Articles

Kentico Article

Agentic AI for Agencies in 2026

bmckeiver

The AI Sweet Spot: Debbie Tucek on Kentico’s Agentic Marketing Suite and Finding Value Beyond Hype

matt-garrepy

<hr /> For anyone in the website business, building something beautiful is literally the top of the mountain. You know what I mean. There’s nothing more satisfying than designing, coding, and pushing a project into production – then seeing a bump in traffic, an increase in performance, and a wave of adoration across social media. But adding an award to your mantle? That just takes it to the next level. For <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a>, celebrating these efforts is a big point of pride, especially for a platform that powers over 90,000 websites across the globe. For almost a decade, the DXP has highlighted the very best work of its partners and clients with its coveted “Site of the Year” Awards – and they just released the winners of its 2025 edition.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-announces-winners-of-2023-site-of-the-year-awards">I’ve covered this program</a> previously, and I’m always impressed by the quality, complexity, and bold ambition of the finalists. 2025’s crop once again demonstrates the daring and prowess of organizations and their partners to push the boundaries and redefine modern digital experiences built on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=11b4f14a-807d-4840-bfa8-e529c85898b7&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">Xperience by Kentico</a> – the multichannel content management, marketing, and digital commerce solution packaged in one cohesive platform.This year’s class showed up with some stunning, full-scale UX redesigns that deliver visual awe and impact. But there were feats of engineering as well, with a myriad of use cases featuring AI-powered marketing transformations and complex workload migrations.  Kentico’s “Site of the Year” program is categorized by industry, spanning wide cohorts like B2B as well as verticals in financial services, commerce, education, hospitality, healthcare, government, and NGOs. 2025's submissions came from across the planet, including North America, EMEA, and APAC – illustrating the flexibility and extensibility of Xperience by Kentico.In addition to these examples of partner and customer-driven excellence, 2025 was a big year of milestones for Kentico. With global demand growing for it signature platform, the company’s continued investment in AI was crystallized by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/platform/aira">the launch of AIRA</a> (Artificial Intelligence Recommendations &amp; Assistance), a native AI agent that unpacks and understands content and customer data to help streamline the creation, optimization, and time to deploy for digital experiences. Building on its AIRA momentum, Kentico is once again aiming to transform expectations in 2026. The company recently introduced its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/introducing-the-agentic-marketing-suite-kentico-extends-its-ai-strategy-to-power-marketing-teams">Agentic Marketing Suite,</a> extending its AI strategy to power teams with specialized agents, each designed to execute marketing and content tasks that unlock operational efficiencies in team workflows. <h3 id="honoring-creativity-and-innovation">Honoring creativity and innovation</h3>Let’s talk about websites – because they’re still the center of gravity. More than ever, the world’s leading brands rely on unique, high-performing digital experiences across multiple channels, hoping to dazzle visitors and convert interest into action. Even amidst the shifts in traffic and the rise of AI-powered answer engines, smart consumers still value a business’s website as a central source of truth. At the same time, websites are essential to arming the new frontier of GEO and AEO by delivering a foundation of well-structured content.Kentico’s “Site of the Year” honors its clients and partners by focusing a spotlight on their remarkable work – websites and digital solutions that achieve the highest levels of creativity, innovation, content strategy, and technological implementation.A bit of level-setting on the rules: Only projects that first earned Kentico’s “Site of the Month” banner were eligible to compete, making these finalists a true “best of the best” compendium. Winners were selected by an internal Kentico judging committee based on overall excellence and measurable impact.  You can explore more about this <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=18b8acaa-24af-4f10-976e-74ebe1bf15e4&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">year’s winners and honorable mentions</a> on Kentico’s website, where they drill into the details. For each category winner, they provide a well-rounded rationale that showcases the innovative thinking, stellar design, and AI-enhanced solutions that put them in the top spot.If you’re interested, you can also vote in Kentico’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kenticosoftware_communitychoice-soty-digitalexperience-activity-7429873612603596800-ltb5/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAABkGfZEBzxXaDBwgLBqINaYG9q1JUbfxMW8">Community Choice Awards</a> through March 6th. This crowdsourced portion of the program is handled entirely on LinkedIn.Without further ado…<h3 id="2025-‘site-of-the-year’-winners-and-honorable-mentions----">2025 ‘Site of the Year’ Winners and Honorable Mentions    </h3>Man, this was a dynamite grouping of sites – and all deserving of kudos. For me, there were certainly some standouts. In the B2B category, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=2352b3f4-ad18-4695-b4cf-9fea119232c4&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">LeShuttle Freight’s</a> elegant, high-performance, multilingual experience was top-notch. In addition to simple, intuitive navigation, it has a tricked-out, real-time service update that provides critical visibility for time-sensitive logistics. The mobile experience is also lightweight, prioritizing the right elements in the UX. Implemented by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crafted.co.uk/services/digital-products/kentico">Crafted</a>, a long-standing U.K.-based Kentico partner, LeShuttle is a solid design that streamlines the customer journey for logistics partners, drivers, and customers – so they can keep truckin'.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/02/image-1771964387975.png" alt="" /></figure>Source: LeShuttle Freight website In the Entertainment, Hospitality, and Tourism category, I was also keen on the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bobw.co/">Bob W. site</a>, which made me want to book my next trip to Amsterdam today. The gestalt was right up my alley, offering a clean, minimal design with clear pathways to explore short-stay apartments in a variety of locales. Agency partner <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.idhlagency.com/">IDHL</a> did yeoman’s work on developing the “Bob” identity and persona, delivering a charming and inviting vibe to the experience. Along with some killer frontend features like smart filtering and a little backend magic with reusable content, Bob W. personifies what great UX is – and I love how it all supports a corporate commitment to sustainability and a stay that’s 100% offset. It’s hospitality that's more hospitable to the earth.  <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:90.66%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/02/image-1771964386776.png" alt="" /></figure>Source: Bob W. website To say that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=d26dfe6c-b389-43aa-a623-daa701b4b192&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">Oppenheimer</a> made a “bold” move to Kentico would be an understatement. As the winner in the Financial Services category, the wealth management leader successfully migrated from CrownPeak in only five months, with the goal of optimizing their content ops via single-source content management across multiple digital channels.Implemented by Kentico partner <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sagepath-reply.com/">Sagepath Reply</a>, Oppenheimer’s slick design captures the essence of a trusted financial partner while simplifying navigation to key topics like capital markets. They also introduced new AI-driven tools focused on marketing and content optimization. It feels powerful yet approachable – and evokes confidence and stability at every turn. For a financial institution, this was a winning investment.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/02/image-1771964386955.png" alt="A close-up of a website

