AI for SMEs
In brief: AI for SMEs is no longer a question of if, but how. On Tuesday, 28 July 2026, we join the German Mittelstand Association (BVMW) for AI in Practice, our second in-person event with the BVMW and the first since becoming an official member. Marketing, sales and IT leaders from small and mid-sized companies will explore six topic rooms covering the semantic layer, AI literacy, marketing mix modeling, AI search visibility, dashboards in the age of AI, and agentic AI. Registration via Hopmann is free (regularly €9).
Please note: this event is conducted primarily in German.
Many companies in Germany have long since started experimenting with artificial intelligence. According to a March 2026 study by the German digital association Bitkom, 41 percent of companies with 20 or more employees now use AI actively, with another 48 percent planning to or currently discussing it. The data make one thing clear: getting started is no longer the issue. What remains open is how a handful of tools turns into an application that actually holds up in daily business. That is exactly what we will discuss on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, at our event “AI in Practice” in our Munich office.
In cooperation with:
Where does the gap between interest and implementation of AI for SMEs come from?
In our consulting practice, we see a similar pattern again and again: leadership teams and marketing departments at SMEs have already engaged with AI on various levels, tested individual tools, maybe launched a first pilot project. The question CEOs and CMOs actually ask us is rarely “How does AI work?” It’s this: Where do we actually start, and how do we build support for it across the organization?
Unlike large corporations, mid-sized companies rarely have dedicated AI staff who systematically test use cases. Decisions on the semantic layer, agentic AI or AI search visibility usually land on the desks of the same two or three people who are already responsible for a dozen other things. That’s exactly where our event AI in Practice comes in. Instead of another lecture about AI trends, we’re offering an evening built around concrete use cases and genuine exchange between companies facing similar challenges.
What does the AI event on 28 July look like?
The evening is deliberately interactive and breaks with the classic format of a lecture series, because AI for SMEs only really comes alive when you get to participate. Our agenda:
- 5:00 PM – Arrival & networking
- 5:30 PM – Opening keynote: The Hopmann AI Foundation, Susanne Hopmann & Jörg Hopmann, Managing Directors, Hopmann Marketing Analytics
- 5:50 PM – Introduction to the six topic rooms
- 6:00 PM – Interactive session I, choose your topic room, 30-minute moderated discussion
- 6:30 PM – Buffet & break, room for spontaneous conversations across topics
- 7:00 PM – Interactive session II, second topic room of your choice
- 7:30 PM – Joint closing round with buffet, each room moderator shares the key takeaways from their group
So by the end of the evening, you won’t just leave with one idea, but with insights from two topic rooms plus the joint closing discussion.
What six topics await you?
Each topic room kicks off with a short practical input from one of our experts, followed by an open, barcamp-style discussion. Since you can attend two of the six rooms, and all results are shared in the closing round, you’ll leave with an overview of all six topics.
Room 1
The foundation AI needs: the semantic layer for marketing & sales
Tobias Lanzl
Room 2
Beyond ChatGPT & Claude: building lasting AI literacy in your team
Dr. Özgün Köksal
Room 3
Modern marketing measurement: between marketing mix modeling, incrementality and data science
Dr. Simon Hannemann
Room 4
AI search visibility & measurement (GEO)
Constanze Bogner
Room 5
Dashboards in the age of AI: how AI already makes dashboards better, and where it’s heading
Dr. Ioanna Kakoulidou
Room 6
Tips, tricks and real-world experience with agentic AI
Jörg Hopmann
Why are we now a BVMW member?
This is already our second in-person event with the BVMW. We first came together in May for our AI Evening, and before that we had already run a joint webinar on marketing analytics methods. “AI in Practice” is now our first joint event since officially becoming a BVMW member. You can find all upcoming dates on our events page.
Jörg Hopmann, Managing Director of Hopmann Marketing Analytics, on the membership:
„We’ve worked with international corporations for 20 years, and just as long with SMEs. The topics are often the same, but implementation looks very different. Mid-sized companies have different resources and different challenges. That’s exactly why we know what matters here, not least because we’re part of the Mittelstand ourselves.”
Jörg Hopmann, Managing Director, Hopmann Marketing Analytics
Who is this evening for?
You don’t just want to understand AI for SMEs in theory, you want to put it to work? Then “AI in Practice” is exactly the right format for you.
Our interactive evening brings together marketing, sales and IT decision-makers from both B2B and B2C. Whatever your current priority, whether it’s the semantic layer, AI search visibility, agentic AI, marketing science, building AI literacy in your team, AI-powered dashboards, or another topic around artificial intelligence, our experts lead the sessions and bring first-hand experience from their daily consulting work. Expect well-founded answers to your questions, valuable best practices, and genuine, eye-level exchange with peers facing similar challenges.
Regular admission is €9, but registration via Hopmann is free. Spaces are limited.
FAQ on AI for SMEs and the “AI in Practice” event
Who is the “AI in Practice” event for?
The event is designed for marketing, sales and IT leaders at small and mid-sized companies who want to deepen their understanding of AI in a hands-on way, whether they work in B2B or B2C.
Which AI skills should marketing teams at SMEs build first?
First, a solid understanding of your own data foundation, and second, the ability to critically evaluate AI output instead of taking it at face value. Both form the basis for every further use case.
Where and when does the event take place?
On Tuesday, 28 July 2026, from 5:00 to 8:30 PM at the Hopmann office, Landshuter Allee 49 (RG), 80637 Munich, Germany.
Which six topics are covered?
The semantic layer for marketing & sales, AI literacy in the team, modern marketing measurement including marketing mix modeling, AI search visibility (GEO), dashboards in the age of AI, and agentic AI.
Why is Hopmann Marketing Analytics now a BVMW member?
Hopmann has worked with both international corporations and the Mittelstand for 20 years and knows the different challenges each side faces. BVMW membership underlines this close connection to the Mittelstand.
What are the biggest hurdles to adopting AI at SMEs?
Unlike large corporations, SMEs often lack dedicated AI ownership to systematically test and scale use cases. On top of that, IT resources are limited and there’s frequently uncertainty around data privacy.