Adtech and Martech: What Matters Now at the World of Tech

Adtech and martech on the verge of a paradigm shift

Hardly any other area of digital marketing is currently developing as rapidly as adtech and martech. Generative AI is automating processes and paving the way for new forms of personalization. At the same time, data privacy requirements are changing how data is used, while an ever-growing number of channels and touchpoints are making the customer journey more complex.

This poses very practical questions for companies: How can we reach our target groups without third-party cookies? How can we connect data from different systems? Which marketing processes does it make sense for us to automate? And what role will AI and new technologies play in our tech stack going forward?

These are precisely the questions that will be in focus at the World of Tech at DMEXCO 2026. This section of the Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference brings technology providers together with marketing, digital, data, and IT decision-makers. It’s a forum for players to discuss, compare, and experience new solutions first-hand.

Adtech: The rise of intelligent advertising

Automated media buying, precise targeting, and data-driven campaign optimization are all established elements of day-to-day digital marketing practice. But the technological framework underpinning them is changing radically.

The following developments are particularly relevant in 2026:

• Cookieless advertising and privacy-first targeting
• Retail media and commerce media
• AI-based campaign optimization
• CTV and streaming ads
• New approaches to measurement and attribution

From supply-side platforms and demand-side platforms to ad exchanges all the way through to contextual targeting and data solutions, the World of Tech will reveal how the adtech ecosystem is evolving.

Its central focus will be on how relevance, reach, and measurability can be combined when conventional identifiers are losing traction. First-party data, contextual targeting, attention metrics, and new attribution models are emerging as the key building blocks of modern advertising strategies.

Martech: From tool to intelligent infrastructure

AI is also changing the rules of the game in martech: CRM, CMS, and marketing automation will remain crucial components of the martech stack, but they’ll be connected in increasingly intelligent ways.

Generative AI supports content production, personalization, and campaign planning. Customer data platforms are evolving into real-time systems with AI-based segments. Marketing automation orchestrates customer journeys in increasingly smart ways. At the same time, data clean rooms enable privacy-compliant collaboration between companies.

The emergence of generative engine optimization (GEO) poses a further challenge: With more and more users discovering products, brands, and information via AI systems, businesses need to rethink their digital visibility.

The crucial question is no longer how many tools a company is using, but how well its data, systems, and processes work together.

Adtech and Martech Summits: Navigating the tech stack

If you want to dive deeper into these topics, DMEXCO 2026 has two outstanding conferences lined up for you: the Adtech Summit and the Martech Summit.

Both formats have been expanded considerably this year. Each content block is scheduled for four hours, up from two hours in the previous year. In lectures and panels, industry experts will discuss the latest developments, best practices, and strategic decisions.

But the focus won’t be solely on having cutting-edge technologies but rather on their practical relevance: Which solutions scale? Where does AI actually boost efficiency? Which data strategies work in the new privacy landscape? And how do companies need to set up their technology architecture in order to maintain their agility and responsiveness going forward?

Marketing technology in action

Alongside the summits, the World of Tech will provide a wide range of opportunities to explore new technologies. In the large expo area, international providers will present their solutions. On the Tech Stage, live presentations, case studies, and the latest developments will be the main focus.

In the masterclasses, visitors will be able to familiarize themselves with concrete use cases and best practices. The Center Stage will provide a broader perspective with keynotes and panels that address overarching issues, while the CMO Lounge will provide a space for strategic exchanges among decision-makers.

With names such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, The Trade Desk, and Adobe in attendance, some of the key players in the international tech ecosystem will be represented at DMEXCO.

World of Tech: Where marketing and IT come together

Building a successful tech stack today is neither purely a marketing task nor purely an IT one. Data architecture, the customer experience, media, automation, and AI are increasingly closely intertwined. This is exactly why the World of Tech brings marketing decision-makers, IT managers, agencies, publishers, and brands together around one table.

At the World of Tech, visitors will be able to compare technologies, meet solution providers, and assess their own tech strategy from different perspectives.

Which technologies will shape the marketing of tomorrow, and which ones does your business really need? Get your ticket for DMEXCO 2026 now and find the answers for your next big technology move at the World of Tech.