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Source: Oppenheimer website <h3 id="winners-by-category">Winners By Category</h3> <h4 id="b2b">B2B</h4><ul><li>Winner: LeShuttle Freight (Implemented by Crafted)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: ZAG Interactive (ZAG Interactive), Westport (ALYKA Pty Ltd) </li></ul> <h4 id="commerce">Commerce</h4><ul><li>Winner: Translink (MSQ DX)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Rhythm Japan (Interesting Solutions), Elkov Elektro (Bluesoft) </li></ul> <h4 id="consumer-goods-and-services">Consumer Goods and Services</h4><ul><li>Winner: MND Energie (Bluesoft)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Best Best &amp; Krieger LLP (BlueModus), Contact Energy (AKQA) </li></ul> <h4 id="education-&amp;-careers-">Education &amp; Careers </h4><ul><li>Winner: ROC van Amsterdam &amp; Flevoland (TrueLime)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Join Blakes (E-Cubed Media Synthesis Inc), The Gordon Institute of TAFE (DDSN Interactive) </li></ul> <h4 id="entertainment,-hospitality-&amp;-tourism">Entertainment, Hospitality &amp; Tourism</h4><ul><li>Winner: Bob W. (IDHL)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Aurora Expeditions (Devotion), LA Opera (iMedia) </li></ul> <h4 id="financial-services">Financial Services</h4><ul><li>Winner: Oppenheimer (Sagepath Reply)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Atomic Credit Union (ZAG Interactive), United Federal Credit Union (SilverTech) </li></ul> <h4 id="government-&amp;-municipal">Government &amp; Municipal</h4><ul><li>Winner: Cleveland Metroparks (Americaneagle.com)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Réseau de transport de Longueuil (Inorbital, Inc.), Great Parks (Synoptek) </li></ul> <h4 id="healthcare">Healthcare</h4><ul><li>Winner: LivaNova (BlueModus)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Integris Group (BizStream), Hatch Private Maternity (Zeroseven) </li></ul> <h4 id="manufacturing">Manufacturing</h4><ul><li>Winner: Pierret (Delaware Consulting SCRL)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: Nichicon (EETech Group), Renson (Blastic) </li></ul> <h4 id="ngo-&amp;-associations">NGO &amp; Associations</h4><ul><li>Winner: American Society of Landscape Architects (BlueModus)</li><li>Honorable Mentions: National Association of Independent Schools (ByteMinds), Eat Pecans (Rise, a Quad Agency) </li></ul><h3 id="setting-new-standards-for-excellence">Setting new standards for excellence</h3>Each year, I’m asked to judge awards programs, so I’m accustomed to seeing amazing work. What I love about these competitions is that I’m always surprised, intrigued, and often floored by the creativity. If you’re embarking on a brand or digital transformation quest, finding the right agency partner is critical to success. But harnessing the right CMS or DXP at the foundation is equally as important – and awards programs like Kentico’s “Site of the Year” are a great place to window shop the possibilities. This 2025 crop is a testament to the full potential of Xperience by Kentico. It’s not just about breathtaking UX, it’s also about leveraging a future-ready digital ecosystem to power multi-channel experiences across devices, languages, locations, and more. From hybrid headless implementations to secure member portals and complex third-party integrations, organizations are using the platform to unify content, marketing, and commerce into a single solution. As Kentico continues to invest in a steady stream of innovation, its partners and clients will be the first beneficiaries to access new features. Case in point: Kentico’s new Agentic Marketing Suite is ushering in a new era of intelligent orchestration, helping marketers automate decisions, personalize journeys, and optimize campaigns at scale. Digital experiences are no longer static. They continue to evolve – and so do our expectations. Even as websites morph into agentic experiences that serve both humans and bots, only people can be inspired by a brand's imagination and storytelling.Kentico’s “Site of the Year” reminds us that websites still have this power and potential. That's why they still rock – and the most beautiful, magical, and innovative sites can really bring down the house.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/kentico-awards-winners/site-of-the-year-2025">Read more about the winners here.</a> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:34.15%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/logo_jday_hor.png" /><h4 id="joomladay-usa-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/">JoomlaDay USA 2026</a></h4>April 29 - May 2, 2026 – Delray Beach, FloridaBe part of the Joomla community in one of the most iconic cities in the world! JoomlaDay USA 2026 is coming to Delray Beach, and you can join us for a dynamic event packed with insights, workshops, and networking opportunities. Learn from top Joomla experts and developers offering valuable insights and real-world solutions. Participate in interactive workshops and sessions and enhance your skills in Joomla management, development, design, and more. And connect with fellow Joomla enthusiasts, developers, and professionals from across the world.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/"> Book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:30.06%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/cms-summit-26-logo.jpg" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit26">CMS Summit 26</a></h4>May 12-13, 2026 – Frankfurt, GermanyThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Summit brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Frankfurt, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit26/tickets">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:30.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/12/image-1765546475634.png" /><h4 id="umbraco-codegarden-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/">Umbraco Codegarden 2026</a></h4>June 10–11, 2026 – Copenhagen, DKJoin us in Copenhagen (or online) for the biggest Umbraco conference in the world – two full days of learning, genuine conversations, and the kind of inspiration that brings business leaders, developers, and digital creators together. Codegarden 2026 is packed with both business and tech content, from deep-dive workshops and advanced sessions to real-world case studies and strategy talks. You’ll leave with ideas, strategies, and knowledge you can put into practice immediately. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/">Book your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a>

