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The 12th e-Commerce Day was a complete success! On April 26, 2024, visitors, exhibitors, partners and speakers gathered at the RheinEnergieSTADION for a fantastic experience. The excitement and approval of everyone involved speaks for itself – this was an event that brought the relevant players in the industry together!
The big event kicked off the evening before. Over 400 guests came together at the beach BBQ in the sand of Cologne’s Playa Beachclub to get in the mood for e-Commerce Day, network and exchange ideas with (industry) colleagues.
Despite the low temperatures, the relaxed beach atmosphere, including a barbecue buffet, cocktails and beach volleyball tournament, created a great atmosphere – the perfect opening before the actual start!
Congratulations to the mixed team ‘Sand Heroes’ from Mailody and Ratepay for winning the beach volleyball tournament!
From the beach to the stadium: the next morning, Dr. Gerald Schönbucher, CEO of Kaufland e-commerce, gave the starting signal for a day full of inspiration with his welcome keynote and kicked off the trade fair with exciting updates on Kaufland Global Marketplace.
The event continued for more than 2,000 participants with plenty of e-commerce insights on three speaker stages and in hands-on masterclasses. Around 100 exhibitors filled the walkways of the RheinEngerieSTADION and presented their innovative ideas on 4,000 square meters of exhibition space.
BA special highlight away from the industry-relevant topics were the exclusive insights into the soccer stadium of 1. FC Köln. The doors to the grandstand were always open so that all participants could sit in the VIP area and enjoy the unique stadium atmosphere to the fullest. Interested parties were able to experience the real FC feeling up close as part of a stadium tour.
On the stages, the wide range of speakers provided multifaceted perspectives on trending topics such as AI, internationalization, tools, user experience, multichannel strategies and many more.
There was particular enthusiasm for the presentations by the VIP speakers: Matthias Sammer spoke about his personal experiences in dealing with hierarchical leadership. In an extensive exchange with interview partner Gerald Schönbucher and the interactive audience, the German football official and current advisor to Borussia Dortmund explained the parallels between competitive sport and corporate management.
At the talk with Smudo, the co-founder of the band ‘Die Fantastischen Vier’, no seat in front of the stage remained empty. The audience listened with interest to his explanations about the influence of AI on the music business and his entertaining insights into the world of music.
Freshly inspired, numerous participants took the opportunity to discuss the new findings with familiar and new contacts over dinner afterwards.
However, by the time the after-show party really got going with the beats of David Puentez, everyone was out on the dance floor to round off the day together.
We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who made the event such a success with their presence – we are already looking forward to welcoming you back next year!
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Presenters, exhibitors, visitors and colleagues – everyone agrees: The experience we had on 5th May 2023 in the RheinEnergieSTADION was our best e-Commerce Day yet.
It kicked off with a bang the evening before, when more than 370 guests came to our beach BBQ to network with colleagues in the sector and try their hand at the beach volleyball tournament. Congratulations to the team from GS1 for their well-earned victory! The beach scene was set perfectly by cold drinks, a barbecue buffet and, last but not least, the sunny weather.
But it was only once Dr. Gerald Schönbucher officially opened the e-Commerce Day the next morning that it finally sank in: After three years’ break, our trade fair was finally happening again.
In his keynote, our CEO gave a comprehensive update on Kaufland e-commerce’s development. He highlighted all sorts of milestones, such as the app integration in the marketplace, improvements to the Kaufland Card and the launches of Kaufland.sk and Kaufland.cz.
In the hours that followed, visitors were awarded fascinating insights into all kinds of aspects of online selling: Everything from business insights to the newest developments in law, IT security and logistics were on the agenda.
To cap it all off, late in the afternoon, Ralf Rangnick took to the stage and held a rousing motivational talk about leadership, teamwork and motivation. Though the hour was late, not one of the more than 300 seats was free. Many visitors didn’t let that deter them, and watched the Austrian national men’s football team coach, standing room only.
The cherry on top of our trade fair was the after-show party with MOGUAI. For a full nine hours, up to 700 fairgoers celebrated reunions and first face-to-face meetings alike.
Our deepest thanks to everyone who filled up the RheinEnergieSTADION on 5th May 2023 and enriched our event with their presence. We’ll see you next year!
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