DEX25 was more than just a well-attended industry event. It was an event that you could feel in the room. Just under 1000 registered participants set a new record - and a clear sign of the role this event now plays for the Swiss advertising and digital industry. In particular, the increasing proportion of visitors from advertising companies and the growing international interest gave the conference an additional boost.
Artificial intelligence dominated the content. What used to be considered a vision of the future was this time discussed as an operational reality. Prof. Dr. Holger Schmidt set the pace with his opening keynote: AI no longer changes media, advertising and value creation step by step, but in weekly cycles. This acceleration characterized the entire day.
One of the leitmotifs of DEX25 was the awareness that the industry is at a turning point. The way in which people search, obtain information and make decisions is being fundamentally redefined. Voice and camera are replacing the keyboard, AI-supported interfaces could control transactions independently in the medium term - a scenario that calls classic advertising models into question.
The discussion about Brand Agents seemed correspondingly realistic. Digital representatives who anticipate customer needs and act independently could create a new ecosystem - with new KPIs, new roles and new priorities.
At the same time, it became clear that the democratization of technology can quickly lead to a banalization of content. When everything can be produced, differentiation shifts more towards attitude, style and quality.
Despite the technological density, one thing remained constant: the real power of DEX is created between people. Conversations, reunions, spontaneous encounters - they shaped the day just as much as the panels and keynotes.
Many speakers emphasized that AI unleashes enormous operational potential, but does not replace empathy, narrative power or real relevance. Storytelling remains human. Orientation remains human. Consulting remains human. Especially in a phase of high speed, the human perspective is gaining in value - brands and agencies that offer orientation are becoming a sought-after authority.
The mixture of keynotes, panels and practical sessions underlined why DEX is now regarded as the most important digital conference in Switzerland. Holger Schmidt, Dr. Daniel Knapp, retail media experts Irina Schmitz and Corinna Hohenleitner as well as the "Elephant Round Table" of Swiss marketers set clear professional accents.
Workshops and masterclasses from brands such as Rivella, Purina, SBB, AXA, Volvo and Andermatt+Sedrun+Disentis showed how the transformation is taking shape operationally - and where there is still potential.
Looking back, DEX25 combined the dynamics of technological change with the reliability of human encounters. It is precisely this combination that makes the conference a place of strength: a meeting place that provides impetus, facilitates exchange and gives the industry a tangible boost.
The next DEX will take place on November 18, 2026 held.
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