Websites Still Rock: Kentico’s 2025 ‘Site of the Year’ Winners Push the Boundaries of Digital Experience 

<hr /> When I first saw <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-xperience-pinter/">Dominik Pinter</a> at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">Boye &amp; Company CMS Kickoff 26</a> in St. Petersburg two weeks ago, he was running on the pier under cool but balmy skies.This wasn't at all out of character. We've covered some miles together at previous conferences. He’s a man on the move, constantly looking ahead and chasing what’s on the horizon. Endurance is an asset in tech. Just try keeping up with him.That said, you can’t get very far as a distance runner if you’re not grounded in the present. And in many ways, that’s what defines his leadership at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/">Kentico</a>: a clear focus on the future grounded in world-class support for customers and partners in the here and now.That’s a good formula for winning a race – even if you’re facing serious headwinds. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-achieves-big-milestones-in-2025-citing-ai-innovation-and-xperience-by-kentico-as-key-drivers">In a recent article,</a> the Kentico CEO echoed the challenges that many CMS and DXP vendors faced in 2025, but quickly noted that it was a “transformative year” that saw over <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=0192112e-93c7-4bd7-b015-f29c33f4fadd&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">100 new digital projects</a> launched on its stellar <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/platform">Xperience by Kentico</a> platform. The evolution to its new multichannel content management, marketing, and digital commerce solution has been a long one, but it’s paying off in new opportunities and growth. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:36.54%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/12/image-1765977570953.png" /></figure>Kentico CEO Dominik Pinter. Source: Kentico website Along with its investment in the AI horizon – crystallized by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/platform/aira">AIRA</a>, Kentico’s native AI agent that streamlines the creation, optimization, and time to deploy for digital experiences – Dominik and his company are embarking on the next chapter in its 20-plus-year history. One that focuses on empowering brands, builders, and marketers in entirely new ways.That excitement level was amplified today as the company announced a major leap forward in its AI ambitions: the launch of its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/platform/agentic-marketing-suite">AIRA Agentic Marketing Suite.</a> As the name implies, it’s powered by specialized agents built to execute defined marketing and content tasks, reinforcing Kentico’s vision that AI should be operational, transparent, and embedded directly into how teams work. “Marketers have no shortage of ideas,” Dominik said. “What they need is the bandwidth to bring them to life. With the Agentic Marketing Suite, we’re giving teams a way to scale their expertise, cut through complexity, and deliver results faster.”Kentico’s AIRA Agentic Marketing Suite is a reflection of the evolution that marketers are experiencing: higher velocity. More noise. Too many tools. It gives marketing teams more space, allowing them to move from planning to live experiences without the very real drag of delays or cumbersome tools. And because it’s built directly into Xperience by Kentico, it has the essential AI-powered workflows to support a full lifecycle of activities – from planning, content creation, testing, and optimization – all in one place.The goal: turn marketing ideas into measurable results faster. <h3 id="leveraging-aira-as-the-foundation-of-an-ai-powered-marketing-suite">Leveraging AIRA as the foundation of an AI-powered marketing suite</h3>As mentioned, AIRA (Artificial Intelligence Recommendations &amp; Assistance) is at the heart of Kentico’s AI strategy, providing marketers with easily accessible tools that cut down on repetitive work and simplify daily tasks. At its core, Kentico’s Agentic Marketing Suite is an evolution of AIRA, transforming it from the role of a digital assistant and into an orchestrated system of specialized AI agents that support the full marketing lifecycle, from strategy and content creation to optimization and campaign execution. What really shines with AIRA is that it’s easy to use and always within arm’s reach. As a digital companion, it works across your Kentico DXP, automating content on the go and providing task-specific guidance through an in-product conversational chat interface and intuitive in-context icons.  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/qxKEIGpJh2c"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qxKEIGpJh2c" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> ARIA offers <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/blog/new-in-aira">a wide range of features,</a> from automatic translation and content tagging to campaign ideation, customer journey insights, instant product guidance, and more. It’s everything you expect from an AI copilot in your platform, and it’s secure and scalable on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-azure">Microsoft Azure.</a> All of these capabilities have enriched AIRA as the foundation for Kentico’s Agentic Marketing Suite, serving as an automation engine for marketers. <h3 id="what’s-in-the-agentic-marketing-suite?">What’s in the Agentic Marketing Suite?</h3>Kentico is framing its new platform as marketing’s “virtual team,” enabling users to create, test, and optimize without switching tools. It helps you turn your ideas into action, simply by telling it what you want to do with natural language.In the Agentic Marketing Suite, AI “teammates” support your strategy, content creation, and optimization tasks. These agents function as dedicated virtual collaborators, designed to assist with specific tasks. You can add teammates as your needs evolve, from content applications to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_engine_optimization">Generative Engine Optimization (GEO),</a> sidestepping the need to hire specialists for every specialized role. And you get real outputs you can take to the bank – not just partial snippets that require additional heavy lifting.  