31 January 2024
On November 16-17, we hosted the second Product Advisory Board (PAB) meeting of 2023, and this time, we travelled to London for two days of strategic alignment, company updates, and networking.
We co-hosted the event with Yospace, our RTL Group cousin, and invited our partners to Underwood Studios located in Old Street, a hot spot in London for creative and tech-oriented companies. The PAB event is one of the main initiatives behind our true partnered approach, offering clients the opportunity to discuss strategies, share knowledge, receive updates regarding our company and technology, and directly influence our product roadmap. At each PAB meeting, since its introduction in 2021, we have travelled to a different client city, hosting the event in a new location each time.
Maintaining a client-focused roadmap
The first day began with the Round Table Committee (RTC) meeting, which precedes the main PAB event programme. An integral element of our partnered approach, the RTC meetings were first introduced at PAB Madrid and offer a select number of representatives from each of our partner companies the opportunity to discuss, align, and vote on the most important topics. This dynamic forum empowers our clients by giving them an equal voice in our collaborative journey. The meeting takes place in a small group and acts as a strategic cornerstone, facilitating discussions on vital topics and market vision alignment, while also allowing our clients to actively contribute to our product roadmap.
Market updates from across Europe
Later in the afternoon, our moderators Anne Papsdorf, Senior Director Broadcaster & Key Partnerships at RTL AdAlliance, and Thomas Servatius, Co-CEO of smartclip, opened the main PAB conference together with Dr. Oliver Vesper, Deputy CEO / CDO of RTL AdAlliance and Co-CEO of smartclip, and Tim Sewell, CEO of Yospace. Our ‘Market Updates’ sessions followed, during which we had the pleasure of listening to engaging presentations from our partners as they shared the latest developments within their local markets. We heard from Simone Branca, Head of Adtech & Data at Rai Pubblicità; Elena Giovanetti, Publisher & Product Director at RTL AdAlliance; Claudio Tozzo, CEO of StudioPiù; Anna Lena Schenk, Director Growth at Virtual Minds; Martin Hoberg, Chief International Adtech Officer at RTL Deutschland; and Arne Steinmetz, General Director Client Services Adtech & Data at Ad Alliance DE.
Highlighting women in adtech
We introduced a new element to the programme in London: the ‘Women in Adtech’ panel discussion. Moderated by Piper Heitzler, Chief of Staff at Merlin Entertainments & Strategic Adtech Advisor, our panellists — Sandra Fuhrmann, Senior Manager Sales Product & Partner Management at Sport1; Joanna Burton, Advisor/Seasoned Adtech Expert; Gloria Eichler, VP Ad Platform at smartclip; and Anna Lena Schenk, Director Growth at Virtual Minds — took to the stage to share their experiences as women working in adtech. In addition to discussing their experiences, the panellists also explored various ways to create equal opportunities for women in the industry — particularly in leadership positions.
Knowledge exchange and smartx product updates
The PAB event also offers an important opportunity to update our clients on current projects and initiatives as well as the latest company news. On the second day of PAB London, we shared the latest information on the smartx platform, our smart ID Hub, and our smart TVT efforts. Our friends from RTL AdAlliance, including Dr. Oliver Vesper; Stephen Byrne, VP Partnership Development; and Franck Litewka, Senior Director Strategy and M&A, took the stage to talk about new developments and provide an overview of their business strategy, while Fabian Burgey, Director SME Business Europe, delved into revenue strategies tailored for companies with SME budgets. And before we moved to our breakout sessions, we also heard from Guillaume Belmas, CEO of Realytics, who updated us on the company’s measurement solutions, as well as Tim Sewell, CEO of Yospace, who discussed SSAI trends.
Our breakout sessions allow attendees to dive deeper and familiarise themselves with a handful of preselected topics. This time, attendees were able to learn more about alternative ID-less targeting approaches from Frank Plähn, VP Audience Products at smartclip, about our new Reporting UI from Gloria Eichler, and about our Forecaster from Thomas Servatius.
London after hours
We also gave attendees a small taste of what London had to offer after hours. In a traditional London double-decker bus, our guests were able to unwind while passing by some of the city’s most iconic locations and landmarks on the way to the LSQ Rooftop. Once they reached the evening’s main location, attendees had the opportunity to network and relax, all while enjoying the sounds of a live jazz band and a panoramic view of the city.
A special ‘thank you’ goes to Yospace for co-hosting the event with us. We’re already looking ahead to what 2024 holds and can’t wait to bring PAB to the Netherlands.
Lee is the Marketing Specialist Europe at smartclip and is responsible for content writing, editing, social media, and creative support across the department and company. Originally from the United States, Lee graduated from the University of Cincinnati, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Electronic Media. Before joining smartclip, she has worked with various organisations managing social media accounts and assisting in the video and audio production processes.
Lee Richter
Marketing Specialist Europe
