Live in Bielefeld · 10. Juni
KI im MittelstandDas kompakte Event für Entscheider:innen. 3 Perspektiven, 20 Plätze.
Details & Anmeldung
Mercury.ai Live Event
AI in SMBs – Inspiration for Decision-Makers
Three keynote speeches, one expert panel, one sundowner. For managing directors, C-level executives, and AI decision-makers who want to make decisions based on solid facts rather than hype.
Mittwoch, 10. Juni 2026 · 15:00 Uhr
City Tower (CTX), Bielefeld · 8. Etage
20 Entscheider:innen
Kostenfreie Teilnahme
CountdownWednesday, June 10, 2026 · 3:00 PM · Bielefeld
12Tage
22Std
09Min
35Sek
Worum es geht
An afternoon for everyone who wants to start using AI in a meaningful and effective way.
AI is changing how mid-sized organizations work, make decisions, and grow. Between high-sounding promises and practical application lies a gap that many companies currently cannot bridge alone. This event delivers three perspectives – culture, law, technology – which must work together so that AI in mid-sized businesses does not get stuck at the pilot project stage.
3
Keynote presentations, sharply focused on mid-sized business decisions
4h
Compact format, admission from 14:30 until sundowner
20
Decision-makers – the room is intentionally kept small
1
Tag that allows you to take answers and contacts with you
Drei Fragen, drei Antworten
The perspectives you need now as a decision-maker.
Culture, law, and technology are intertwined in AI projects. Only when all three pillars are in place will a pilot project turn into a real competitive advantage.
Culture & Organization
When is your company truly ready for AI – and how can the rollout succeed without losing employees?
Legal & Compliance
What do the EU AI Act, GDPR, and employee rights specifically require of you? Hard compliance vs. nice-to-have.
Technology & ROI
How does AI measurably combat the shortage of skilled labor? Use cases with resilient figures from medium-sized businesses.
Die Speaker
Three presentations, three perspectives – moderated for decision-makers.
Speaker
Beate Leibnitz
Der Mittelstand. BVMW e.V. Business Office OWL Nord Bielefeld, Districts of Gütersloh, Herford, and Minden-Lübbecke
Vortrag
The new competitive advantage:
AI, strategy, network, and speed
Disrupt or Die – AI and the New Reality in Medium-Sized Businesses.
Beate Leibnitz is the representative for the Münsterland / Ostwestfalen-Lippe economic region and will initiate the afternoon with a brief keynote speech.
Vortrag
When knowledge no longer leaves with people – how AI structurally addresses the shortage of skilled workers
The shortage of skilled labor is structural – and AI is not a solution that will make it disappear. However, AI can ensure that companies still deliver. Using concrete use cases from knowledge management, this presentation demonstrates how medium-sized companies can use AI-supported systems to scale existing expertise, halve onboarding times, and make critical knowledge available independently of individuals.
Dr. Maximilian Panzner is the co-founder and CTO of Mercury.ai, one of the leading European platforms for Conversational AI in enterprise environments. He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Human-Machine Interaction from CITEC at Bielefeld University and has spent many years working with dialogue-oriented systems and their practical application in business. His focus is on developing controllable, scalable AI architectures that empower business departments to automate complex communication processes efficiently and responsibly.
Vortrag
From Experiment to Compliance Obligation
With the EU AI Act, a binding legal framework for the use of artificial intelligence in Europe is in place for the first time. For many medium-sized companies, this raises pressing questions: Which requirements apply to my company? Where do liability risks lie – and how do I ensure that AI systems are operated in compliance with data protection regulations?
This keynote presentation provides an overview of the central compliance obligations, practice-relevant risks, and concrete recommendations for action for the legally compliant use of AI in medium-sized businesses.
Piotr Voelkl specializes in compliance and data law. He advises medium-sized companies on the legally compliant introduction and operation of AI systems – with a focus on the EU AI Act and data protection requirements.
Vortrag
AI adoption is more than a change project – The central role of corporate culture
Everyone is talking about what AI can do. Dynamic though it is, hardly anyone asks what AI does to corporate culture.
