DKM 2026 for Brokers: Your Guide to Two Days of AI and Automation

DKM 2026 for Brokers: Your Guide to Two Days of AI and Automation

If you’re heading to DKM as a broker and want to understand what AI can actually do in 2026, this guide covers the key sessions, topics, and questions to make the most of your visit.

On October 28, the AI Navigator in Hall 3, Area G03 is dedicated entirely to AI in insurance brokerage. Five sessions cover everything from the current state of AI adoption to sales, advisory, policy administration, and practical implementation. The day starts at 9:15 AM with the presentation of our 2026 AI Study, conducted together with AssCompact.

You can still contribute to the study: In a 30-minute conversation with Daniel Dierkes, you’ll discuss where AI is actually being used in your brokerage today, what is already working, and where there is still room for improvement.

Take part in the study and share your perspective: Book a 30-minute session with Daniel Dierkes: https://calendar.app.google/m9PJPrVs4kRn3WyY6

The AI Navigator: AI in Insurance Brokerage, All in One Place

The AI Navigator is DKM 2026’s dedicated focus area for artificial intelligence in insurance brokerage. On October 28, Hall 3, Area G03 will be dedicated to the practical use of AI in brokerage for the entire day.

While other areas of DKM focus on individual topics such as Processes & IT or BiPRO, the AI Navigator brings together five sessions covering the full journey - from understanding where the market stands today to sales, advisory, policy administration, and implementation in your own brokerage.

All sessions take place in the same area, so you can stay focused on the topic without moving between halls. For smaller brokerages in particular, this can make a difference: if only one person from your team can make the trip to Dortmund, the AI Navigator gives them a full day of AI-focused content in one place.

The 2026 AI Study: Share Your Perspective

Together with AssCompact, we are conducting the 2026 AI Study, titled "Where Do We Really Stand? The State of AI in Insurance Brokerage in 2026."

The study looks at how far AI has actually made its way into insurance brokerages - which applications are already being used in production, where AI is being deployed, and where brokers still face challenges.

We will present the results on October 28 at 9:15 AM in the AI Navigator, Hall 3, Area G03, kicking off the day’s program.

You can still contribute your perspective before DKM. In a 30-minute conversation with Daniel Dierkes, we’ll talk about your day-to-day operations: Where is AI already being used? What works? And where are there still open questions or blockers?

We’ll share the results for the first time at DKM.

Contribute your perspective to the 2026 AI Study: https://calendar.app.google/m9PJPrVs4kRn3WyY6

Two Days, Two Priorities

In 2025, DKM attracted 16,491 visitors and 305 exhibitors to Dortmund. For your 2026 visit, it makes sense to use the two days differently: day one for the broader market overview, day two for AI and practical implementation.

Day 1, October 27: Market Overview and Exhibitors

Use the morning to explore the exhibition halls and have your first conversations. Look at which solutions and approaches are relevant to your brokerage, and deliberately leave some time for exhibitors who weren’t on your original list.

In the early afternoon, Processes & IT and BiPRO take center stage in Hall 4. At 4:30 PM, the short session "Where Do You Stand on Automation and AI? The Broker Benchmark" takes place at Area A17.

Our tip: Keep around two hours free of scheduled meetings. The best conversations at a trade show aren’t always the ones that make it onto your calendar.

Day 2, October 28: AI Navigator & AI in Insurance Brokerage

On the second day, the focus is entirely on AI in insurance brokerage at the AI Navigator in Hall 3, Area G03. Five sessions cover where brokers stand today, how AI can be applied across sales, advisory, and policy administration, and how to turn those insights into concrete next steps for your own brokerage.

Sessions on October 28 Worth Attending

All five sessions take place in Hall 3, Area G03. The official program lists them in time slots starting at 9:00 AM. The sessions themselves run for 15 to 25 minutes.

01 Study & Current State - 9:15-9:40 AM

"Where Do We Really Stand? The State of AI in Insurance Brokerage in 2026", with Daniel Dierkes, Sandro Mund, and Sebastian Sommerer.

This session kicks off the day and sets the stage for the four sessions that follow. At 9:45 AM, the AssCompact Future Study on the brokerage market follows on the same stage.

02 Insurance Sales - 11:00-11:20 AM

"AI as a Growth Lever for Insurance Brokerages", with Daniel Dierkes.

For brokerages looking to handle more new business without simply adding more people - by increasing the leverage of each employee.