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/HIUKAIFv_08"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HIUKAIFv_08" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> Among the first available in the Suite is the Content Strategist, which helps shape and refine content strategies through intelligent analysis and recommendations. Additional agents will be introduced as part of Kentico’s ongoing release, expanding support into areas such as campaign management, market analysis, and workflow optimization. Each addition will focus on improving speed, precision, and impact for marketing teams. The central benefit is clear: marketers can now accelerate their path from idea to execution. With automation as part of the technical DNA, the Suite can help mitigate the arduous back-and-forth between various marketing functions like SEO and UX. It’s also designed to work seamlessly with your content and business context – something Kentico’s VP of Product <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-tucek/">Debbie Tucek</a> has emphasized as a key tenet for making AI work for organizations. Embedded in Xperience by Kentico, the Agentic Marketing Suite is also imbued with many of the foundational competencies you would expect from a hardened system of authority – things like clear roles and permissions, and built-in safeguards that maintain reliable and performant automations ar scale. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>More than ever, marketers are in a high-pressure vice grip to perform. Plagued by tool fatigue, cognitive overload, and a growing anxiety around the pace of change with AI, they need reliable solutions to help them feel more in control while achieving measurable outcomes. Translation: they need real solutions, not hype.Kentico continues to prove itself as a go-to technology and dedicated partner for building, supporting, and managing enterprise workloads across a bevy of use cases. The platform has endeared itself to a growing number of partners, proving to be incredibly extensible – and committed to an ambitious innovation arc with its transition to Xperience by Kentico.Now, with its AI evolution in full thrust and its AIRA assistant driving positive user feedback, the introduction of an Agentic Marketing Suite holds real promise. I like the clear focus on agents personified as “teammates” that can accomplish high-utility tasks, and having a system of authority that helps facilitate the complete marketing lifecycle is key. With brands and teams struggling to keep up with change, having a strong, natively-integrated solution is becoming a more attractive play.Kentico has also been nurturing a strong global partnership channel, so agencies could provide another dimension of community resource and validation when it comes to harnessing these capabilities as part of a more holistic implementation. We'll be connecting with some of them as well. My recommendation: This is a fresh announcement, and we'll be doing a deeper dive into the features, capabilities, and licensing options. Stay tuned. But as a marketing suite, it looks sweet – and it's certainly a promising track for Kentico as it looks to expand its value in a tight market where the ROI surrounding AI and software investments is under the microscope. With a proven track record and a vetted entity in AIRA, they have all the right pieces to make this a solid offering and provide a stronger market alternative to upstream competitors. Marketers should bring a scrutinizing eye to any demo, but concentrate on the use cases for agent tasks and how they align with your specific needs. My guess is that Kentico’s elegant approach to UX could make adoption even easier.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:34.15%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/logo_jday_hor.png" /><h4 id="joomladay-usa-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/">JoomlaDay USA 2026</a></h4>April 29 - May 2, 2026 – Delray Beach, FloridaBe part of the Joomla community in one of the most iconic cities in the world! JoomlaDay USA 2026 is coming to Delray Beach, and you can join us for a dynamic event packed with insights, workshops, and networking opportunities. Learn from top Joomla experts and developers offering valuable insights and real-world solutions. Participate in interactive workshops and sessions and enhance your skills in Joomla management, development, design, and more. And connect with fellow Joomla enthusiasts, developers, and professionals from across the world.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jdayusa.com/"> Book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:30.06%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/cms-summit-26-logo.jpg" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit26">CMS Summit 26</a></h4>May 12-13, 2026 – Frankfurt, GermanyThe best conferences create space for honest, experience-based conversations. Not sales pitches. Not hype. Just thoughtful exchanges between people who spend their days designing, building, running, and evolving digital experiences. CMS Summit brings together people who share real stories from their work and platforms and who are interested in learning from each other on how to make things better. Over two days in Frankfurt, you can expect practitioner-led talks grounded in experience, conversations about trade-offs, constraints, and decisions, and time to compare notes with peers facing similar challenges. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit26/tickets">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:30.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/12/image-1765546475634.png" /><h4 id="umbraco-codegarden-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/">Umbraco Codegarden 2026</a></h4>June 10–11, 2026 – Copenhagen, DKJoin us in Copenhagen (or online) for the biggest Umbraco conference in the world – two full days of learning, genuine conversations, and the kind of inspiration that brings business leaders, developers, and digital creators together. Codegarden 2026 is packed with both business and tech content, from deep-dive workshops and advanced sessions to real-world case studies and strategy talks. You’ll leave with ideas, strategies, and knowledge you can put into practice immediately. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/">Book your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a>