This keynote turns the perspective around. The focus is not on AI as a tool, but on the organization introducing it: what changes in the way we lead, make decisions, perceive risk, and bear responsibility?
Because the culture it encounters is at least as important as the technological implementation itself.
As a business psychologist and organizational developer, Alwina Neumann supports companies in realistically assessing, purposefully shaping, and measurably developing their culture. Her particular focus is on leadership, risk, and compliance culture as key dimensions of an effective organizational culture.
Moderation
Mirco Schmidt
Mercury.ai GmbH
Mirco Schmidt is Chief Revenue Officer at Mercury.ai GmbH. He will guide through the afternoon, connect the three perspectives, and ensure that questions from the audience land directly with the right experts.
Agenda
How the afternoon will unfold.
Deliberately kept compact: three key insights, two networking breaks, and a shared sundowner on the rooftop terrace.
Pause
14:30 - 15:00
Admission & Welcome Coffee
Arrival, badge pickup, and initial conversations.
Beate Leibnitz
Speaker
15:00 - 15:15
The new competitive advantage:
AI, strategy, network, and speed
Dr. Maximilian Panzner
Speaker · Technology
15:15 - 15:35
When knowledge no longer leaves with people – how AI structurally addresses the shortage of skilled workers
Piotr Voelkel, LL.M.
Speaker · Law
15:35 - 16:00
From Experiment to Compliance Obligation
Pause
4:00 PM - 4:20 PM
Networking Break
Time for questions and initial discussions.
Alwina Neumann
Speaker · Culture
16:20 - 16:45
AI adoption is more than a change project – The central role of corporate culture
Info
4:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Expert Panel & Q&A
All speakers in dialogue - moderated by Mirco Schmidt.
Pause
17:15 - 19:00
Sundowner on the roof terrace
Networking at high-top tables with all speakers.
Interessiert? Sichern Sie jetzt Ihren Platz.
Kostenfreie Teilnahme · 20 Plätze
Teilnahme anfragen 10. Juni 2026 · 15:00 Uhr Elsa-Brändström-Str. 2–4, Bielefeld Kostenfreie Teilnahme
Zielgruppe
Who this event is aimed at.
We deliberately keep the group small so that the discussion remains personal, ensuring that after the sundowner, you will know the people you want to exchange ideas with.
- Managing Directors & C-Level of medium-sized businesses
- AI officers who need a clear picture of their organization's maturity level
- Decision-makers who want to take their first strategic steps in the area of AI.
- Companies with around 100 or more employees looking to make knowledge more accessible internally
Location & Logistik
With us in Bielefeld.
Mercury.ai – 8th Floor
City Tower (CTX), Elsa-Brandström-Str. 2-4, 33602 Bielefeld, Germany
8th floor with a view over Bielefeld
Rooftop terrace for the sundowner afterwards
A 5-10 minute walk from Bielefeld Main Station
Event-Details auf einen Blick
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Doors open at 2:30 PM)
Location: City Tower (CTX) · Elsa-Braendstroem-Str. 2-4, 8th Floor, Bielefeld
Participation: Free of charge with registration
Anmeldung
Join the event.
IN COOPERATION WITH
Questions about the event?
Wir helfen Ihnen gerne weiter – per E-Mail.
Mercury.ai Live Event
AI in SMBs – Inspiration for Decision-Makers
Three keynote speeches, one expert panel, one sundowner. For managing directors, C-level executives, and AI decision-makers who want to make decisions based on solid facts rather than hype.
Mittwoch, 10. Juni 2026 · 15:00 Uhr
City Tower (CTX), Bielefeld · 8. Etage
20 Entscheider:innen
Kostenfreie Teilnahme
CountdownWednesday, June 10, 2026 · 3:00 PM · Bielefeld
12Tage
22Std
09Min
35Sek
Worum es geht
An afternoon for everyone who wants to start using AI in a meaningful and effective way.
AI is changing how mid-sized organizations work, make decisions, and grow. Between high-sounding promises and practical application lies a gap that many companies currently cannot bridge alone. This event delivers three perspectives – culture, law, technology – which must work together so that AI in mid-sized businesses does not get stuck at the pilot project stage.
