On June 20 and 21, the K5 FUTURE RETAIL CONFERENCE 2023 once again opened its doors for the most important and influential summit meeting of online retail in the DACH region. Held at the ESTREL Berlin, the K5 Conference spanned two Expo Halls, 2 Main Stages, 4 Expo Stages, several Masterclasses, various networking areas, an exclusive FEMALE in RETAIL Area and a newly established GREEN ZONE. Already on the eve of the conference, on Monday, June 19, the first participants met at the Open Bar and got in the mood for the days to come.
The first conference morning started very early for some of the participants, as K5 expert and moderator Dörte Kaschdailis called for a Morning Run. At half past nine, the K5 FUTURE RETAIL CONFERENCE was officially kicked off by K5 CEOs Verena Schlüpmann and Sven Rittau. True to this year’s motto “Black Ocean – successful trading in uncertain times”, 250 speakers, 200 exhibitors and 4,000 visitors came together to defy the current crisis, solve problems together and overcome challenges.
The K5 experts and hosts Dörte Kaschdailis, Stefan Wenzel, Erik Siekmann, Johannes Altmann, Alexander Graf and Marcel Brindöpke – in collaboration with Philip Kehela – kicked off the event with their K5 ON FYRE – 6×3 provocative theses. These served as orientation and starting point for the discussions on the two following days. At the end of the first conference day, K5 invited their visitors to the premiere of the K5 COMMERCE AWARDS, where the best e-commerce providers and agencies were awarded in 12 different categories. The evening continued with the legendary K5 CONNECT PARTY with live music from the Urban Club Band, cool drinks and fascinating talks.
Nothing changes if nothing changes
The second day of the K5 FUTURE RETAIL CONFERENCE started, with a “Meet Hannes” at the Weißwurst breakfast, where attendees could meet and greet e-commerce expert and K5 host Johannes Altmann. Afterwards, the conference program continued on the six stages just as intensively and instructive as the day before. The masterclasses and the Meet & Connect sessions in the FEMALE in RETAIL area were highly popular and impressively well attended. The second day of the K5 Conference was concluded by the K5 hosts, as they came together once again and reviewed their 6×3 provocative theses as well as the eleventh K5 FUTURE RETAIL CONFERENCE 2023 in general with Verena Schlüpmann, Sven Rittau and K5 founding father Jochen Krisch:
“The current shoals in the retail sector are straining muscle groups that many companies have not yet exercised. How to manage the balancing act between pressure to deliver results and pressure to innovate was one of the dominant themes on the stages and aisles of the eleventh K5 conference. The most important take-away: no cause for resignation, relevant customer experiences are crisis-proof.” – Stefan Wenzel
“We still have the chance to change or find ourselves anew, and I think that is the core of K5. Innovation is what saves us.” – Erik Siekmann
“At K5 2023 it was particularly interesting to see how the newcomers meet the established companies. The K5 FUTURE RETAIL CONFERENCE has always been and will always be about the future. But this year, the big players have integrated themselves particularly well.” – Jochen Krisch
“Nothing changes if nothing changes” was Verena Schlüpmann’s leitmotif to welcome and to say goodbye to attendees, speakers and experts. Should the mood at the beginning of the conference have been depressed, considering the current crisis and economic challenges, in the end one could feel a fresh breeze and a new thirst for action. The K5 once again lived up to its claim #learnfromthebest #meetthebest #bethebest. Over the two conference days, visitors were offered inspiration, networking possibilities to learn from the best in e-commerce and strategies to drive their own business forward even in uncertain times.
Our friends from the K5 are looking forward and would love seeing you at the next K5 FUTURE RETAIL CONFERENCE, which will take place on June 25 and 26 2024 at ESTREL Berlin.
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