- Around 20 per cent more guests from advertising companies: over 2,000 brands from Abus to Zwilling represented the diversity and innovative strength of the industry
- More than 700 exhibitors and partners showcased the latest trends, technologies and solutions
- 1,000 speakers on 17 stages – featuring top international voices and thought leaders
- Over 40,000 participants made DMEXCO 2025 the central meeting place for the digital economy in Europe
Cologne, September 18, 2025 – DMEXCO 2025 set new standards in terms of size and diversity. Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech event grew in all areas: more speakers, more exhibitors and partners, more space and significantly more brands than in the previous year. With over 1,000 international experts on 17 stages, more than 700 exhibitors and partners, and 20 per cent more brands among the visitors, DMEXCO underlined its business relevance. Under the motto ‘Be Bold. Move Forward.’, marketing decision-makers actively shaped the trends of the future. Over 40,000 participants experienced the largest platform for digital marketing and tech in Europe.
In 2026, DMEXCO will take place on 23 and 24 September in Cologne.
A bold stance is key – a clarion call to the sector
Artificial intelligence, cultural upheaval and fragmented markets are reshaping our world. Brands and marketers need more than just technology – they need determination, creativity and the drive to explore new avenues. DMEXCO 2025 made it clear that a bold approach is the only answer to an ever-changing environment. Rely solely on tried-and-tested strategies and you will be left behind. Claire-Louise Green, Vice President DX Marketing EMEA, Adobe, also emphasized that now is the place, the time for marketing to show up: the combination of creativity, technology and AI opens up completely new possibilities. The focus now is on the fundamentals, but the result of this triad will be a rocket ship.
CMO agenda for 2026: embracing authenticity as marketing’s strongest currency
At the CMO Summit, marketing decision-makers from global brands discussed the challenges facing the sector in the coming years. A key takeaway was that brands are under enormous pressure to be authentic while simultaneously driving forward innovation. “In today’s reality, authenticity is key,” says Olivier Krueger, CMO of Lufthansa Group. For him, one thing is certain: “Brands that are genuine and reflect reality are the ones that earn trust. And this trust is not built on campaign aesthetics, but on credibility.”
Yves Brunschwiler, Head of Sales, Central Europe at Spotify, also emphasized that authenticity must not only be an attitude, but also something that can be experienced: “If you want to build real connections with your audience, you have to think like a fan. Only then can you create an authentic and meaningful experience for your brand.”
A new reality: How AI is transforming customer experience, commerce and content creation
No other technology is reshaping the world of marketing as dramatically as artificial intelligence is right now. It’s redefining the limits of customer experience, commerce and content creation, unlocking opportunities we never imagined possible.
“For us marketers, AI is an enabler. Our analyses show, for example, a 53 percent increase in purchases within 30 minutes when a copilot is used – and in retail environments this figure even rises to 194 percent,” explained Tor Thompson, General Manager, Global Business Team at Microsoft Advertising, describing the new era of digital interfaces. Search behavior is also about to undergo a fundamental shift, as Gaurav Bhaya, Vice President at Google Ads, highlighted in his keynote: “There has never been a more exciting time for search than right now. Because we are no longer imagining an era where you can ask search anything we’re living it. AI is turning human curiosity intro breakthroughs that is transforming the way we live, work and even how we imagine. AI is giving search superpowers.”
AI is already changing the rules of the game in the agency world too: “I believe we are embarking on a journey over the coming years that will feel very similar to the time when the internet became a mass product and started to be commercialized. AI will follow a very similar path – you have to adjust, you have to adapt, and you have to acknowledge the fact that it is not going to go away,” noted Tim Ringel, Global CEO of Meet the People.
Summits provide impetus for the future of marketing
The event’s central theme of embracing boldness as a mindset linked all the summits and discussions:
- DMEXCO Thought Leaders’ Summit: One of the special highlights on the first day of DMEXCO was the Thought Leaders’ Summit on the Center Stage, which served as an exclusive gathering for the industry’s pioneering thinkers. The program focused on platform strategies, using artificial intelligence in marketing, the social economy, hyper-personalization, digital sovereignty, competitiveness, and regulatory issues. Renowned speakers such as Philipp Klöckner (tech analyst, Doppelgänger Tech Talk podcast), Professor Maja Göpel (political economist), Lara Sophie Bothur (global corporate tech influencer, Deloitte), Rezo (content creator and founder, Nindo), and Christoph Eck-Schmidt (CMO/CCO Axel Springer; CEO, Bonial; managing director, Media Impact) took to the stage to share inspiration, present their insights, and discuss how to drive digital innovation forward with an approach that is both bold and responsible.
