DMEXCO 2026

DMEXCO by the numbers

Every figure links to where it came from. Attendance for an event that has not happened is a projection, and each row says so rather than presenting it as a count.

• Dates23 to 24 Sep

  Official DMEXCO site. Two days at Koelnmesse, Messeplatz 1, Cologne. The 2026 motto is Scaling Intelligence. DMEXCO

• Attendees~40,000

  The 2025 edition. DMEXCO has reported roughly 40,000 for 2022, 2023 and 2025 alike, so treat it as a stable organiser figure rather than growth. About DMEXCO

• Exhibitors and partners~700

  2025 edition, up from 650 in 2023. The 2019 show listed about 1,000 exhibitors across 80,000 square metres, so the floor is smaller than it was pre-2020. About DMEXCO

• Standard ticketEUR 299

  Covers both days, expo and conference. Both early-bird tiers, EUR 149 and EUR 179, were sold out when this page was last checked. DMEXCO tickets

What is DMEXCO?

DMEXCO is the digital marketing and adtech show for German-speaking Europe, run by Koelnmesse with the BVDW as brand owner and professional partner. Two days in Cologne, 23 and 24 September 2026, under the motto Scaling Intelligence. It is a commercial floor rather than a creative festival: agencies, platforms, martech vendors and the brands buying from them. If you want awards and yachts, that is Cannes Lions in June. If you want a meeting with a European media buyer, this is the cheaper and denser week.

Who goes to DMEXCO?

Agency and brand-side marketers, adtech and martech vendors, publishers, and platform sales teams. DMEXCO's own demographic line is 65 per cent with purchasing power, 27 per cent C-level and 24 per cent international. That last figure is the one to weigh: this is a predominantly German-speaking room, and a good deal of the floor conversation happens in German.

DMEXCO side events

Side events are listed through the DMEXCO community platform rather than published as a public schedule, so the official list only opens up once you hold a ticket. Around it sit the usual agency parties and vendor dinners across the Belgian Quarter and the Rheinauhafen, none of them on the official sheet. Aspire does not run any of them.

DMEXCO tickets and costs

The standard ticket is EUR 299 and covers both days, the expo and the conference programme, plus video-on-demand afterwards. Super Early Bird at EUR 149 and Early Bird at EUR 179 had both sold out when this page was last checked, so do not plan against a discount that is gone. A Young Leader ticket for under-26s is EUR 69 and a student ticket is EUR 29 with proof of enrolment. Press and creator accreditation runs through a separate application.

• Standard ticketEUR 299

  Both days, expo and conference, app networking and video-on-demand access after the event. Checked 30 August 2026. DMEXCO tickets

• Young Leader, up to 26EUR 69

  Same access as the standard ticket, for attendees aged 26 or under. Checked 30 August 2026. DMEXCO tickets

• StudentEUR 29

  Requires proof of enrolment or apprenticeship. Includes the Digital Pioneer Network @ BVDW. Checked 30 August 2026. DMEXCO tickets

• Early BirdSold out

  Was EUR 179, against a EUR 299 standard. Super Early Bird at EUR 149 also sold out. Recorded here so the page does not imply a cheap tier is still open. DMEXCO tickets

Getting to Koelnmesse

Koelnmesse has its own station, Koeln Messe/Deutz, one stop from Cologne Hauptbahnhof and directly on the ICE network. Cologne Bonn airport is about 15 minutes by train. Frankfurt and Dusseldorf are both comfortable rail connections, which is why a lot of attendees never book a Cologne hotel at all.

Where to stay for DMEXCO

Deutz puts you on the same side of the Rhine as the halls and a short walk from the entrance. The Altstadt across the river is nicer in the evening and still under 15 minutes door to door. Cologne hotel prices spike hard during trade fairs, and DMEXCO is not even the biggest one Koelnmesse runs, so book early or commute in by ICE.

What to know before booking DMEXCO

The floor is organised into five Worlds - Agencies, Commerce, Media, Tech - plus a Start-up Area, and knowing which hall you actually need is the difference between a productive day and 20,000 steps. Two days is genuinely short for a show this size. Most people who get value out of DMEXCO book their meetings before they arrive rather than walking the aisles hoping.

DMEXCO: common questions