The NiCE Cognigy NEXUS 2026 event at the Infinity Hotel & Conference Resort Munich created an international platform for the future of customer experience and agentic AI. With more than 1,000 guests, over 40 keynote speakers, two stages, live demos, TechLabs and an exhibition area spanning around 400 square metres, the event became a key meeting place for industry leaders and CX experts from around the world. POOLgroup was commissioned by Trendhouse Event Marketing. This marked the first collaboration between the agency, the end client and POOLgroup.

Following NiCE’s acquisition of Cognigy, the event was intended to bring both brands together for the first time in a joint format. The aim was to create a summit that not only communicated technological innovation but also allowed attendees to experience it both physically and emotionally.

As the lead agency, Trendhouse developed the overarching experience design. POOLgroup worked with the agency and the end client to translate this concept into a technically robust solution for the stage, venue and production.

The modern stage design placed high demands on rigging, space planning and technical integration. The venue’s capabilities were limited and had to be precisely aligned with the intended design. Added to this were problems with completely darkening the event space, for which viable solutions were developed at short notice.

The tight schedule for set-up and rehearsals also increased the pressure on planning. More than 40 speakers, two stages, streaming, exhibition space and show elements had to be technically set up, tested and safely brought into live operation within a short timeframe.

POOLcrew was responsible for the technical planning in the areas of lighting, sound, rigging, media and IT, as well as for the planning and implementation of the streaming infrastructure.
The lighting and sound design were developed in collaboration with Trendhouse. The stage and set design were further refined from a technical perspective in close consultation with the end client. A key feature of the spatial concept was an interactive sphere at the centre of the accompanying exhibition area.
To ensure the short on-site set-up time could be met, central systems were pre-configured and pre-programmed at the main warehouse in Emsdetten. This enabled the technology, control systems and show sequences to be tested at an early stage and the commissioning in Munich to be prepared in a targeted manner.
During the event, the POOLcrew supported more than 40 keynote speakers across two stages and managed the technical operations for presentations, live demos and streaming. A multimedia show featuring dance and remote-controlled flying elements added an emotionally charged theatrical element to the conference programme.

A modern, high-quality conference environment was created for the guests, characterised by a clear visual language and technical precision. The stage, lighting, sound, media and exhibition space all came together to form a coherent overall picture.
The production combined the professionalism of an international business summit with the dynamism of a high-quality live and TV production. Content was not merely presented, but was dramaturgically enhanced through the use of space, technology and the show itself.

With the NiCE Cognigy NEXUS 2026, the event series reached new heights in terms of both technology and production. Close coordination between Trendhouse, the end client and POOLgroup made it possible to precisely implement sophisticated experience design within the given spatial and temporal constraints.
This first-time collaboration was characterised by clear lines of communication, the ability to find solutions at short notice, and a professional working relationship.