03 Advisory & Closing - 12:45-1:00 PM

"Better Advice with AI: The AI-Native Advisor Owns the Future", with Michael Gackstatter.

This session focuses on the advisory process itself, rather than the administration around it.

04 Policy Administration, Service & Operations - 1:30-1:45 PM

"Renewal Commissions 2030: AI Will Force the Service Proof That Never Existed", with Dr. Marco Adelt and Tomas Gan.

Relevant for any brokerage that will need to demonstrate the value of its ongoing service with measurable proof in the future.

05 Implementation & Outlook - 2:15-2:30 PM

"The Next Steps for Insurance Brokerages", with Daniel Dierkes and Sandro Mund.

The final session turns the topics from the previous sessions into a concrete set of priorities for your own brokerage.

Short on time? The first and final sessions are the ones to prioritize.

Networking at DKM: Questions Worth Asking

You’ll have plenty of conversations about AI at DKM. The most interesting ones usually start when you get specific.

Bring two or three real cases from your own inbox to Dortmund - for example, a customer email containing an address change and a question about a policy. This gives you something concrete to discuss, both with vendors and with other brokers, and lets you compare how different teams handle similar tasks.

10 Questions for Better Conversations About AI

• What are you actually using AI for in production today?
• Where are you already using AI - new business, policy administration, quotes, or claims?
• What tasks is your AI already allowed to handle completely on its own?
• Where does AI actually save your team the most time?
• How deeply is AI integrated into your existing processes and systems?
• How much human review does an AI-powered process still require?
• What has been your biggest blocker when introducing AI and automation?
• What have you tried with AI that simply didn’t work?
• Can your team handle more cases today with the same headcount than before introducing AI?
• What would you automate next if the technical implementation wasn’t an issue?

These questions work just as well at an exhibitor booth as they do in conversations with other brokers. And when you have a real case with you, a conversation about AI quickly becomes a conversation about how it actually works in day-to-day operations.

Meet Modus at DKM

You’ll find us at the AI Navigator in Hall 3, Area G03 on both days. Stop by to see how AI agents can take over operational processes in an insurance brokerage - from communication to handling concrete cases. No appointment is needed for a short demo.

Personal Conversation with Daniel Dierkes

Want to talk about your own brokerage, specific processes, or the role of AI in your business? Book a conversation with Daniel Dierkes, Founder of Modus and Managing Director of SureIn, a digital commercial insurance brokerage.

Book a meeting with Daniel Dierkes → https://calendar.app.google/m9PJPrVs4kRn3WyY6

2026 AI Study

Contribute your perspective to the 2026 AI Study. In a 30-minute conversation with Daniel Dierkes, we’ll discuss where AI is actually being used in your brokerage today, what works, and where challenges remain.

Contribute to the 2026 AI Study → https://calendar.app.google/m9PJPrVs4kRn3WyY6

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is DKM 2026?

DKM 2026 takes place on October 27-28, 2026, at Messe Dortmund, across Halls 2-4. The event is organized by bbg Betriebsberatungs GmbH.

What is the AI Navigator at DKM 2026?

The AI Navigator is DKM 2026’s dedicated area for artificial intelligence in insurance brokerage. It takes place on October 28 in Hall 3, Area G03, with five sessions covering everything from the current state of AI adoption to practical implementation.

What is Modus’s role at DKM 2026?

Modus is a co-host of the AI Navigator and will be at DKM on both days.

What is the 2026 AI Study and where will it be presented?

The study is titled "Where Do We Really Stand? The State of AI in Insurance Brokerage in 2026" and is being conducted together with AssCompact. The results will be presented on October 28 at 9:15 AM in Hall 3, Area G03.

How can my brokerage participate in the 2026 AI Study?

You can contribute through a 30-minute conversation with Daniel Dierkes before DKM. Sessions can be booked through the study calendar.

How should a brokerage plan the two days at DKM 2026?

Decide in advance which three to five questions or decisions you want to address in Dortmund. Then split the days accordingly: use October 27 for the broader market overview and exhibitors, and October 28 for the AI Navigator.

What should my brokerage bring to DKM 2026?

Bring two or three real cases from your own inbox that you can use to evaluate solutions at exhibitor booths. It’s also worth selecting the sessions from the official program that are most relevant to your brokerage.

How can I get a ticket?

Tickets for DKM 2026 are available through the event’s official registration page, where you can find the current ticket options and pricing.