Introducing the Agentic Marketing Suite: Kentico Extends its AI Strategy to Power Marketing Teams

Kentico Achieves Big Milestones in 2025, Citing AI Innovation and Xperience by Kentico as Key Drivers

A late 2024 field trip: 2 days at the Kentico Connection conference

janus-boye

<hr /> Turning 20 is a milestone for everyone. It’s your second decade, a rite of passage into adulthood. You’re not exactly a “kid” anymore, but you’re still at the beginning of your story – and ready to write the biggest chapters of your life with (hopefully) a little experience under your belt.The same is true for businesses. Reaching 20 years means you’ve navigated a multitude of challenges on the ride up – from an evolving competitive landscape to shifting economic conditions – and persevered. It’s even more of a monumental achievement in the tech sector, where everything moves at warp speed and change is a persistent reality. That’s what makes this an extra-celebratory moment for <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a>, a market-leading content management system and digital experience platform. The company just marked its 20th year in the market, growing from humble beginnings to become a respected, well-established global player in the CMS ecosystem.At these moments, it’s cathartic to consult the rearview mirror to gauge what’s ahead. The road to success for the Brno, Czech-based “hometown hero” has been long and hard-fought, but clearly worth the effort. Now, Kentico's future looks more promising than ever as it focuses on its innovative product and a unique set of capabilities for managing multichannel content.<h3 id="a-20-year-journey-to-build-a-market-leading-cms---">A 20-year journey to build a market-leading CMS   </h3>Like most technology businesses, Kentico started with an idea. In this case, it was founder <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=7d2e12cb-7416-4b73-89e1-2b5915e001cd&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">Petr Palas’ bachelor thesis project</a>, which featured a simple CMS framework. Just six years later, it went from a university drawing board to a well-recognized company with offices around the world.In that timespan, it also scaled by an impressive 1,781%, placing it fourth on <a target="_blank" href="https://brand.kentico.com/Who-are-we/Historical-milestones">Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50</a>. The years that followed saw numerous milestones for the company, including the launch of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/platforms/xperience-by-kentico">Xperience by Kentico</a> – its new flagship product with a committed roadmap. Kentico revealed the news at its <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-connection-2023-nashville-focuses-on-innovation-partnerships-ai-and-the-future-of-dxp">Connection 2023 event</a>, showcasing its unique and innovative hybrid headless DXP. Last year, the company was also recognized on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/newsroom/kentico-recognized-for-the-seventh-time-in-the-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-dxp-report">Gartner Magic Quadrant</a> for DXPs for the seventh time. And already in 2024, Kentico has continued its streak of groundbreaking accomplishments, powering over 90,000 websites and counting – with continued growth on the horizon. Here’s a great video timeline that covers many of its accomplishments:<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq3T9duz8j4&amp;list=PL9RdJplq_ukZeB9RYcXls0YzTWI8yjD-9&amp;index=1"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iq3T9duz8j4" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure><h3 id="celebrating-success-and-dedication-across-a-global-community--">Celebrating success and dedication across a global community  </h3>A big part of Kentico’s success has been its people – a global team that’s now more than 250 strong. To celebrate its 20-year milestone, CEO Dominik Pinter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=2ecc6459-06f9-46d1-a0da-47a2e3511bfc&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">gathered with employees to reflect</a> on the company's journey amidst global and tech industry transformations.  When it comes to its team and the broader community, Kentico’s secret sauce has been a tacit team spirit – one of its core company values. By focusing on personal and career development, the company has cultivated a diverse, committed, and tenacious culture. As a result, many employees have stuck around <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/CMSModules/Newsletters/CMSPages/Redirect.ashx?linkguid=aaa0a905-ff3a-49e4-b455-b898693b44c4&amp;email=matt%40cmscritic.com&amp;hash=be0d1d8f19e0858f5111492f222eca952b1f9d98aaaeebe1c4c04b9dec830ced">since the very beginning</a> – a testament to Kentico’s progressive posture as a people-first company. <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKf4dwDi78&amp;list=PL9RdJplq_ukZeB9RYcXls0YzTWI8yjD-9&amp;index=3"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_rKf4dwDi78" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure>Kentico’s success also reflects its blossoming community of fierce creators and advocates. With 500 digital agencies in its network and eleven MVPs – a collection of marketers and developers passionate about Kentico – the company is expanding guidance to partners and customers while continuously leveraging feedback to improve its products and services. <h2 id="leading-kentico’s-future-with-a-bold-vision">Leading Kentico’s future with a bold vision</h2>Before rising to the illustrious rank of CEO, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-xperience-pinter/">Dominik Pinter</a> was a long-standing employee at Kentico. His journey began in 2007 as a part-time QA tester while still a student, and over the years, transitioned through different roles – from technical leader to product manager. After a four-year hiatus, Pinter returned to Kentico as Vice President of Product Management. He officially took over as CEO in 2022 after founder Petr Palas stepped away to become chairman. During his tenure, he has seen the company transform from a niche vendor to a product-focused market leader. “As a human grows up, it’s very similar to Kentico,” he said. “At the beginning, we were really just a small kid doing some little websites and stuff like that. Then we grew and grew into a digital experience platform solution.”As a deeply experienced member of the Kentico team, Pinter gained tremendous insight into the company's customer, product, and operational functions. This equipped him with an ideal mix of long-term perspectives and resources to guide the next successful chapter in the company’s story. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>At CMS Critic, we’ve spent years watching growth take root at Kentico. Reaching the 20-year threshold is reason enough for any company to pop the champagne cork and cheer the accolades. But seeing further opportunity and prosperity ahead – especially after such humble beginnings in the growing tech hub of Brno – is even more rewarding. It’s clear that they are deeply committed to their hometown in a way that other companies could learn from.Kentico has been a consistent voice in the CMS chorus, helping to shape its trajectory. The company has long been a fixture on the landscape, representing a deep trust and reliability that customers need – particularly at a time when security and compliance have become dubious expectations with unproven technologies. Many of today’s headless CMS platforms have only been in the market for a few years. While several have been successful and achieved sizeable funding, there’s something to be said about amassing the business and market wisdom that comes with legacy platforms. This is where brands like Kentico can provide greater value through their well-established user communities, certifications, regulatory benchmarks, and other intangible assets. Of course, experience can be a double-edged sword in tech, where hot new technologies can disrupt the status quo and steal market share. Herein lies the challenge for any “older” CMS or DXP player: battling the perception of no longer being a “startup” culture, and overcoming the challenge of relevance – particularly in a more composable-minded world. However, Kentico has been maintaining its market poise by focusing on innovation across its products. In this way, it's been acting like a startup within a proven and profitable business. By earning preference and loyalty with creative agencies and enriching its channels, Kentico is also continuing to mine value and create differentiation in an increasingly competitive and confusing market.Finally, Kentico’s fearless leader, Dominik Pinter, is as much a CEO as he is a bridge – connecting a heritage of strong CMS principles with a future of innovative potential. He’s not a financial outsider solely focused on spreadsheets, but a practitioner of the Kentico product – bringing a perspective that is more aligned with customer experience and expectations. Pinter is also a relatively young leader (still under 40). He’s hungry, energized, and passionate, but also brings the right mix of learning and decisive action to the table. A great combination of traits for a chief executive.  Congratulations on your 20th, Kentico. Blow out every candle and wish for big possibilities. We can’t wait to see what you have in store for the next two decades – and how you will continue to impact the world of CMS. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Kentico Marks 20 Years of CMS Innovation and Leadership