- DMEXCO Commerce Summit – powered by the BVDW and in partnership with Shopify: The DMEXCO Commerce Summit explored how technology and customer centricity are redefining what it takes to be successful in the digital commerce space. Topics ranged from social shopping and the opportunities offered by an omnichannel approach to AI-powered personalization and the latest composable commerce architectures. Talks by Vanessa Stützle (CEO, Luqom Group), Martin Villanueva (global customer engagement lead, IKEA), and Corinna Hohenleitner (vice president, BVDW) provided insights into cross-channel commerce strategies, personalization, and the trend for seamless customer journeys.
- DMEXCO Creativity Summit – curated by DDA and empowered by Kantar: In collaboration with the German Digital Award (DDA), the Creativity Summit brought leading agencies and brands together in one place. Ndeye Diagne (chief growth officer, Kantar France), Dora Osinde (CEO, YEAH BUT NO), Nishant John (creative director, Taxfix), and Davide Bortot (co-founder, A Color Bright) joined other experts to discuss cultural relevance, the creative mindset, conceptual simplicity, and using AI in ideation. Led by Anke Herbener and Matthias Maurer (both deputy chairs of the BVDW’s Digital Agencies working group), the summit shed light on the power of creative excellence in the context of four megatrends: cultural marketing, next-level content creation, agentic AI, and AI filmmaking.
- DMEXCO Creators’ Summit – supported by Social Match & the VideoDays Festival: On the second day of the event, the DMEXCO Creators’ Summit was devoted to the topic of influencer marketing. The lineup of speakers at the summit included names such as Billy Hodder (digital content manager, FIFA), Patrick Fischer (CEO, OneFootball), Judith Sütterlin (head of global communications, strategy, data analytics & content creator management, Volkswagen), and Julius Winter (executive creative consultant, TikTok DACH). But the summit also featured influencers themselves, with content creators such as Bianca Heinicke appearing. The summit addressed the key trends in this field, ranging from authentic content to new concepts in influencer matching, all the way through to influencer brands and platform diversification.
- DMEXCO Retail Media Summit – powered by the BVDW: The Retail Media Summit focused on the latest developments and strategies in retail. Leading thinkers such as Patricia Grundmann (vice president media & retail media / managing director, OBI First Media Group), Moritz Hoffmann (managing director, pilot Group), and Christian Raveaux (director retail media connect, Rewe Group) shed light on retail media’s growing importance as a key component of the marketing mix. The discussions examined topics such as data-driven customer journeys, the integration of online and offline channels, and the question of how to find the right balance between brand messages and sales promotion. But one point emerged clearly from the summit: For brands and retailers, retail media needs to be intelligent, efficient, and customer oriented.
- NXTGEN Agency Summit – powered by awork, Weischer.JvB and Brainsuite: The NXTGEN Agency Summit at DMEXCO 2025 served as a platform for young creative minds and as a forum where agencies could learn, grow, and be instrumental in shaping the future of marketing. The speakers included Max Lederer (chief innovation officer, Jung von Matt), Sebastian Moritz (founder & CEO, Electric Sheep), Juliane Apel (head of brand marketing, Yello Strom), and Maylin Vural (unit lead strategy, segmenta). Among other topics, they discussed how agencies need to reposition themselves in the age of artificial intelligence, the potential impact of AI-generated content on the uniqueness and recognizability of brands, and how target group segmentation is changing in response to a new generation of consumers.
- Corporate Influencer Summit – co-curated by The People Branding Company: The Corporate Influencer Summit provided an impressive demonstration of the importance of this new kind of corporate ambassadors in business communication today. Experts such as Céline Flores Willers (CEO & founder, The People Branding Company), Alena Brügger (LinkedIn top voice), and Britta Behrens (LinkedIn consultant) discussed how to develop a successful corporate influencer program and how employees can act as credible ambassadors for their brands. The discussions centered on the issues of authenticity, cultural embedding, and the long-term impact of corporate influencing on reputation and employer branding. The speakers underscored one point: Corporate influencers have long since evolved from being a mere fad and are now a strategic success factor in the marketing mix.
DOOH and total TV: two high-growth segments represented in their full spectrum
Digital out of home (DOOH) had a strong presence at DMEXCO 2025: The industry gathered in Hall 8, where international players such as Vistar Media, Displayce, WallDecaux, and Ströer as well as 22 member companies of the Institute for Digital Out-of-Home Media (IDOOH) were represented. Together, they showcased digital outdoor advertising in all its diversity on two central stages and in exclusive networking areas. “The global advertising industry comes together at DMEXCO. The aim here is to meet customers and partners in person and engage in dialogue with them,” says Frank Goldberg, Managing Director IDOOH.