3
Keynote presentations, sharply focused on mid-sized business decisions
4h
Compact format, admission from 14:30 until sundowner
20
Decision-makers – the room is intentionally kept small
1
Tag that allows you to take answers and contacts with you
Drei Fragen, drei Antworten
The perspectives you need now as a decision-maker.
Culture, law, and technology are intertwined in AI projects. Only when all three pillars are in place will a pilot project turn into a real competitive advantage.
Culture & Organization
When is your company truly ready for AI – and how can the rollout succeed without losing employees?
Legal & Compliance
What do the EU AI Act, GDPR, and employee rights specifically require of you? Hard compliance vs. nice-to-have.
Technology & ROI
How does AI measurably combat the shortage of skilled labor? Use cases with resilient figures from medium-sized businesses.
Die Speaker
Three presentations, three perspectives – moderated for decision-makers.
Vortrag
When knowledge no longer leaves with people – how AI structurally addresses the shortage of skilled workers
The shortage of skilled labor is structural – and AI is not a solution that will make it disappear. However, AI can ensure that companies still deliver. Using concrete use cases from knowledge management, this presentation demonstrates how medium-sized companies can use AI-supported systems to scale existing expertise, halve onboarding times, and make critical knowledge available independently of individuals.
Dr. Maximilian Panzner is the co-founder and CTO of Mercury.ai, one of the leading European platforms for Conversational AI in enterprise environments. He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Human-Machine Interaction from CITEC at Bielefeld University and has spent many years working with dialogue-oriented systems and their practical application in business. His focus is on developing controllable, scalable AI architectures that empower business departments to automate complex communication processes efficiently and responsibly.
Vortrag
From Experiment to Compliance Obligation
With the EU AI Act, a binding legal framework for the use of artificial intelligence in Europe is in place for the first time. For many medium-sized companies, this raises pressing questions: Which requirements apply to my company? Where do liability risks lie – and how do I ensure that AI systems are operated in compliance with data protection regulations?
This keynote presentation provides an overview of the central compliance obligations, practice-relevant risks, and concrete recommendations for action for the legally compliant use of AI in medium-sized businesses.
Piotr Voelkl specializes in compliance and data law. He advises medium-sized companies on the legally compliant introduction and operation of AI systems – with a focus on the EU AI Act and data protection requirements.
Vortrag
AI adoption is more than a change project – The central role of corporate culture
Everyone is talking about what AI can do. Dynamic though it is, hardly anyone asks what AI does to corporate culture.
This keynote turns the perspective around. The focus is not on AI as a tool, but on the organization introducing it: what changes in the way we lead, make decisions, perceive risk, and bear responsibility?
Because the culture it encounters is at least as important as the technological implementation itself.
As a business psychologist and organizational developer, Alwina Neumann supports companies in realistically assessing, purposefully shaping, and measurably developing their culture. Her particular focus is on leadership, risk, and compliance culture as key dimensions of an effective organizational culture.
Moderation
Mirco Schmidt
Mercury.ai GmbH
Mirco Schmidt is Chief Revenue Officer at Mercury.ai GmbH. He will guide through the afternoon, connect the three perspectives, and ensure that questions from the audience land directly with the right experts.
Agenda
How the afternoon will unfold.
Deliberately kept compact: three key insights, two networking breaks, and a shared sundowner on the rooftop terrace.
Pause
14:30 - 15:00
Admission & Welcome Coffee
Arrival, badge pickup, and initial conversations.
?
Beate Leibnitz
15:00 - 15:15
The new competitive advantage:
AI, strategy, network, and speed
Dr. Maximilian Panzner
Speaker · Technology
15:15 - 15:35
When knowledge no longer leaves with people – how AI structurally addresses the shortage of skilled workers
Piotr Voelkel, LL.M.
Speaker · Law
15:35 - 16:00
From Experiment to Compliance Obligation
Pause
4:00 PM - 4:20 PM
Networking Break
Time for questions and initial discussions.
Alwina Neumann
Speaker · Culture
16:20 - 16:45
AI adoption is more than a change project – The central role of corporate culture
Info
4:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Expert Panel & Q&A
All speakers in dialogue - moderated by Mirco Schmidt.