cms-critic-staff

Best Video Experience

Give your audience the best video experience

#000000

<hr /> For the past seven years, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a> – a composable hybrid headless platform – has been at the forefront of recognizing and honoring exceptional achievements in digital innovation and user-centric design with its signature ‘Site of the Year’ Awards.The company just published the list of winners from its 2023 program, and it's once again impressive. We did a deep dive analysis of last year's winners, which you can <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-site-of-the-year-competition-proves-custom-web-design-is-alive-and-thriving">check out here.</a> As the company noted in its press release, the examples reflect the pinnacle of creativity, dedication, and technological prowess in delivering extraordinary online experiences – as well as the continued relevance of good web design and digital experience in the modern era.  “As a member of the evaluation committee, I am thrilled by both the quantity and, more importantly, the exceptional quality of submissions we received for Site of the Year 2023," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-tucek/">Debbie Tucek</a>, Director of Product at Kentico. "The diversity and ingenuity showcased in these projects truly highlight the incredible possibilities achievable with Kentico.”To qualify for the Site of the Year 2023 contest, websites or apps must have been a first-time contender (unless significantly redesigned), launched during 2023, and built on Kentico Xperience 13 or Xperience by Kentico. <h3 id="meticulous-evaluation-standards-for-excellence-">Meticulous evaluation standards for excellence </h3>With over 100 submissions received, Kentico's evaluation committee meticulously evaluated each entry against a comprehensive set of criteria: <ul><li>Achievement of business goals: The extent to which the website or app contributed to the attainment of the organization's objectives, such as increased conversions, sales, or brand awareness. </li><li>UX (User Experience): The overall quality of the user experience, including ease of navigation, intuitiveness, and responsiveness across various devices and platforms. </li><li>Interactivity: The degree to which the website or app engages users through interactive elements, such as animations, forms, quizzes, or personalized content. </li><li>Graphic design: The visual appeal, aesthetics, and coherence of the design elements, including layout, typography, color scheme, and imagery. </li><li>Innovation: The originality and creativity demonstrated in the implementation of unique features, functionalities, or approaches that set the project apart from competitors. </li><li>Content: The relevance, quality, and effectiveness of the content in communicating the organization's message, engaging users, and driving desired actions. </li><li>Use of Kentico capabilities: The effective utilization of Kentico's features, tools, and functionalities to optimize the website or app's performance, scalability, and customization capabilities. </li></ul>Following a rigorous evaluation process, the committee identified the most exemplary entries that demonstrated exceptional proficiency across these criteria.  <h3 id="‘site-of-year’-award-winners-for-2023-">‘Site of Year’ Award winners for 2023 </h3>According to Kentico, these projects have not only met but exceeded its stringent criteria – showcasing innovation, successful business outcomes, user-centric experiences, interactive design, graphic excellence, inventive content, and a masterful utilization of Kentico's capabilities.  B2B Category<ul><li>BlueModus emerged victorious with its website transformation utilizing Xperience by Kentico, delivering seamless migration and advanced SEO tools (implemented by BlueModus).</li><li>Honorable mentions go to Advanced Energy (implemented by EETech) and BDO Digital (implemented by BizStream). </li></ul>Commerce Category<ul><li>Nowy Styl's Kentico-powered site, implemented by Infinity Group, offers streamlined processes and enhanced engagement for stakeholders. </li><li>Honorable mentions include Crowley Energy, Buxton Oil, Ayer &amp; Goss (implemented by Fuseideas and NITTIN), and Fenerbahçe SuperApp (implemented by PortalGrup). </li></ul>Consumer Goods Category<ul><li>Škoda Elektromobilita takes the spotlight with its immersive Kentico website captivating potential customers with its electromobility showcase (implemented by BiQ Bluesoft). </li><li>Honorable mentions include Niveko (implemented by PUXdesign) and Alcohol Detection Systems (implemented by BlueModus). </li></ul>Education &amp; Careers Category<ul><li>Blanchard's Kentico site revamp enhances user experience, boosts traffic, and refines content strategy (implemented by Americaneagle.com).</li><li>Honorable mentions go to Driestar Onderwijsadvies (implemented by Aviva Solutions) and Yapı Kredi Yarınlara Kartopu (implemented by PortalGrup). </li></ul>Entertainment, Hospitality &amp; Tourism Category <ul><li>Mainz 05's website launch on Xperience by Kentico optimizes user experience and internal workflows (implemented by kuehlhaus and BiQ Bluesoft). </li><li>Honorable mentions include Good Eats (implemented by Ridgeway) and ACF Fiorentina (implemented by EXETERA srl l Thinking Digital). </li></ul>Financial Services Category <ul><li>HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union's Kentico-powered site delivers personalized experiences and seamless site management (implemented by ZAG Interactive). </li><li>Honorable mentions include NinjaTrader (implemented by Americaneagle.com) and Forvis (implemented by SilverTech). </li></ul>Government &amp; Municipal Category<ul><li>City of Swan's Kentico site enhances user experience and introduces self-service options for residents (implemented by ALYKA Pty Ltd). </li><li>Honorable mentions include Texas Association of Counties (implemented by BlueModus) and Ohio Lottery (implemented by Marcus Thomas, LLC). </li></ul><h3 id="blanchard-takes-the-coveted-community-choice-award">Blanchard takes the coveted Community Choice Award</h3>Among the exceptional entries in the 2023 ‘Site of the Year’ Awards, Blanchard took home the coveted Community Choice Award, chosen from the successful Industry winners via public vote. Built by Americaneagle.com, Blanchard's stunning new website stood out for its remarkable achievements in digital innovation and user-centric design. Blanchard's decision to leverage Kentico's intuitive interface, robust CMS functionalities, adaptability, scalability, integration capabilities, and multilingual support proved instrumental in realizing its vision for the project. The primary objectives included enhancing user experience, revitalizing branding, boosting conversion rates, refining content strategy, and optimizing performance.  The results speak volumes for the success of the project. The revamped site showcases improved user experience, heightened traffic, enhanced brand perception, mobile responsiveness, refined content strategy, and streamlined navigation. Blanchard's commitment to excellence and Americaneagle.com's expertise in execution has truly set a new standard in the industry.  All the winners of ‘Site of the Year’ 2023 represent the pinnacle of digital innovation and user-centric design, embodying Kentico's commitment to empowering businesses and organizations to deliver exceptional online experiences.   <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Kentico Announces Winners of 2023 'Site of the Year' Awards

