Zwyrtek Group partners the Marketing & Digital Experts Summit 2026

On 18–19 June 2026, Sopot became the venue for one of the most important debates on the future of marketing, e-commerce and digital transformation in Central and Eastern Europe. The combined editions of the Marketing Experts Summit and Digital Experts Summit brought together market leaders, technology experts, e-commerce managers, representatives of the largest brands, and specialists in data, AI and customer experience.

Zwyrtek Group was a partner of the event, and Michał Zwyrtek took part in a panel discussion devoted to the role of data, technology, AI and organisation in modern business.

Digital maturity instead of technological infatuation

The Marketing & Digital Experts Summit 2026 showed a clear market shift. We are moving from a phase of fascination with technological novelties to a phase in which technology is held accountable for its real impact on the business. AI, automation, data analytics, e-commerce and customer experience are no longer presented as separate topics, but as elements of a single management decision: how to build an organisation ready for continuous change.

The same thread increasingly comes up in conversations with management boards: technology does not replace strategy. It can accelerate, strengthen or automate it, but it will not solve problems arising from disorganised processes, poor data quality and organisational silos.

AI will not fix organisational chaos

One of the key themes of the event was the practical use of artificial intelligence. AI is ceasing to be an experiment, but its effective deployment requires far more than purchasing a tool.

The same questions kept recurring throughout the sessions:

• which data should be used,
• who is responsible for its quality,
• which processes should be supported by AI,
• where the algorithm's recommendation ends and human decision-making begins,
• what legal, organisational and reputational risks arise from using AI.

The conclusion is unambiguous. Artificial intelligence is not a magic solution for companies that have not put their data, accountability and processes in order. Where operational chaos reigns, AI will only accelerate that chaos.

Data as the foundation of competitive advantage

Marketing and e-commerce increasingly rely on data. Customer data, purchase-behaviour analytics, personalised communication, demand forecasting, price optimisation, purchase-journey management and the automation of operational decisions are today the standard of any conversation about competitive advantage.

During the summit, many speakers pointed out that data without business context remains a dead resource. Only combining analytics, managerial experience and an understanding of customer behaviour makes it possible to take decisions that genuinely affect results.

Marketing reinvented: brand, trust and customer psychology

The Sopot debate showed that marketing cannot be reduced to the technical optimisation of campaigns. Brand, reputation, trust, customer psychology, emotion and the fight for the recipient's attention are returning to the foreground.

Performance marketing remains important, but understood purely as short-term maximisation of clicks and conversions it becomes risky. In a world of algorithms, the brands that win are those able to combine data with authentic communication and long-term thinking about reputation.

E-commerce: the fight for the basket, not just the click

Sessions devoted to online commerce focused on real problems in the purchase journey. Among the most frequently cited sources of customer loss were:

• overly complicated forms,
• hidden delivery costs,
• a lack of price transparency,
• checkouts not adapted to mobile devices,
• aggressive pop-ups,
• a lack of local payment methods,
• a mismatch between the process and the specifics of the market.

From an advisory perspective, there is one more conclusion worth noting. Maximising conversion alone does not always mean a healthy business. What matters is the profitability of the entire customer journey, the cost of service, the level of returns and loyalty – not just the conversion rate in a single channel.

B2B and B2C are converging

A clear theme of the event was the blurring of the line between B2C and B2B customer experience. Today's business customer expects what they know from consumer purchases: simplicity, speed, transparency and a well-designed interface.

At the same time, typically business-specific requirements remain in the background:

• individual price lists,
• credit limits,
• multi-level approvals,
• fast order repetition,
• integration with customers' ERP systems,
• document automation,
• simplification of purchasing processes.

B2B digitalisation is not just an online store. It is a change to the entire purchasing process, from first contact, through offer and negotiation, to after-sales service and settlement.

Michał Zwyrtek on the discussion panel

Michał Zwyrtek represented Zwyrtek Group on a discussion panel devoted to the role of data, AI, technology and organisation in modern business.

One of the most important threads of the panel was the thesis that digital transformation is not solely a technology project. It is also a change in the way people work, in competencies, in accountability and in collaboration between teams.

Deploying AI, automation or new sales tools requires an organisation to have not only infrastructure, but also well-ordered processes, a clear decision-making model, collaboration between business and technology, and effective change management.

Zwyrtek Group as event partner

Zwyrtek Group was a partner of the Marketing & Digital Experts Summit 2026. Taking part in the event gave us an opportunity to discuss how companies can navigate digital transformation wisely, deploy AI, organise their data and build organisations ready for change.

In our work with management boards, owners and operational teams, we see that the biggest challenge today is not the mere availability of technology. What matters is translating technology into concrete processes, responsibilities, decisions and measurable business outcomes.

Summary

The Marketing Experts Summit and Digital Experts Summit 2026 in Sopot showed that the Polish marketing, e-commerce and technology market is entering a stage of digital maturity.

The era of deploying tools for the sake of deployment is ending. The stage of holding technology accountable for real value – to the customer, the team, the process and the financial result – is beginning.

We would like to thank the organisers, speakers, partners and all participants for the inspiring conversations and exchange of experience.

See you at future events.