Pause
17:15 - 19:00
Sundowner on the roof terrace
Networking at high-top tables with all speakers.
Interessiert? Sichern Sie jetzt Ihren Platz.
Kostenfreie Teilnahme · 20 Plätze
Teilnahme anfragen 10. Juni 2026 · 15:00 Uhr Elsa-Brändström-Str. 2–4, Bielefeld Kostenfreie Teilnahme
Zielgruppe
Who this event is aimed at.
We deliberately keep the group small so that the discussion remains personal, ensuring that after the sundowner, you will know the people you want to exchange ideas with.
- Managing Directors & C-Level of medium-sized businesses
- AI officers who need a clear picture of their organization's maturity level
- Decision-makers who want to take their first strategic steps in the area of AI.
- Companies with around 100 or more employees looking to make knowledge more accessible internally
Location & Logistik
With us in Bielefeld.
Mercury.ai – 8th Floor
City Tower (CTX), Elsa-Brandström-Str. 2-4, 33602 Bielefeld, Germany
8th floor with a view over Bielefeld
Rooftop terrace for the sundowner afterwards
A 5-10 minute walk from Bielefeld Main Station
Event-Details auf einen Blick
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Doors open at 2:30 PM)
Location: City Tower (CTX) · Elsa-Braendstroem-Str. 2-4, 8th Floor, Bielefeld
Participation: Free of charge with registration
Anmeldung
Join the event.
Questions about the event?
Wir helfen Ihnen gerne weiter – per E-Mail.
Mercury.ai Live Event
AI in SMBs – Inspiration for Decision-Makers
Three keynote speeches, one expert panel, one sundowner. For managing directors, C-level executives, and AI decision-makers who want to make decisions based on solid facts rather than hype.
Mittwoch, 10. Juni 2026 · 15:00 Uhr
City Tower (CTX), Bielefeld · 8. Etage
20 Entscheider:innen
Kostenfreie Teilnahme
CountdownWednesday, June 10, 2026 · 3:00 PM · Bielefeld
12Tage
22Std
09Min
35Sek
Worum es geht
An afternoon for everyone who wants to start using AI in a meaningful and effective way.
AI is changing how mid-sized organizations work, make decisions, and grow. Between high-sounding promises and practical application lies a gap that many companies currently cannot bridge alone. This event delivers three perspectives – culture, law, technology – which must work together so that AI in mid-sized businesses does not get stuck at the pilot project stage.
3
Keynote presentations, sharply focused on mid-sized business decisions
4h
Compact format, admission from 14:30 until sundowner
20
Decision-makers – the room is intentionally kept small
1
Tag that allows you to take answers and contacts with you
Drei Fragen, drei Antworten
The perspectives you need now as a decision-maker.
Culture, law, and technology are intertwined in AI projects. Only when all three pillars are in place will a pilot project turn into a real competitive advantage.
Culture & Organization
When is your company truly ready for AI – and how can the rollout succeed without losing employees?
Legal & Compliance
What do the EU AI Act, GDPR, and employee rights specifically require of you? Hard compliance vs. nice-to-have.
Technology & ROI
How does AI measurably combat the shortage of skilled labor? Use cases with resilient figures from medium-sized businesses.
Die Speaker
Three presentations, three perspectives – moderated for decision-makers.
Vortrag
When knowledge no longer leaves with people – how AI structurally addresses the shortage of skilled workers
The shortage of skilled labor is structural – and AI is not a solution that will make it disappear. However, AI can ensure that companies still deliver. Using concrete use cases from knowledge management, this presentation demonstrates how medium-sized companies can use AI-supported systems to scale existing expertise, halve onboarding times, and make critical knowledge available independently of individuals.
Dr. Maximilian Panzner is the co-founder and CTO of Mercury.ai, one of the leading European platforms for Conversational AI in enterprise environments. He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Human-Machine Interaction from CITEC at Bielefeld University and has spent many years working with dialogue-oriented systems and their practical application in business. His focus is on developing controllable, scalable AI architectures that empower business departments to automate complex communication processes efficiently and responsibly.