<hr /> The Milwaukee <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a> User Group – known under the handle of “MKE KUG” – has some big plans for 2024. While the community has been dormant, two local agencies – <a target="_blank" href="https://lightburn.co/">Lightburn</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://cidesigninc.com/">CI Design</a> – are reinvigorating the group, which will assemble local members to collaborate, learn, share, and network around everything related to the Kentico ecosystem. In a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/newsroom/lightburn-cidesign-reignite-milwaukee-kentico-user-group">press release</a> from Kentico, the plan outlines that leaders will furnish guidance to members while inviting input to shape its future. Using <a target="_blank" href="https://www.meetup.com/">Meetup</a>, their teams will engage participants, sponsors, and Kentico channel partners via real-world and virtual events, plus discussion threads and resources.  “At Kentico, we actively seek ways to expand user support from the ground up," said <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-appoints-bill-cunningham-as-chief-revenue-officer">Bill Cunningham</a>, CRO at Kentico. "We are excited to invest in local tech-driven events like these with two of our partners. We are looking forward to being an active part of the MKE KUG and seeing Kentico users come together.” MKE KUG is open to all who interact with Kentico, not just agency employees. In-house corporate teams that use Kentico for their customers’ digital experiences are encouraged to join, as is anyone interested in learning more about the platform.  The new cadence of the group is designed to deliver intrinsic value for its attendees. Each month, agency group leaders will share Kentico-related news, moderate conversations, and share partner DXP info directly with group members. MKE KUG will gather downtown or in the nearby suburbs for a quarterly live meetup. <h3>A broad range of Kentico-focused content</h3>During events, front- and back-end developers can collaborate in a hands-on workshop to talk through current setup issues or discuss their best practices. Marketing professionals and administrators can learn about the latest apps, tools, and use cases impacting websites, management, personalization practices, and digital marketing ROI. Agency marketing leaders and platform developers will host and attend each event to offer real feedback and support for users and businesses who need a Kentico partner or whose in-house team could use additional guidance.  Topics may include: <ul><li>Product updates from Kentico partners </li><li>Real-world use cases (agency client interviews, Q&amp;As) </li><li>Consolidating your martech ecosystem </li><li>Setting up and using personalization strategies  </li><li>Training and certification workshops </li><li>Live technical issues/troubleshooting </li><li>Setting up and using page types and components  </li><li>How to use AI with Kentico </li><li>How to create gated content </li><li>Tips and tricks for email marketing </li><li>A deep dive into application best practices  </li><li>Where to find support with Kentico </li><li>Managing third-party integrations </li><li>Migrating from Kentico Xperience 13 to Xperience by Kentico  </li></ul><h3>Serving the Kentico community</h3>The new MKE KUG group is part of a larger Kentico initiative, one where the company delivers better service to its community of developers and non-technical users. As part of this collaboration, Kentico's channel owners and product evangelists will actively support, host, or attend in-person events. A bit of background on the partners behind the effort: CI Design is an Emmy award-winning Milwaukee marketing agency with full-service digital capabilities from website and mobile apps to brand strategy, SEM, video, and more. Lightburn is a customer experience agency that empowers organizations to reach their full digital potential to better engage, attract, and retain customers. Both CI Design and Lightburn attended the recent <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-connection-2023-nashville-focuses-on-innovation-partnerships-ai-and-the-future-of-dxp">Kentico Connection</a> conference in Nashville in October. As an additional bonus for its members, the group organizers – in conjunction with Kentico’s product evangelist, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-g-wright/">Sean Wright</a> – will host a conference recap and panel session this Wednesday, November 8, from 1 PM to 2 PM (CDT) via the Meetup group and Zoom. This discussion will feature an open conversation discussing event topics and takeaways with time for Q&amp;A. The session will also be recorded.Visit <a target="_blank" href="https://www.meetup.com/mkekug/">https://www.meetup.com/mkekug/</a> to join the MKE KUG Meetup group.

Lightburn Partners With CI Design to Reignite Milwaukee Kentico User Group

Kentico Connection 2023 Nashville Focuses on Innovation, Partnerships, AI, and the Future of DXP

