In the face of fragmentation, DMEXCO is now a smaller stage for ad tech’s big conversations
Excerpt shared from Digiday's 'In the face of fragmentation, Dmexco is now a smaller stage for ad tech’s big conversations' :
Not too long ago, Dmexco was considered the gut of ad tech — crowded, chaotic and central to the industry’s forward momentum. It was where deals were sparked, rivalries played out and the future of programmatic was loudly debated.
These days, it’s still where business gets done, but increasingly for a narrower slice of the ecosystem. The rest – like Kochava, YieldMo, Dept and LiveRamp – are sitting out this year.
“When we analyzed event performance from the previous two years in preparation for 2025, Dmexco didn’t make the cut,” said Kimberly Manning, vp of marketing at ad measurement firm Kochava.
That’s not say Dmexco, this year taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, is off the map for good – Manning left the door open for a return. And it’s not as simple as Cannes or Possible taking its place – Kochava was at both. What’s happening isn’t substitution, It’s fragmentation. The industry isn’t rallying around one tentpole event anymore. It’s dispersing, with companies making selective bets based on performance, not ritual.
That era, like much of the programmatic exuberance that fueled it, has given way to something more subdued. Dmexco may no longer be the center of gravity, but for a certain part of the industry, it’s still a necessary waypoint — just with fewer parties and more purpose.
“Dmexco remains one of the most important events in Limelight’s calendar, and as a result, we are sending 11 members of the team this year, an increase of 50% over 2024,” said James MacDonald, CRO and co-founder Limelight.
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