The OMR Festival 2026 is scaling its presence for the upcoming edition on May 5, 2026, at the Hamburg Exhibition Center. Organizers have confirmed a massive expansion of the speaker roster, featuring high-profile names from tech, finance, and sports, alongside new Tier-1 strategic partnerships.
US Tech Leaders and Global Icons Take the Stage
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady headlines the latest additions, signaling OMR's continued push to blend mainstream celebrity with business insights. This strategy mirrors major US events like SXSW or Shoptalk, where cross-industry icons provide fresh perspectives on brand building and longevity. Joining Brady are several prominent voices from the US tech ecosystem: Meredith Whittaker (Signal), Kat Cole (AG1), and Laura Nestler (Reddit) will bring deep expertise in platform scaling and community management to the Hamburg stage. Scott Galloway (NYU Stern School of Business) is also set to return, likely focusing on his trademark data-driven critiques of Big Tech.
The European corporate and financial sectors are equally well-represented. CEOs Bettina Orlopp (Commerzbank) and Christian Sewing (Deutsche Bank) will provide insights into the digital transformation of the banking sector, while Rolf Schumann (Schwarz Digits) and Rebecca Gottwald (Burda Verlag) represent the heavyweights of German retail and media. From the political sphere, Lars Klingbeil and Dr. Karsten Wildberger are confirmed participants.
Strategic Partnerships with Google and SAP
Beyond the individual speakers, OMR has secured significant institutional backing. Tech giants Google and SAP have officially signed on as partners for 2026. For the Performance Marketing sector, these partnerships are critical. As the industry moves toward a Cookieless future and relies more heavily on First-Party-Data, the presence of Google and SAP suggests a heavy focus on tracking infrastructure and enterprise-level marketing automation. These collaborations solidify the event's position as a primary hub for digital transformation in the EMEA region.
Creator Economy and Live-Shopping Trends
Content strategy remains a core pillar of the 2026 program. Confirmed creators like Saliha Özcan (Sallys Welt), Tahsim Durgun, and ZAH1DE will offer tactical insights into TikTok growth and digital storytelling. Furthermore, Grant LaFontaine (Whatnot) will address the rise of Live-Shopping—a segment currently seeing explosive growth in the US and Asian markets and now rapidly gaining traction in Europe.
Why This Matters for Performance Marketing
The inclusion of Reddit and Signal executives, combined with the SAP partnership, points to a 2026 agenda dominated by privacy-first Tracking and community-driven commerce. For international Advertisers and Publishers, the event is shifting from a local trade show to a global stage where the technical future of the Funnel is debated. The focus on Live-Shopping via Whatnot specifically highlights a move toward Lower-Funnel innovation that bypasses traditional social media ad formats.
Affilitizer Editorial Team
This article was created with AI assistance and editorially reviewed.
