CMS Summit 25 Program
Held at Techquartier in Frankfurt on May 13 - 14
The conference is tailored for everyone working with content management systems, from beginners to experts, and features 2 packed days with a carefully curated mixture of talks, workshops, activities and world class facilitators, thought-provokers, speakers and session leads.
Unlike many other conferences, this one is not about speakers talking endlessly about their own work.
On Day #1 we set the stage with lightning talks, reflections, thought-provoking perspectives and close with live demos of emerging tech.
On Day #2, we’ll focus on fewer talks and cross industry working groups to really tackle the thorny issues and make progress together. Rather than being talked at, this is your conference for active participation and talking to your peers.
Throughout the two days, we enjoy the museum, good meals and quality conversations in a relaxed atmosphere optimized for learning and networking.
Finally, what you see below is a draft conference program. Changes will happen as we work to curate and create the best learning and networking experience.
Program
Tuesday, May 13
9:00 - 9:30: Breakfast and registration
9:30 - 9:40: Welcome & Opening feat.:
- Our hosts Janus Boye, Boye & Co & Matt Garrepy, CMS Critic
Big topics for 2025
9:40 - 10:00
A moderated CMS Expert Q&A
featuring TBD
In this opening session, Matt Garrepy from CMS Critic will lead a conversation with TBD on what we need to know for 2025.
More details coming soon
After the expert opening, we’ll go straight to hearing lightning talks from three practitioners.
TBD
10.00-10.15
Angelika Gust (DE)
Senior Product Manager Digital Channels at
DB Regio
More coming soon
TBD
10:15 - 10:30
Maximilian Steudel (DE)
MarTech & Digital Engagement Lead at
Dr. Oetker
More coming soon
TBD
10.30 - 10.45
Shannon Mølhave (DK)
Senior UX Designer at
Stibo Systems
More details coming soon
10.45 - 11:15 Coffee & networking
TBD
11.15 - 11.35
Baddy Sonja Breidert (DE)
CEO and Co-founder at
1xINTERNET
More details coming soon
The CMS Market Dilemma – Competing on Features or Solving Real Needs?
11.35 - 11.55
Bolette Kern (DK)
Product Manager at
Umbraco
If most CMS platforms cover 80% of the same needs, why do vendors keep adding more features? The answer: to win the battle of checkboxes. But does this actually solve real needs? Are we improving our products—or just feeding a cycle of comparison? Is this purely market-driven, or are we reinforcing it ourselves?
Most importantly—can we change it, and do we even want to?
UX x AI
11.55 - 12.15
Daria Sazanovich (DE)
Product designer at
CoreMedia
More details coming soon
How open source can help us all
12.15 - 12.30
By Simon Jones (UK)
Leads tech work at Studio 24
More details coming soon
12:30 - 1.15 Lunch
1.15 - 2.00 Touring the TechQuartier, a versatile co-working space spanning over 3000m² and a hub for building startups that drive positive change
Selecting the right CMS in 2025
2.00 - 2.50
Panel feat.:
- Bastian Sirvend (DE)
- Simon Jones (UK)
- and 2 more experts
Moderated by:
- Matt Garrepy (US)
Chief Critic at CMS Critic
More details coming soon
TBD
2.50 - 3.10
Led by Julian Mills (CA)
More details coming soon
TBD
3.15 - 3.30
Bastian Sirvend (DE)
Founder & Managing Director of SUTSCHE
More details coming soon…
3:30 - 3.45 Coffee and tea
TBD
3.45 - 4.00
By TBA
More details coming soon
TBD
4.00 - 4.15
By TBA
More details coming soon
TBD
4.15 - 4.30
By TBA
More details coming soon
TBA
4.30 - 4.45
By TBD
More details coming soon
4.45 - 5.00 Coffee & networking
5.00 - 6.00 European CMS Idol 2025
Lasse Fredslund from Umbraco holding a unicorn during his CMS Idol 2023 demo
Help crown the next (and first) “European 2025 CMS Idol”! In this fast-paced, entertaining competition, contestants will have 6 minutes to showcase their system and try to win your vote.
If you like short demos, pithy commentary, and expert analyses, then look no further. This is the session for you. You'll hear thoughts from an expert panel of judges, but it's up to you to decide the winner.
Contestants:
5 more coming soon
6.30 - 10:00 Social event
Everyone is invited to join us for an informal dinner.
We’ll also announce the CMS Idol winner and even do a CMS Experts Quiz!
Venue: TBA
Wednesday, May 14
7:00 Morning Run
We met in front of the TechQuartier for a relaxed 25 minute run
9:00 - 9:30 Breakfast and networking
9:30 - 10.00: Welcome to Day #2 by Janus Boye and Matt Garrepy
Based on key insights from Day #1, we divide into working groups to tackle the big issues for 2025, including:
Building a business around CMS in 2025
How do you future proof content with many different content platforms?
How do we build accuracy and trust with AI?
How is search changing? Expectations and opportunities
Understanding and adapting to the limits of your CMS tooling
What is MACH / composable really and when / when not to do it
What are the barriers to integrate open source composable with productized composable
Who is a CMS really for?
Feel free to send your suggestions!
10:00 - 11.00: Working groups - join a key topic, contribute and help shape the future of the industry
11.00 - 11.20 Coffee & networking
11:20 - 12.15: Working groups continued - join a key topic, contribute and help shape the future of the industry
12:15 - 12.30: Brief presentations of progress, blockers, call for participation to move forward
12.30 - 1.30 Lunch
1:30 - 2.15: Last round of progress in the working groups
What’s ahead of us?
2.15 - 2.45
Led by Matt Garrepy (US)
Chief Critic at CMS Critic
A brief interactive wrap-up of the two days. Join us for key lessons learned, big questions for 2025 and what happens next. Matt will moderate a conversation with three selected experts among the partcipants