CXI Conference 2024

Around 1,400 design, marketing, and communication experts gathered at the CXI conference in Bielefeld on May 17th, 2024. This year, notable participants included the global leader Zeiss, and pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. Europe’s largest brand identity conference was once again organized in cooperation with Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (HSBI).

Since its inception in 2009, CXI conference has played a crucial role in establishing Bielefeld as a hub for corporate and brand identity. This is reflected in its continuous growth: while nearly a thousand attendees were welcomed in 2023, this year saw almost 1,400 participants. Due to logistical reasons, the conference was held for the first time in the Rudolf Oetker Hall instead of Lokschuppen, adding an elegant new dimension to the event.

The CXI stands out for its unique presentation format, where agencies and their clients jointly present communication solutions. These presentations provide deep insights into the conceptual and practical aspects of brand design development.

This year, London-based studio Koto and streaming service Deezer showcased their brand system centered around the “Beating Heart logo”. Düsseldorf’s G31 demonstrated how early involvement of graphic design firms can sustainably transform the perception of historic sites, using their collaboration with Bilker Bunker as a case study. Arndt Benedikt and OMR discussed the significant challenge of elevating an established brand through rebranding, while ZEISS and the KMS TEAM provided insights into digital brand management at ZEISS. The agency Interbrand from Cologne, alongside Boehringer Ingelheim, concluded the traditional dual presentations with a showcase of their corporate brand implementation.

A new addition this year was the Focustalk format, where 20-minute, concise presentations offered a refreshing change. Rotterdam-based Studio Dumbar, a leading agency for motion branding in Europe, shared their expertise. Highly acclaimed agency for audio branding and motion design Why Do Birds discussed the newly developed unique acoustic brand identity for Berlin’s public transport system BVG, and Hamburg located design agency Mutabor explored the application of artificial intelligence in branding.

The event concluded with a pleasant gathering in the adjacent Bürgerpark, providing the perfect setting to round off a successful day of inspiration and exchange.

Thanks to the CXI team and especially Robert Paulmann for making this possible. We’re excited for many more years of CXI.

Photos: CXI/René Weinitschke