DMEXCO 2019 – Trust In You

Trust was at the heart of DMEXCO 2019 and forms the foundation of an increasingly digital society. When it comes to handling data and disrupting working practices, the trust of customers and the community is one of the most important prerequisites for a company’s long-term success. More than 1,000 exhibitors had the opportunity to win visitors’ trust in their vision during the two-day trade fair in Cologne.

The trade fair opened its doors on Wednesday and offered visitors the latest trends in digital business, marketing, and innovation across seven halls and two days. Onedot was there on Wednesday to find out about the latest developments in the industry. First of all, the topic of product data seems to be gaining in relevance, as the numerous stands of PIM providers and complementary solutions were consistently well attended. The latest trend is the concept of “Product Experience Management,” or PEM for short, coined by Akeneo. This expands product information to include the element of “experience.” This information is processed in addition to the conventional information and fed into the PIM (Product Information Management) system. This leads to improved product displays in the online shop and, consequently, to higher sales. The process will increase the richness and complexity of the onboarding process, further enhancing the importance of the service that Onedot offers its customers.

In addition to the data area, Future Park in Hall 9 offered a new format for start-ups and new tech companies to present their solutions. Topics such as AI chatbots, performance marketing, and FinTech have long been popular among young entrepreneurs and are likely to remain so in the coming year.

What sets these brands apart from their competitors and traditional companies was demonstrated in over 400 presentations and various workshops. Their role models, experienced and internationally established entrepreneurs, shared their recipes for success and visions with their audience on the conference stage. In addition to personalities such as Jimmy Wales (co-founder of Wikipedia) and Stephanie Buscemi (CMO of SalesForce), we found the presentation by Harley Finkelstein (COO of Shopify) particularly interesting, as he addressed a topic in which we also play an important role: “A new era for retail.”

Together with Ben Francis (founder of Gymshark), Harley illustrated the development of retail from its origins to omni-channel retailing, which they believe is the key to the success of retailers of all sizes today. They provided important insights into how to successfully implement a consistent brand image across all channels. We have summarized the most important points for you below:

1. Be brave and take risks! – Since the barrier to entry for new entrepreneurs is lower than ever before and the costs of failure have also been minimized, riskier decisions are necessary. Furthermore, established companies have more to lose, which significantly slows down the decision-making process for innovation. This is a historic opportunity for young entrepreneurs.
2. Tackle the small unsolved problems first! – Ben identified a problem (the lack of figure-hugging fitness shirts) and immediately set about finding a solution. Now Gymshark is the fastest-growing retailer in England.

With this additional knowledge, good discussions, and exciting impressions, the first day of the trade fair drew to a close and our conclusion was largely positive. The range of products and services on offer was comprehensive, the trade fair was well attended, and the providers presented relevant solutions for current challenges. We would like to thank all our customers, interested parties, and partners for the exciting discussions and are already looking forward to the next DMEXCO next year.