The team at Sovrn have a long history with DMEXCO in Cologne, Germany. With just a few more weeks to go until 12th September, here are a few hints, tips and secrets that we’ve learned:
Before you go…
Consider attending Pre-DMEXCO activities at ATS in London on 11th September.
Book meetings in advance – the more organised you are, the more you’ll get out of the event. There’s nothing worse than roaming the many halls aimlessly trying to find someone you know!
Meetings are generally scheduled back to back in 30-minute blocks, so do your prep before-hand. Keep in mind that the conference halls are Huge, really Huge! It can take 15 minutes to walk across one hall… so make sure you leave yourself enough time to get to and from each meeting.
At the same time, don’t pack your schedule too much for both days. Leave some time to roam the halls so that you can look, learn and meet somebody new!
Tell your boss that “you’re not going to Mexico…it’s DMEXCO! What does DMEXCO even stand for? Digital Marketing Exposition and Conference. Where media, marketing and advertising converge.
Getting there…
Whether you’re arriving by plane, train or whatever method of public transportation you choose, it will inevitably be packed with ad-tech people just like you! So, do yourself a favour and keep the head phones OFF and talk to people around you – networking starts the moment you leave home. Did you know, that our friends at BidSwitch Actually arrange a train journey from London to Cologne called the BidSwitchExpress so that you can network on the way!
When you arrive at the airport…
Prepare for the Taxi queue – it’s long, really long, so keep networking while you stand and wait.
Your first day…
Get to the convention centre early, traffic can be terrible in the morning. Walk if you can, it’s generally very walkable from most hotels (weather permitting). Although if you keep your eye’s peeled you’ll also find shuttle buses that take you directly to the venue.
Carry water all the time to keep hydrated, there is no doubt that your day is likely to run from 7 am to 4 am the next day (if you’re anything like us!) – be ready to do a 21 hour day!
Leaving the event…
The afternoon taxi queue gets insane, especially if it’s raining, so either stay behind for drinks at a stand (there are loads of stand drinks after the event, so make sure you get yourself invited!) or get off a bit early and freshen-up for the evening events.
The evening….
There are dinners, drinks parties and events everywhere. Whilst DMEXCO have an official party, at Sovrn, we prefer the unofficial party at the OMClub where you’ll be amongst over 4,000 guests, drinks are included all night, there are several rooms of entertainment and an outside area for fresh air and a fun-fair full of bumper cars, bungee jumping and all kinds of fun things to do when you’ve had too many to drink! And if you’ve had a bit more than a few drinks, then you might be lucky enough to find yourself Cage dancing on the dance podiums – see you there! Contact us if you’d like to join us there!
Day two…
Clearly, don’t arrange meetings first thing in the morning, but if you do… be respectful and turn up! Things wind down mid afternoon on the second day – so, if you have an important meeting do it on Day 1!
On the way home…
Despite your massive hangover, do your follow-ups on the ride home. You’ll have had so many meetings and if you wait until next week, you won’t remember.
If you get time…
Visit the Kölner Dom, take a walk over the Hohenzollern Bridge (it’s covered with thousands of padlocks), The Gaffel beer hall, Museum Ludwig (best modern museum in the EU), the Roman Museum (btw – Cologne was a major Roman city).
If you’ve read this far, we assume you’re going to DMEXCO, so contact us to arrange a meeting or to join us at the OmClub.
