As always, the annual DMEXCO exhibition and conference in Cologne brought together digital marketers from around the globe to discuss the issues and tech innovations that are shaping the industry today. Though smaller than pre-pandemic iterations of the conference – some US companies chose to scale back – DMEXCO 2023 felt direct and streamlined, with conversations tackling a range of issues.

It’s no surprise that AI took centre stage at this year’s event. Marketers from all over the globe discussed how these tools can revolutionise the industry. However, that wasn’t the only topic on the agenda. With the deadline for the depreciation of cookies edging closer, privacy remained high on the agenda, while innovative break-throughs in digital audio, native advertising and retail media were also discussed.

Below, industry leaders on the ground at DMEXCO 2023 share their insights from the event. 

Jonathan Di Sapia, VP Demand and Partnerships, Intelligent Marketplace, LoopMe 

  • “As expected, data was high on the agenda this year, with conversations around supply-path optimisation widely overheard across the event. AI also dominated discussions, highlighted by Sir Martin Sorrell’s panel discussing the impact of artificial intelligence for digital media; more specifically, its ability to hyper-personalise media experiences.” 

Ville Mikkola, Regional Director DACH, AppsFlyer 

  • Despite DMEXCO being less busy than in previous years, it brimmed with opportunities for spontaneous meetings, with the absence of some major global names like TikTok and Meta leaving space for rising stars to shine. Unsurprisingly, the event also gave voice to a global preoccupation – the ubiquitous presence of AI – which continues to extend its reach across campaign optimisation, customer services, customer journey optimisation, and even journalism.

    “Privacy – and Privacy Sandbox from Google – was also clearly a hot topic, featuring highly on the agendas of advertisers and networks alike. Similarly, the issue of sustainability in digital advertising, and more specifically the need to engage with audiences who want sustainable solutions from their service and product providers, continues to be central to industry discussions.”

Nick Morgan, Founder and CEO, Vudoo 

  • “The event was a hotbed of ad-tech innovation and I was particularly impressed by conversations around the rise of retail media and e-commerce. It was very clear from the conference that e-commerce is encroaching into the adtech space, and will play a big role going forward.”

Mattia Salvi, CEO and Co-Founder, Aryel

  •  “It was electrifying to discuss the effectiveness of immersive rich media in driving transformational results for businesses with engaged leaders who were proactively seeking out inventive solutions to incorporate into their technological framework. 

    “The power of the dynamic AR innovations shone throughout Snap’s session (Real Creativity: How AI & AR are Driving Real Relationships). These advanced tools are enabling brands to provide exceptional customer experiences and elevate ROI in a fast-evolving digital landscape.”

Madi Bachar, VP of Global Sales, MGID 

  • “As a business, we learned that there are plenty of opportunities to bring native advertising solutions to the European market, but we need to tailor and diversify our product offerings to serve the region’s wide array of markets, companies, and business objectives. Europe is not a place for one-size-fits-all solutions.

    “AI was a hot topic and I was particularly interested in discussions around how generative AI can serve as an assistant for marketers in digital advertising.”