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Commerce to become one of the key focus areas of DMEXCO 2026
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DMEXCO motto “Scaling Intelligence” to shape all ten summits
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Additional top speakers and international partners confirmed
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Tickets now available: limited Early Bird tickets on sale
Cologne, May 18, 2026 – Artificial intelligence is moving beyond the experimental stage and becoming a key growth driver of the digital economy. This is exactly where DMEXCO 2026 comes in: Under the motto “Scaling Intelligence” Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech event will bring together the most influential minds from marketing, technology and business in Cologne on September 23 and 24, 2026, to demonstrate how companies can successfully scale AI-driven value creation. At the same time, DMEXCO once again positions itself as a platform for forward-looking business solutions and as the leading networking hub for the digital economy.
In 2026, the event program will place a special focus on the World of Commerce and the dynamic digital commerce market, one of the most important growth engines of the digital economy.
“Anyone who wants to understand how AI, platforms and changing consumer needs are transforming commerce in 2026 cannot afford to miss DMEXCO this year,” says Verena Gründel, Director Brand & Communications at DMEXCO. “That is why we are making the World of Commerce one of the largest and most relevant ecosystems at DMEXCO 2026 – bringing together the leading platforms, technologies and minds redefining digital commerce.”
World of Commerce: A Curated End-to-End Experience with Masterclasses, Panels and Networking Lounge
The World of Commerce concept enables both exhibitors and visitors to establish targeted business connections, exchange knowledge and initiate concrete business opportunities. More than 120 exhibitors, including Billiger.de, Shopware, Awin, FactFinder, idealo and JTL, will showcase solutions across the entire commerce journey – from marketplaces and digital payment to logistics and fulfillment. The Commerce Lounge will serve as the central matchmaking hub for business networking.
The World of Commerce will also feature strong partners and renowned industry voices, including Dr. Kai Hudetz with ECC KÖLN (IFH KÖLN), a leading research and networking platform for retail; Laura Kremer (Kandu GmbH), representing the D2C and scale-up ecosystem; Ingrid Lommer and Valerie Dichtl from Marketplace Universe as marketplace experts; and Alexander Graf, host of Germany’s leading commerce podcast Kassenzone.
“The World of Commerce and the Commerce Summit, taking place on both days of the trade fair, underscore the strategic importance of this sector for DMEXCO and the digital economy as a whole. Here, too, the focus is on artificial intelligence as a key driver for scaling processes, decisions, and business models in retail. DMEXCO is the place to find concrete answers to the current industry transformation. Here, we showcase the full spectrum of modern commerce approaches, from omnichannel and AI commerce to social and discovery commerce, all the way to data-driven platform models,” explains Dirk Freytag, President of the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW).
Ten Curated Summits at DMEXCO 2026
Alongside the DMEXCO Commerce Summit, DMEXCO, with its nine other summits, positions itself as a key meeting place for decision-makers, offering best practices, inspiration and strategic guidance.
The DMEXCO Thought Leaders’ Summit and the DMEXCO CMO Summit on the Center Stage will provide strategic impulses focused on AI in marketing, platform strategies and brand leadership. The DMEXCO AdTech Summit will feature insights into agentic media buying and identity solutions, while the DMEXCO MarTech Summit will explore hyper-personalization and autonomous marketing. AI in commerce and international best cases will be showcased at the DMEXCO Retail & Commerce Media Summit (powered by BVDW). The DMEXCO DOOH Summit will focus on full-funnel strategies. Speakers at the DMEXCO Agencies Summit will discuss new agency models in the age of AI, while the DMEXCO Creativity Summit (powered by DDA) will connect creative excellence with cultural marketing and AI filmmaking. The DMEXCO Creators’ Summit (supported by Social Match & VideoDays Festival) will spotlight content authenticity and influencer brands, while the Future TV Summit (by Screenforce) will focus on CTV and ATV strategies.
Additional confirmed speakers are Rezo, Content Creator & Founder of Nindo GmbH; Michael Komasinski, CEO of Criteo; Claudia Willvonseder, Member of the Executive Board of Dr. Oetker; Rik Strubel, CMO of Douglas; Fynn Kliemann, CEO of Kliemannsland GmbH; Sabine Jünger, Vice President OTTO Advertising; Jan Flemming, Head of Marketing at PENNY and REWE Group Media; Isabelle Rogat, Cultural Trendscout; Tobias Seemann, Chief Digital Officer at adidas; and Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital.
Tickets for DMEXCO are available now.