Vortrag
From Experiment to Compliance Obligation
With the EU AI Act, a binding legal framework for the use of artificial intelligence in Europe is in place for the first time. For many medium-sized companies, this raises pressing questions: Which requirements apply to my company? Where do liability risks lie – and how do I ensure that AI systems are operated in compliance with data protection regulations?
This keynote presentation provides an overview of the central compliance obligations, practice-relevant risks, and concrete recommendations for action for the legally compliant use of AI in medium-sized businesses.
Piotr Voelkl specializes in compliance and data law. He advises medium-sized companies on the legally compliant introduction and operation of AI systems – with a focus on the EU AI Act and data protection requirements.
Vortrag
AI adoption is more than a change project – The central role of corporate culture
Everyone is talking about what AI can do. Dynamic though it is, hardly anyone asks what AI does to corporate culture.
This keynote turns the perspective around. The focus is not on AI as a tool, but on the organization introducing it: what changes in the way we lead, make decisions, perceive risk, and bear responsibility?
Because the culture it encounters is at least as important as the technological implementation itself.
As a business psychologist and organizational developer, Alwina Neumann supports companies in realistically assessing, purposefully shaping, and measurably developing their culture. Her particular focus is on leadership, risk, and compliance culture as key dimensions of an effective organizational culture.
Moderation
Mirco Schmidt
Mercury.ai GmbH
Mirco Schmidt is Chief Revenue Officer at Mercury.ai GmbH. He will guide through the afternoon, connect the three perspectives, and ensure that questions from the audience land directly with the right experts.
Agenda
How the afternoon will unfold.
Deliberately kept compact: three key insights, two networking breaks, and a shared sundowner on the rooftop terrace.
Pause
14:30 - 15:00
Admission & Welcome Coffee
Arrival, badge pickup, and initial conversations.
?
Beate Leibnitz
15:00 - 15:15
The new competitive advantage:
AI, strategy, network, and speed
Dr. Maximilian Panzner
Speaker · Technology
15:15 - 15:35
When knowledge no longer leaves with people – how AI structurally addresses the shortage of skilled workers
Piotr Voelkel, LL.M.
Speaker · Law
15:35 - 16:00
From Experiment to Compliance Obligation
Pause
4:00 PM - 4:20 PM
Networking Break
Time for questions and initial discussions.
Alwina Neumann
Speaker · Culture
16:20 - 16:45
AI adoption is more than a change project – The central role of corporate culture
Info
4:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Expert Panel & Q&A
All speakers in dialogue - moderated by Mirco Schmidt.
Pause
17:15 - 19:00
Sundowner on the roof terrace
Networking at high-top tables with all speakers.
Interessiert? Sichern Sie jetzt Ihren Platz.
Kostenfreie Teilnahme · 20 Plätze
Teilnahme anfragen 10. Juni 2026 · 15:00 Uhr Elsa-Brändström-Str. 2–4, Bielefeld Kostenfreie Teilnahme
Zielgruppe
Who this event is aimed at.
We deliberately keep the group small so that the discussion remains personal, ensuring that after the sundowner, you will know the people you want to exchange ideas with.
- Managing Directors & C-Level of medium-sized businesses
- AI officers who need a clear picture of their organization's maturity level
- Decision-makers who want to take their first strategic steps in the area of AI.
- Companies with around 100 or more employees looking to make knowledge more accessible internally
Location & Logistik
With us in Bielefeld.
Mercury.ai – 8th Floor
City Tower (CTX), Elsa-Brandström-Str. 2-4, 33602 Bielefeld, Germany
8th floor with a view over Bielefeld
Rooftop terrace for the sundowner afterwards
A 5-10 minute walk from Bielefeld Main Station
Event-Details auf einen Blick
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Doors open at 2:30 PM)
Location: City Tower (CTX) · Elsa-Braendstroem-Str. 2-4, 8th Floor, Bielefeld
Participation: Free of charge with registration
Anmeldung
Join the event.
IN COOPERATION WITH
Questions about the event?
Wir helfen Ihnen gerne weiter – per E-Mail.