NOW Summit 2026
At the JETZT SUMMIT on March 25 and 26, 2026, digital marketing professionals from advertising companies, agencies and technology service providers will explain how digital marketing, digital advertising and e-commerce must be planned, designed and implemented in 2026.
The first day of the JETZT Summit got straight down to business: Markus Widmer discussed for e-dialog with a strong panel whether the Open Web as we know it can still be saved.
“The open web is not dead yet, but it smells a bit funny.”
Yes of course, a cheap gag for the paradigm shift panel at the NOW Summit, but not entirely wrong. Anyone who generates traffic today with SEO-optimized content via Google and then turns it into money with advertising will have a problem.
Users are already clicking 60% less because they can get the answer to their questions without visiting a website. Just like recommendations for products that they will soon buy without ever having seen a webshop.
This was a dystopian scenario for some on the podium. But whether the Austrian media think it’s great or not – user acceptance is the deciding factor. And the figures speak for themselves. AI search wins, agentic commerce will come because both are convenient.
Now is a good time to take a close look at your own setup, right down to your business model. The dashboard still looks good, but it may be showing the wrong figures.
Photo: Elisabeth Kessler/MOMENTUM Vienna
Panel discussion: NOW Paradigm Shift – Zero Click Internet, Browser Consent and the New Relevance of the Open Web: Everything is turning, everything is moving
The WWW is currently undergoing a profound transformation, which is characterized by the interaction of zero-click searches (AI Mode and co), stricter browser consent regulations (data protection) and a new relevance of the open web (as a curated source). The era in which internet users had to click on websites for information is a thing of the past. And how must brands react to this?
The panel:
- Nicola Pohoralek
- Christopher Sima
- Marcel Nicka-Stöckl
- Ulrich Loibl
- Markus Widmer
Moderation: Sabine Auer-Germann
Markus Widmer was born in Switzerland, trained in Vienna and is an avid online enthusiast. Since the turn of the millennium, he has worked continuously in digital editorial offices, agencies and departments. He has been Marketing Director at e-dialog since the beginning of 2024.
You can find all the details about the JETZT Summit here.