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Unveiling Innovation and Empowering Collaboration: A Recap of CoreMedia Connect and Partner Engage 2023

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Barbara Eigner

Last month in Hamburg, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as CoreMedia Connect and Partner Engage 2023 took center stage. These two events brought together industry leaders, tech enthusiasts, and valuable partners for two days of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and innovation in the realm of digital experience and content management. From captivating presentations to insightful discussions, the events provided a platform to explore emerging trends and unveil groundbreaking solutions. Here's a recap of the highlights: 

Connect 2023: Enriching the Digital Experience

Connect 2023 set the stage for an immersive exploration of content management strategies and digital experience enhancement. The day consisted of industry leaders sharing their expertise, engaging in interactive sessions, and showcasing breakthrough innovations that shape the future of digital experiences.

Through the lens of elevating customer engagement and charting the future of digital experience, Connect 2023 kicked off with a round of introductions by Jeroen Blaas, Chief Revenue Officer at CoreMedia, setting the stage for a day of inspiration and discovery. 

Jeroen Blaas, Chief Revenue Officer at CoreMedia, kicking off Connect 2023

Sören Stamer, Co-Founder & CEO of CoreMedia, delivered a compelling keynote address titled built around CoreMedia’s motto to "Elevate Experience. Drive Impact," emphasizing the crucial role of customer engagement in achieving business success. Stamer highlighted the importance of staying at the forefront of innovation and leveraging emerging technologies to create impactful digital experiences that resonate with customers.

One of the highlights of Connect 2023 was a session on "Revolutionizing Sales," where Kalle Erlhoff, Senior Consultant at Monday Consulting, and Olaf Fricke, Software Architect at HanseMerkur Insurance Group, showcased the successful relaunch of HanseMerkur's Internal Sales Portal using CoreMedia 11 and Formcentric. We learned how CoreMedia's solutions can revolutionize sales processes, empowering organizations to deliver exceptional customer experiences and drive business growth.

Further sessions involved real-world use cases and industry insights. André Fialho, Business Development Manager at ]init[, Ivonne Walter, Digital Marketing Project Manager at LGT Bank, and Dafina Abazi, Product Owner at LGT Bank, shared their experiences and observations in a session titled "LGT Group – Private Banking Excellence with CoreMedia 11." This session delved into the value of a new portal in digital brand management strategy and shed light on the emerging trends in digital customer communication.

Connect 2023 also celebrated the valuable partnerships that contribute to CoreMedia's success. The "Partner Slam" session provided an opportunity to meet CoreMedia's partners, fostering collaboration and highlighting the collective strength of the ecosystem. Attendees enjoyed networking breaks that facilitated meaningful connections, enabling participants to exchange ideas, share insights, and forge valuable relationships with industry peers and experts.

André Fialho, Business Development Manager at ]init[, during the Partner Slam

After a break involving plenty of sweet treats, and even a few games, we dove into more industry applications, showcasing the impact of CoreMedia's solutions. Maurizio Marchini, COO of Alpenite, explored "Haute CMS: The Preferred Solution in the Fashion & Luxury Industry." Marchini highlighted how CoreMedia's advanced content management system empowers fashion and luxury brands, including Fendi and Loro Piana, to deliver exceptional digital experiences that resonate with their discerning customers.

Stefan Bethke, Principal Architect at Telekom, and Florian Cremerius, Product Owner at Buderus, presented insights in their session titled "For the Future of the Blue Planet." They uncovered the development of a future-proof CMS solution and the implementation of a new UX/UI style guide, showcasing how CoreMedia's solutions contribute to sustainability efforts and create intuitive user experiences.

A session on "B2B Marketing Aligned to the Digital Age" featured Jens-Christian Jensen, Chief Strategy Officer at Digitas Pixelpark. Jensen showcased successful examples of digital engagement strategies for Maxon Motor, emphasizing the importance of strategic alignment with the digital landscape for B2B marketing success.

No event in 2023 could possibly be complete without discussing what an impact ChatGPT has made and its potential for future innovation. Karl Krainer, Founder of Gedankenfabrik Reinvention Consultancy, unveiled how AI-powered solutions like ChatGPT are revolutionizing various industries, paving the way for unprecedented opportunities and unparalleled customer experiences.

Ulrike Heidler, Director of Sales Engineering Americas at CoreMedia, continued the day with a session on "Actual Use Cases for AI in the Editorial Workflow." Attendees discovered how CoreMedia Content Cloud Studio users can leverage AI to enhance their everyday work, streamlining content creation and management processes.

Ulrike Heidler presenting use cases for AI in Content Cloud

Roy Smeets, Chief Product & Technology Officer at CoreMedia, presented a visionary outlook on CoreMedia’sfuture innovations. Attendees gained exclusive insights into CoreMedia's roadmap, illustrating the brand's commitment to continuous innovation and driving digital transformation for its clients.

