenstein, CEO of OTTO GmbH & Co. KGaA, Nidhi Ghai, Corporate Vice President Ad Sales at Microsoft, and Dan Taylor, Vice President Global Ads at Google. Further input comes from BVDW President Dirk Freytag and analysts including Benedict Evans, Lara Sophie Bothur and Pip Klöckner. The CMO Summit on day two will be opened by Verena Gründel and Vera Sidlova of Kantar, with speakers including Boris Dolkhani, CMO of Bosch, Ana von Hutten, Marketing Director EMEA at Mattel, and Claudia Willvonseder, Executive Board Member at Dr. Oetker, discussing how they translate AI technologies into marketing practice.
Eleven Summits Reflect the Breadth of the Marketing Industry
From the Creativity Summit powered by DDA to the AdTech Summit, eleven thematic summits will cover the diversity of the marketing industry. Additional highlight speakers include Ann-Katrin Schmitz, founder of Baby got Business; Andrea Spielmann, CMO of Lorenz Snack-World; Céline Flores Willers, founder of The People Branding Company; Emi Kusano, multidisciplinary artist and AI creative pioneer from Tokyo; Florian Haller, CEO of Serviceplan Group; Florian Jacquier, Global Head of Digital Marketing, Data & Technology at Nestlé; Greg Owens, VP International at Pinterest; Iskra Velichkova, Senior Marketing Director and Head of Brand at PayPal; Jan Flemming, Geschäftsleiter at PENNY Marketing & REWE Group Media; Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod, Global CMO MINI at BMW Group; Kristin Fracchia, CMO at Gamma; Marius Keckeisen, Chief Innovation Officer and Chairman of the Board at BLACKROLL AG; Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital; Mona Roberts, Head of Marketing Northern Europe at Primark Mode Ltd. & Co. KG; Oliver Bierhoff, Entrepreneur in Global Sports Business; Patrick Sostmann, General Manager at Alibaba.com Europe; Paul Ronzheimer, Global Reporter at BILD, WELT, Politico; Philipp Justus, VP Central Europe at Google; Tino Krause, MD DACH at Meta; Uli Klenke, Chief Brand Officer at Telekom; and Wolfgang Ufer, CEO of smart.
World of Commerce Maps the Full Digital Trade Value Chain
The World of Commerce in Hall 7 will serve as the central meeting point for the digital commerce industry and, for the first time, will map the entire value chain from marketplaces and shop systems to digital payment, logistics and fulfillment. On the Commerce Stage and in practical masterclasses, participants will address current strategies and technologies for digital trade as well as new business models such as agentic commerce and social commerce. The Commerce Lounge will offer space for networking, a podcast studio with a silent audience, and an additional stage with two days of programming for commerce experts.
International Partners and Agency Networks Fill the Expo
The international partner lineup for DMEXCO 2026 includes Adverity, Awin, Billiger.de, DAZN, Factfinder, Google, IBM iX, Idealo, IQ Digital, JTL, Media Impact, Meta, mobile.de, OpenAI, Optimizely, Pimcore, Rewe Group, RMS, Rossmann, Shopfully, Shopware, Spotify, Teads, The Nielsen Company, The Trade Desk, TikTok, United Internet Media, Vistar Media, WallDecaux and many more. Profound supports DMEXCO as Platinum Sponsor. The major agency networks—Pilot Group, House of Communication, Omnicom Group, Publicis Group, WPP Group and Dentsu—are represented in the Expo and on the stages. The industry initiative Screenforce is present for the third consecutive year and, together with its nine DACH marketers, invites exchange on the future of total video on the Future TV Stage and the “Total TV Experience.”
Online Ad Summit Pre-Event and DMEXCO ASIA Expand the Platform
The Online Ad Summit, the official pre-event of DMEXCO organized by OVK within BVDW, will take place on 22 September at the Maritim Hotel Cologne. More than 300 decision-makers from advertising, publishing and AdTech will discuss the future of the digital advertising market under the motto “AI – Loss of Control or Gold Rush?”. The focus will be on the impact of artificial intelligence on business models, monetization and value creation, as well as new approaches to advertising effectiveness, data strategies and the open web. Beyond Europe, DMEXCO ASIA has been established as a central platform for digitalization in the Asia-Pacific region, taking place together with the eCommerce Expo on 7 and 8 April 2027 in Singapore.