The annual DMEXCO conference in Cologne is set to kick off tomorrow, bringing together the who’s who of the ad tech industry. Expectations are high for discussions around AI buzzwords, intense networking, and significant industry shifts. Despite uncertainties surrounding Google’s ad empire and the future of third-party cookies, the ad tech world remains optimistic about the event.
Peter Wallace, GM of EMEA at contextual intelligence firm GumGum, expects a broader EMEA presence this year, with more attendees from the Netherlands and UK compared to the localized German focus of DMEXCO 2023. The conference continues to draw heavyweights like Google, Amazon, and Shopify, along with PubMatic, FreeWheel, and Index Exchange. Julia Linehan, founder and CEO of ad tech PR agency The Digital Voice, noted the event’s shift from being predominantly German/European to more international.
Ville Mikkola, regional manager for AppsFlyer in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, emphasized DMEXCO’s role as a crucial indicator of whether the ad tech industry is truly thinking ahead.
Ad tech industry’s global shift
Despite the steep costs, many ad tech companies are willing to invest heavily in DMEXCO.
Lauren Wetzel, CEO of InfoSum, highlighted the mounting evidence of global adoption of data clean rooms, with organizations and policymakers emerging as key drivers of this shift. Ad tech veteran Wilfried Schobeiri, CTO at ad tech firm Ogury, expressed enthusiasm about the industry moving past the uncertainty around cookie deprecation. Marketers and publishers can now better prepare for an ID-less future without Google dictating terms.
The Day 1 agenda features an opening session presenting an exclusive study on the digital economy’s future, followed by sessions on AI-powered search and ads, retail media and performance marketing, sustainability in client-agency relationships, and AI-powered customer experiences. As practitioners gather in Cologne, they aim to navigate the complexities of the dynamic ad tech industry and come out with transformative agreements and innovative solutions. The event’s robust line-up and strategic discussions underscore its pivotal role in shaping the future of ad tech.