Roy Smeets discussing CoreMedia's product roadmap and vision for the future

In the evening, the fun continued into a lively celebration along the Elbe River. We fired up the grill, enjoyed tasty food and drinks, and danced the night away. To add to the excitement, a talented saxophonist joined us. Posing with new friends in the photo booth made it a night to remember.

A great time along the Elbe!

Partner Engage 2023: Elevating Experiences and Celebrating Partnerships

Partner Engage 2023 aimed to emphasize the importance of enhancing customer experiences through AI while seamlessly blending digital interactions with a human touch.

Alexander Stahlkopf, CEO of wonk.ai, delivered a presentation titled "Corporate Content AI - Leverage Your Data," shedding light on how companies can utilize their data to meet the needs of authors in medium-sized companies and corporations. Attendees gained valuable insights into the practical applications of AI technologies in content creation and management.

Martin Schlueter, VP Sales Central Europe, and Uwe Fricke, VP Sales Western Europe, walked us through the 24 most recent customer wins, with a specific focus on successful joint partner acquisitions. They shared valuable insights into customer stories, use cases, and the collaborative efforts that led to their achievements.

Annika Ulke, Senior Partner Manager DACH at CoreMedia, led a session emphasizing the crucial role of partnerships in acquiring new customers, showcasing the power of collaboration in achieving shared success. 

The magic of collaboration!

Manon Obenhaupt, Training Manager, and Kristin Koenig, Partner Enablement Manager at CoreMedia, discussed the state-of-the-art training and newly developed methods available on the CoreMedia Enablement learning platform. They highlighted how these resources bridge the gap between theory and project implementation, enabling partners to excel in their implementations.

Manon Obenhaupt giving our superhero a run for its money

The day culminated with an Award Ceremony led by Sören Stamer and Martin Schlüter, honoring the achievements and contributions of partners within the CoreMedia ecosystem. These recognitions are an exciting testament to the importance of partnerships in driving innovation and success. 

Our Partner Awards winners

Looking Ahead

Connect and Partner Engage 2023 were two exceptional events that not only showcased the transformative potential of CoreMedia's solutions but also underscored the strength of partnerships. The sessions, networking opportunities, and celebratory atmosphere fostered an environment of inspiration and collaboration. We depart with newfound knowledge, valuable connections, and an unwavering sense of excitement for the future of digital experiences and content management. 

For more videos from the event, make sure to check out our playlist on YouTube. See you in 2024!

Stage 1: Fragmented: Multiple Channels

You’re a digital dinosaur!

You have a beautiful website, but with fragmented digital experiences, you run the risk of extinction.

It’s time to evolve.

Your audiences want a seamless experience, no matter what's happening behind the scenes. When your experience is different or difficult, it’s important to start with the basics, such as cultivating a holistic approach to online digital experiences. Realign your teams, platforms, processes, goals, and metrics around a comprehensive view of the online experience. Focus on the end-to-end customer journey cutting across channels, desktop and mobile.

separate channels animation circle t-rex dinosaur square
Stage 2: Integrated: Multiple channels

You’re a fish!

Signs of exciting life are starting to form. Your DX is responsive and adaptive but it’s not quite personalized yet.

Keep swimming!

The integration of your brand content across every touchpoint (website, online store, social media, emails, apps, point of sale) creates immersive experiences. These flagship sites combine content-rich brand experiences with immediate conversion capabilities. Business teams and marketing are closely aligned. However, while the digital experience is responsive and adaptive, it’s not yet personalized.

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Stage 3: Instant: Global expansion

You’re a crocodile!

You’re taking it global. Speed and scalability are key and just like a crocodile, you’re fast…but you’re clumsy.

Oh snap!

In this stage, the online digital experience becomes completely dynamic. You need content that is global, yet relevant, with plenty of local insights: Who is the user? Are they using a mobile phone? Is it raining where they are? Is it snowing? If it is, maybe they need warm, waterproof boots. All of this contextualized information creates a better user experience. With one global orchestration, you’re able to adapt everything, in whatever country or language you choose – while keeping turnaround times low. So keep evolving.

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Stage 4: Dynamic: Real time personalization

You’re a lion!

You’re reaching more customers in more countries and languages than ever before, and now you’re finally hunting and collecting info with precision.

But you can do more to keep your brand roaring!

As you graduate to the Instant level, you’re able to rapidly update everything - not just in one language and for one country, but in 20 languages and for 100 countries. Speed and scalability are key, driven by the need to roll out global campaigns in all languages and all touchpoints and make updates in minutes or hours, not weeks. But there’s still more to do to reach nirvana.

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Stage 5: Immersive: Elevated experiences

You’re Captain Content!

You’ve done it! You have opposable thumbs AND you’re saving the world with your seamless, elevated customer experiences.

You're a superhero in the digital space.

Your digital world and your physical world are blending together in the most complementary way possible. When shoppers visit your store, they’ll be greeted with their pre-selected products. Language changes dynamically depending on country of origin – it's like the whole store was set up just for your one specific customer.

In this final stage, your customer experience is truly immersive and superior, and your flagship store merges your physical and digital world into one, with a truly personalized individual experience.

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