What Actually Works in Marketing

Data, Experiments and Pricing — Where Decisions Improve
(and Where They Don’t)

Sept  3, 2026
13:30–18:00 + Apéro

Marketing Is No Longer About Campaigns

Marketing is becoming a system.

  • Data pipelines instead of reports.
  • AI-driven decisions instead of intuition.
  • Automated execution instead of manual processes.

At the same time, pressure is increasing :

  • Budgets are scrutinized like never before
  • CFOs demand measurable impact
  • AI promises efficiency — but few know how to realize it

Most organizations are stuck between experiments and real transformation.

An Executive Forum — Not a Marketing Conference

This is a closed, high-level forum for senior marketing leaders who want to:

  • Turn marketing into a measurable growth engine
  • Use AI to reduce cost and increase impact
  • Build scalable systems — not campaigns

No vendor pitches.
No generic inspiration.

👉 Only real-world experience, practical insights, and peer exchange.

From Campaigns → Systems → Revenue

We explore how leading organizations are:

Engineering marketing like a production system

Embedding AI into daily workflows (not pilots)

Driving measurable ROI at scale

Designed for Senior Decision-Makers

Executive audience only (no junior roles)

Curated group of 50 participants

No vendor pitches

Real case deep dives

Interactive discussions

Optional outcome :

👉 Swiss Marketing Engineering Report 2026

What We Will Cover

Marketing as a System Architecture
  • Data → Decision → Activation
  • Real-time marketing infrastructure
  • From fragmented tools to integrated systems
AI That Actually Delivers ROI
  • Where AI creates real impact today
  • What failed — and why
  • From experimentation to operations
Cost Efficiency & Resource Optimization
  • Doing more with less
  • Automating repetitive workflows
  • Optimizing CAC and media efficiency
Proving Marketing Impact to the Board
  • Attribution vs incrementality
  • Linking marketing to revenue & EBIT
  • What CFOs actually accept
Organization & Leadership
  • Marketing × Data × IT convergence
  • Building internal capabilities
  • Leading transformation

Audience

  • Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs)
  • Heads of Marketing
  • VP Growth / Revenue Leaders
  • Digital & Marketing Transformation Leads

From :

- Large enterprises
- Leading Swiss and European companies

Speakers & Contributors

We bring together :

  • Senior marketing leaders from large enterprises
  • Transformation leaders driving AI and data initiatives
  • Selected experts in marketing engineering, AI, and growth

👉 Final speaker lineup will be announced shortly.

Speakers

Co-Founder and CEO Nexoya
Marco Hochstrasser
Co-Founder & CEO of Nexoya, helping marketers make smarter decisions with AI. Entrepreneur, former Swisscom leader, and Cloud Foundry board member with expertise in Software Engineering, Cloud Architecture, and Program Management.
Founder and President High-Tech Connect
Ralf Haller
With 25+ years in high-tech, I’ve helped companies grow by combining data-driven marketing, strategic partnerships, and hands-on go-to-market execution. My journey from Silicon Valley to Switzerland spans roles in product marketing, business development, and leadership across AI, data engineering, legal tech, and IT infrastructure. I’ve built international teams, launched high-ROI campaigns, and focused on delivering measurable results and lasting market impact. With degrees in Electrical Engineering (KIT) and Data Science (MIT), plus executive education at INSEAD, I’m passionate about scaling AI-first platforms and driving technology adoption in Europe.

Draft Agenda

Counter-drone technologies & airspace protection.

AI for air defence systems.

Cyber defence & critical infrastructure protection.

Time - CET
Type + Moderator
ThemE
12:30
-
Registration & Networking Coffee
13:10
Opening Keynote
The New Era of Drone and Missile Warfare
13:30
1:1 chat with Ivan Zaccagini
Emerging Technologies and the Enduring Elements of Warfare
13:50
Prof. Aanjhan Ranganathan
Panel: Counter-Drone Technologies & Airspace Protection
14:50
-
Networking Break and exhibition
15:20
Ralf Haller
Panel: AI for Air Defence Systems
16:20
Daniel Ehrenreich
Panel: Cyber Defence & Critical Infrastructure Protection
17:20
-
Networking Apéro and exhibition

Agenda

13:30

Opening: Marketing Doesn’t Have a Data Problem — It Has a Decision Problem

- Most companies track more data than ever — yet decisions don’t improve
- AI ≠ better decisions
- Europe’s execution gap

-> Setting the stage: marketing is shifting from intuition to systems

14:00

Session 1: From Campaigns to Decisions

Marketing is still run as a campaign machine — not a decision system.

A real-world example based on marketing analytics

- RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) as a powerful starting point
- Why heuristics reach their limits
- How predictive models outperform rules
- Same data — dramatically different results

-> We show how leading companies use segmentation, CLV and models to improve outcomes — not just reporting.

Speaker:

  • Ralf Haller

14:30

Session 2: Experimentation - The Only Way to Know

- What works in practice, what fails, and why A/B testing is often done wrong
- Why most companies fake experimentation
- How to build a real test system

-> Most companies talk about testing — very few actually run meaningful experiments.

Speaker:

  • TBD

15:15 – 15:45

Break & Networking

15:45

Session 3: Pricing - The Growth Lever Nobody Uses

- Willingness-to-pay
- Pricing experiments
- Why most companies underprice

-> We show why pricing decisions often have more impact than marketing spend.

Speaker:

  • TBD

16:15

Session 4: How to Build a Marketing System (Not a Team)

- Most marketing teams are structured around channels — not decisions
- Experiment pipeline
- Decision cadence
- What to implement in 90 days

-> Most marketing teams are structured around channels — not decisions.

Speaker:

  • TBD

16:45 – 17:30

Panel Discussion: The Future Marketing in the Age of AI and Autonomous Decisions

- Who Will Win — Data scientists or traditional marketers?
- Will marketing become a data science discipline?
- How must organizations evolve to stay competitive?
- What capabilities will define future CMOs?

-> Linking technology, organization, and leadership

Panelists:

  • TBD
  • TBD
  • TBD

From 17:30

Networking Apéro Riche

Continue the discussion in a relaxed setting with fellow senior marketing leaders.

- Curated peer group
- High-quality exchange
- Premium catering

-> No mass networking — focused conversations at eye level

Why This Matters Now

Marketing is becoming one of the most leveraged functions in the enterprise.

Those who :

  • build systems
  • use AI effectively
  • and prove impact

👉 will outperform competitors significantly

Those who don’t :

👉 will be reduced to cost centers

High-Quality Peer Exchange

Meet a curated group of senior marketing leaders.
No mass audience.
No noise.
👉 Focused, high-value conversations.

Participation

Executive Ticket : CHF 790
Includes :
  • Full program
  • Curated peer group
  • Networking apéro
Note :
Limited seats to ensure quality discussions.
Request Your Invitation

Apply to join the Marketing Engineering Summit 2026.

This event is designed for senior marketing decision-makers.

High-Tech Connect

Executive Events for Technology & Business Leaders