DMEXCO 2026 will bring ten curated industry summits to Cologne on September 23–24, with artificial intelligence, digital commerce, marketing technology and the future of media among the key themes.

The organizers of DMEXCO 2026 have announced the event’s full summit structure, putting a particular emphasis on commerce and the rapidly evolving digital commerce ecosystem.

Taking place in Cologne on September 23 and 24, 2026, DMEXCO will bring together decision-makers and leading companies from marketing, technology, media and commerce under this year’s motto, “Scaling Intelligence.”

The central theme reflects a broader shift in the digital economy: artificial intelligence is moving from experimentation into everyday business operations, with companies increasingly focused on scaling AI applications and turning them into measurable commercial value.

Alongside AI, DMEXCO 2026 will put digital commerce high on the agenda, positioning the World of Commerce as one of the event’s major ecosystems.

Commerce Takes a Central Role at DMEXCO 2026

Digital commerce has become one of the most rapidly changing areas of the digital economy, driven by AI, marketplaces, social commerce, new payment models and increasingly sophisticated consumer expectations.

DMEXCO says the World of Commerce will bring together more than 120 exhibitors, including Billiger.de, Shopware, Awin, FactFinder, idealo and JTL.

The exhibition will cover the entire commerce journey, from marketplaces and digital payments to logistics and fulfillment, with the Commerce Lounge serving as a dedicated networking and matchmaking area.

“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.

According to Gründel, the World of Commerce is intended to become one of the largest ecosystems at DMEXCO 2026, bringing together platforms, technologies and industry experts shaping the next stage of digital commerce.

The program will also include masterclasses, panels and networking opportunities designed to connect exhibitors and visitors with potential business partners.

Among the experts announced for the commerce program are Dr. Kai Hudetz of ECC KÖLN (IFH KÖLN), Laura Kremer of Kandu GmbH, Ingrid Lommer and Valerie Dichtl from Marketplace Universe, and Alexander Graf, host of the German commerce podcast Kassenzone.

AI and the Next Phase of Digital Commerce

AI will remain a connecting theme across the DMEXCO 2026 program.

The organizers are positioning artificial intelligence not simply as a technology trend, but as a tool for scaling processes, decision-making and business models.

Dirk Freytag, President of the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW), says the World of Commerce and the Commerce Summit reflect the growing strategic importance of the sector.

“The focus is on artificial intelligence as a key driver for scaling processes, decisions, and business models in retail,” Freytag says.

The commerce agenda will span areas including omnichannel commerce, AI commerce, social commerce, discovery commerce and data-driven platform models.

This reflects a broader transformation in which the boundaries between retail, advertising, technology platforms and customer experience are becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

Ten Summits Define the DMEXCO 2026 Program

Commerce will be one of ten curated summits at DMEXCO 2026.

The organizers describe the summits as dedicated meeting points for decision-makers, combining industry insights, practical use cases, networking and strategic discussions.

The DMEXCO Thought Leaders’ Summit and DMEXCO CMO Summit will focus on high-level questions around AI in marketing, platform strategies and brand leadership.

The DMEXCO AdTech Summit will examine developments including agentic media buying and identity solutions, while the DMEXCO MarTech Summit will address hyper-personalization and autonomous marketing.

AI-driven commerce and international industry examples will be central to the DMEXCO Retail & Commerce Media Summit, powered by BVDW.

Other specialist programs include the DMEXCO DOOH Summit, focused on full-funnel strategies, and the DMEXCO Agencies Summit, which will examine how agency models are changing in the age of AI.

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 and the VideoDays Festival, will explore content authenticity and influencer-led brands.

Meanwhile, the Future TV Summit, presented by Screenforce, will focus on connected TV (CTV), advanced TV (ATV) and the changing television advertising landscape.

New Speakers Confirmed for DMEXCO 2026

The speaker lineup continues to expand, bringing together executives, marketers, creators and industry leaders from across Europe and the international digital economy.

Newly confirmed speakers include Rezo, Content Creator and Founder of Nindo GmbH; Michael Komasinski, CEO of Criteo; Claudia Willvonseder, Member of the Executive Board of Dr. Oetker; Rik Strubel, CMO of Douglas; and Fynn Kliemann, CEO of Kliemannsland GmbH.

The program will also feature Sabine Jünger, Vice President of 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.

Their participation reflects the breadth of the DMEXCO 2026 agenda, which increasingly connects traditional marketing disciplines with commerce, technology, media, creators and AI.

DMEXCO 2026: From AI Experimentation to Scaled Business Value

The structure of DMEXCO 2026 points to a more mature phase of the AI conversation.

Rather than treating artificial intelligence as a standalone topic, the event will examine how AI is being integrated into marketing operations, commerce platforms, media buying, personalization, creative work and business strategy.

That approach is consistent with the event’s “Scaling Intelligence” motto.

After years of experimentation with generative AI, the focus is increasingly shifting toward implementation: how businesses can integrate AI into existing systems, scale successful applications and demonstrate tangible results.

Commerce is particularly well positioned within this transformation because it brings together many of the areas being reshaped by AI — from product discovery and recommendations to advertising, payments, customer data and fulfillment.

DMEXCO 2026 Tickets

DMEXCO 2026 will take place in Cologne on September 23–24, 2026.

Information about tickets, registration and the latest event program is available on the official DMEXCO website.

For companies working across digital marketing, advertising technology, e-commerce, retail media, AI, MarTech, AdTech, social media and digital transformation, the 2026 edition is set to provide a broad view of how these sectors are converging.

DMEXCO 2026 will bring together the digital industry’s leading decision-makers, technology companies, brands, agencies and creators in Cologne this September.

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