The who’s who of TV marketing was also in attendance: Following its enormously successful appearance last year, Screenforce returned to DMEXCO in 2025 with a powerful display of its offerings. “There are many trade fairs you could attend. I think DMEXCO is the most professional of them all. It’s simply a great place to have good business discussions,” emphasizes Malte Hildebrandt, CEO, Screenforce Gattungsmarketing.
Together with all its partners from across the German-speaking region, the TV marketer appeared on the Future TV Stage to present a high-caliber program that covered connected TV, addressable TV, advertising impact, and brand strategies. The sessions clearly showed how television is evolving in a digitalized world and highlighted the opportunities that are opening up for advertisers and brands.
Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse: “Bold decisions are essential, especially during times of global transformation. Trade blocs are shifting, and uncertainty is growing, but history teaches us that crises are also opportunities. DMEXCO 2025 has given a powerful demonstration that courage is now the key to success in marketing. As a platform, DMEXCO brings together the industry’s brightest minds to develop answers to pressing questions about our digital future. The ideas sparked in Cologne continue to resonate well beyond the two days of the trade fair. That is why my advice, and the message to take away from DMEXCO, is not to lose heart but to keep moving forward!”
Verena Gründel, Brand & Communications Director at DMEXCO: “The atmosphere at DMEXCO was very special this year, brimming with energy, optimism and genuine innovative spirit. Despite all the challenges, we witnessed the industry’s courageous and creative forward-thinking. Our motto – ‘Be Bold. Move Forward.’ – made big waves, ringing out from the stages, echoing through the corridors and striking a chord at the booths. The strategy hit the mark – courage was the theme, and the message truly resonated. I’m certain that the European digital marketing scene has made a huge leap forward in these last two days.”
Dirk Freytag, President of the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW) e.V.: “As the past two days at DMEXCO have highlighted, the digital economy is and will continue to be at the forefront of future-oriented business models. The stages showcased countless inspiring moments, profound insights and an incredible range of topics. The substantial increase in exhibition space is a testament to the business relevance of Europe’s leading event for digital marketing and tech. We are proud of our role in shaping the future. Just as we were able to report last year, we can say that the BVDW has been more strongly represented than ever in 2025. Almost a fifth of speakers came from our association, and 97 of our members participated in the expo. ‘Be Bold. Move Forward.’ is our clarion call to the sector: Let’s shape the future together. This is our chance to do so.”
The 2026 edition of DMEXCO will take place in Cologne on September 23 and 24. Exhibitors can register for DMEXCO 2026 now – and take advantage of repeat booking offers.
The eCommerce Expo x DMEXCO ASIA will make its first appearance on the global stage at Tech Week Singapore on October 8 and 9, 2025. The event aims to set trends in the Southeast Asian and Pacific market and serve as a platform for the Asian digital economy.
Images from DMEXCO 2025 are available online at
https://go.dmexco.com/press-downloads-dmexco.
About DMEXCO
DMEXCO is Europe’s leading digital marketing & tech event. We are a community and a central gathering place for all key players in the digital economy and the spheres of marketing and innovation. We bring together industry leaders, marketing and media professionals, and tech pioneers in one central location to collectively set the digital agenda. DMEXCO offers a comprehensive ecosystem featuring presentations from internationally renowned speakers, exhibitions from top brands and hands-on masterclasses – all centered around digital trends and future business opportunities.
Both in Cologne and online, we set the benchmark as the go-to networking and business platform for the digital economy. At DMEXCO, decision-makers gain valuable insights, draw inspiration, make contacts and seal deals. This is where the digital business landscape of tomorrow unfolds today. The 2025 edition of the event will take place in Cologne on September 17 and 18.
With the launch of DMEXCO ASIA, DMEXCO is making its first expansion into the international market this year. Hosted as part of Tech Week Singapore in partnership with eCommerce Expo, the event will set trends in the Southeast Asian and Pacific market and serve as a platform for the Asian digital economy. eCommerce Expo | DMEXCO ASIA will debut on October 8–9, 2025.
The German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW) – together with the online marketing association Online-Vermarkterkreis (OVK) – is the ideational and professional partner of DMEXCO and owner of the DMEXCO brand. DMEXCO is organized by Koelnmesse.
Image material on DMEXCO is available online at https://go.dmexco.com/de/press-downloads-dmexco.
Media contact
Elena Fischer
PR & Media Relations Manager DMEXCO
Email: elena.fischer@dmexco.com
Phone: +49 17612562802
