AI Made Real: The event where ideas meet action

Innovation Day 2025 in Brussels became the stage where bold ideas took shape and AI proved its power in real time. Hosting 180+ clients from 145+ brands, it was a day packed with thought-provoking talks, demos and use cases from the AI frontline.  

Under the theme of AI Made Real, it was a chance for our clients to join us on stage and in our demo zones to share tangible results of AI in action. From retail and FMCG to automotive and fashion, we showcased the wins that prove just how fast AI is redefining what’s possible. 

Innovation Day continues to be a launchpad for new ideas, connections and conversations around what tomorrow will bring. Big thanks to everyone who joined us on the day and hope you enjoy some highlights from this groundbreaking event!

Expert talks and immersive demos

Let’s take a look back at standout moments from our speaker keynotes and our interactive demo zone. 

Taking AI from idea to impact

Hosted by Sarah Claeys, the talks opened with Alex van Gestel’s keynote on turning AI ambition into reality. Alex painted a picture of where clients currently are in their AI journeys and how many are already turning POCs into MVPs, with a focus on cost optimization, responsible AI, and enterprise-wide adoption.

Real-life client insights

Moderated by Jean-Vianney Philippe, our panel explored exactly what it takes to move beyond the AI buzzword. Experts included Azhar Kholwadia (Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd) and Pieter Duron (TVH), who joined Empathy Lab’s Virginie Siméons to share practical lessons on driving measurable business value with AI.

Transformation is a team sport

Ksenia Sartori and Thanh Hà Nguyen took the audience inside Ahold Delhaize’s agile-to-AI journey. They demonstrated how transformation is truly a team sport and why Ahold’s data strategy mantra, ‘Rolled Up & Drilled Down’, is so effective. The team also explained how they are scaling bold change through Ahold’s in-house innovation studio, AI².

Redefining the CMO

David Billings shared how tomorrow’s CMO will lead transformation as a growth architect. With AI redefining marketing from the ground up, it’s time to reframe the role to orchestrate growth through cross-functional collaboration that goes far beyond marketing.

Data-driven creativity 

Mars Wrigley’s Lía Inoa Pimentel and Liz Salway demonstrated how they unlocked real-time sales incrementality by merging fragmented media and retailer data into one AI-ready ecosystem — empowering teams to test, collaborate, and make smarter business decisions.

Mindset matters

Luc de Brabandere closed with an inspiring reflection on the CMO’s role, reminding us that mindset is as important as data in driving transformation.

Hands-on innovation with our demo zone 

In our demo zone, attendees moved through a series of immersive experiences that brought AI to life in a way people could see, touch and experiment with. These included virtual try-ons for Zalando and how Edward Jones used AI/RUN to transform their software development lifecycle. Visitors had the opportunity to ‘race’ an F1 car in our Hugo Boss x Aston Martin spatial experience and explore the ‘clever colleague’ we built for Ahold Delhaize. We also showcased Empathy Lab’s AI marketing accelerator suite, including AI-powered Media Planning, Synthetic Audiences, and a playful real-time production with AI Content Studio, which visualized a walk through the future for anyone who attended the event.

Relive the best moments from the events

Take a look through the gallery to see what went down at Mix Brussels.

Insights to inspire your next move

Get practical advice from our speakers on your next big move.

Hear from the attendees

We’re already looking forward to hosting another future-forward Innovation Day next year in Europe. 

But why wait? If you want to find out more about the ideas shared here, email us at info@empathylab.com to keep the conversation going.