fynax was at the E-Commerce BBQ 2025

When the smell of barbecue wafts through the air in Karlsruhe, it can only mean one thing - the E-Commerce BBQ 2025 takes place. It is a different kind of event, which is signaled by the impressive HubRaum Durlach location. Instead of a multi-purpose hall, people meet in an open, cozy atmosphere to exchange ideas at eye level. The focus here is on practice, relevance and networking. For fynax the perfect place to make new contacts.

A special event

The event took place for the tenth time and is very popular, not least because of its special format. It is not a classic trade fair or series of lectures, but a good mix of workshops in the morning, lectures in the afternoon and a delicious BBQ with cool drinks in the evening, which offered plenty of time to exchange ideas and network. As it was our first time there, we mostly saw new faces and were therefore able to make lots of new contacts.

AI in customer service

The start already provided the first highlight. Felix Stelzer (CEO and co-founder of melibo) gave a look behind the scenes and built his presentation around real requests and experiences from working on the platform. In his practical workshop on the topic of "AI agents in customer service: from hype to real relief", he showed how AI-based agents can already ensure greater efficiency without neglecting the customer experience. Customer service employees are noticeably supported and resources are freed up for more complex processes, which creates added value for the entire company.

Anna Maerz (Senior Advisor and Digital Leader) went on to focus on what brands need to do today in order to remain relevant in 2030. This requires clear answers to changing customer behavior and how to deal with AI-driven commerce models.

In other workshops, the topics ranged from the legally compliant use of AI in accordance with the GDPR to tax compliance and intelligent payment solutions.

ChangeCommerce - e-commerce at the turning point

The keynotes on the main stage followed in the afternoon. Here, too, the start immediately caused a sensation. Thomas Lohner (co-founder of Scale Commerce) spoke on the topic of change commerce and made it clear that e-commerce is at a turning point. There needs to be a rethink - away from short-term profit and towards sustainable solutions and an economically viable business. His presentation is intended as a wake-up call for retailers, agencies and providers. Only those who are courageous and support, promote and actively shape change can benefit.

This was followed by a lively panel discussion, which took up the topic and ventured a provocative look into the future of e-commerce. The questions of how AI is changing the purchasing process and what the store of the future will look like were also discussed.

No Limits

Finally, there was the top keynote speech by Joey Kelly entitled "NO LIMITS - How do I achieve my goal". He gave insights into how he deals with mistakes, but also how to live and learn with decisions, and how to grow beyond himself as a result. His eventful life and that of his family were associated with many obstacles. This is one of the reasons why he keeps pushing himself to the limit in his life, changing and adapting things to get the most out of himself. It's the same in the e-commerce business. He wanted to show this analogy.

The BBQ was opened at 7 p.m. and we were able to use the time until well into the night to deepen new contacts and have many interesting conversations in the best weather and relaxed atmosphere.

Conclusion

We really enjoyed the day at the E-Commerce BBQ 2025 in Karlsruhe. Getting to know new faces and thus also new insights and views was very inspiring. The transformation in e-commerce is in full swing and anyone who wants to remain successful in the future will have to adapt. AI will be the defining topic - both in terms of tools for retailers and how it will change the shopping experience for customers. We will be back next year and are already looking forward to it.