<hr /> <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a>, a leading provider of digital experience platforms (DXPs), just <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/newsroom/kentico-bill-cunningham-chief-revenue-officer?utm_source=httpswww.kentico.comdiscovernewsroomg2-grid-report-fall-2023&amp;utm_campaign=kentico_pressrelease2023&amp;utm_medium=email">announced</a> the appointment of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bfctnsfa1/">Bill Cunningham</a> as its new Chief Revenue Officer. Cunningham will play a critical role in shaping Kentico's commercial strategy, fostering growth, and strengthening the alignment between marketing and sales functions.  “I’m excited to welcome Bill to our leadership team," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-xperience-pinter/">Dominik Pinter</a>, CEO of Kentico. “His experience will help us to execute our commercial growth strategy, bringing our unique platform to the market after successful adoption among first partners and end clients. Bill proved his ability to scale similar companies and we are looking forward to leveraging his knowledge.”The hire of its new CRO signals a dynamic shift for Kentico. In the previous fiscal year, the company achieved an impressive 47% growth in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). The company is determined to build on its success, which includes the launch of its innovative new platform, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/platforms/xperience-by-kentico">Xperience by Kentico</a> – a single-vendor composable DXP with a unique multichannel hybrid headless approach.<h3>SaaS and agency intimacy</h3>As a growth-focused sales leader, Cunningham brings a wealth of experience to Kentico. With a strong background in website experimentation and conversion optimization, he has built value through the identification, qualification, and implementation of large repeating sales channels – as well as through partnerships with enterprises and SMBs.In his previous role at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sitespect.com/">SiteSpect</a> – a testing and personalization platform – Cunningham frequently engaged with Kentico's solutions in their implementations, where he recognized the platform's popularity and success.Over the course of an extensive career in B2B software, Cunningham has witnessed a significant transformation in product capabilities and delivery. He expressed excitement about the shift to a SaaS-focused world, where users expect ease of access and rapid implementation.“The opportunity in the marketplace for Kentico to expand was very interesting to me,” Cunningham said. “The move to a SaaS platform is something that is exciting to me. I come from a SaaS background, and having been through this type of growth before and seen these product transitions before, I was excited about the opportunity that it presented. And then meeting the people that I've met over the course of the process of coming onboard just made it a more attractive opportunity.”Cunningham also emphasized the importance of building strong bonds with agency partners – and where he sees the potential for Kentico.“Agency intimacy is vital for our success," he said. "Those companies in the space who are just selling the software and relying on the customer to do it themselves will be finding themselves with very high churn rates because the product itself isn't enough. You have to have the support in place, and you have to have the capabilities in place.”<h3>A vision for Kentico</h3>In addition to his core responsibilities, Cunningham will oversee Kentico's go-to-market strategy and the execution of sales and marketing playbooks, ensuring that a consistent, unified message reaches the marketplace.Regarding the synergy between sales and marketing teams, Cunningham stressed the importance of transparency and a strong feedback loop to ensure both teams work in harmony to generate leads and drive revenue with greater efficiency.Cunningham's vision for Kentico aligns with its commitment to being an easy-to-use, easy-to-deploy tool that empowers marketers and developers to achieve their goals. He also emphasized the importance of digital transformation and enabling organizations to leverage opportunities in the market more effectively.

Kentico Appoints Bill Cunningham as Chief Revenue Officer

<hr /> <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a> is kicking things up on the headless hybrid field.The award-winning provider of digital experience and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management</a> software just announced that Mainz 05, a renowned German football club, has successfully launched its new website using <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kentico.com/platforms/xperience-by-kentico">Xperience by Kentico</a>, the cutting-edge hybrid headless digital experience platform (DXP).<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mainz05.de/">Mainz 05</a>, a prestigious German football club with more than 100 years of rich history, has captured the hearts of sports enthusiasts worldwide with captivating performances and dedication to the game. Renowned for its passionate fan base and unwavering support, Mainz 05 has established a strong reputation within the football community, both domestically and internationally. With a drive to succeed, Mainz 05 continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of football.<h3>Scoring a digital triumph: Kentico passes to Mainz 05 for a goal</h3>Mainz 05 united with Kentico partners <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kuehlhaus.com/">kuehlhaus AG</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://bluesoft.com/">Bluesoft</a> to launch a new website built on the new hybrid headless platform Xperience by Kentico. The Bundesliga club’s progressive digital team was looking for an innovative digital experience platform to put at the center of its complex digital ecosystem. They wanted to reduce the size of their technology stack and replace several technologies with one multi-functional DXP. The goal was to get all the needed capabilities for less effort, lower cost, and with fewer products.Mainz 05 developed the website in phases aligned with the roadmap of the DXP. After the initial launch of the website on July 14, 2023, the project will continue with the implementation of digital marketing features such as Contact Management, Audience Segmentation, Email Marketing and Marketing Automation, and Cross-site Activity Tracking. Eventually, multiple channels – the website, an app, and social channels, will be managed from the single DXP.Given the specific needs of the football club, the solution had to be highly customized. And Xperience by Kentico was the perfect fit, thanks to its flexibility. The platform is being rapidly developed, aiming to help customers drive better business outcomes with fewer resources by minimizing overhead and maximizing ROI. It offers built-in ready-to-use capabilities to meet the company’s needs today but can be scaled and extended with integrations in the future. Although Xperience by Kentico can be implemented as SaaS (software as a service), Mainz 05 decided to deploy it on-premises, in a way that suits its specific needs better.“Xperience by Kentico’s architecture allows us to modernize and focus on the capabilities our customers really need," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-xperience-pinter/">Dominik Pinter,</a> CEO, Kentico. "It will help them build the right set of channels for their target markets and provide the tools they need as they grow and evolve.” <h3>The winning play: Kentico's Customer Success services</h3>Kentico also provides tailored Customer Success services that Mainz 05 and the implementation partners leveraged. To ensure the success of this project, Kentico’s Customer Success Managers and technical support team consulted during every step of the implementation and suggested possible solutions for challenges that arose during the process. Kentico also helped Mainz 05 with editor training.“Our collaboration with Mainz 05 was based on an agile and iterative project approach. This iterative approach enabled us to react quickly to change requests, to introduce new ideas, and to continuously improve the quality of the solution,” says <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianreschke/">Christian Reschke</a>, CEO of the digital agency kuehlhaus AG. “Xperience by Kentico allowed us to hit all of Mainz 05’s project requirements, and the support from the Kentico team complemented our agile and iterative approach, which allowed us to implement the DXP at speed. With a phased approach, Mainz 05 has successfully released its website, and future plans include implementing digital marketing features and managing multiple channels from the centralized DXP. With its flexibility and scalability, the customized solution provided by Kentico perfectly aligns with Mainz 05's unique requirements. As Mainz 05 continues to excel on the field, its partnership with Kentico ensures it delivers exceptional digital experiences to fans and stakeholders alike.“The decision to relaunch our website on Xperience by Kentico marks a milestone in our digital transformation journey. Working with Kentico and partners kuehlhaus AG and Bluesoft has enabled us to map and further develop our complex digital ecosystem on a single powerful platform”, says <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-sparwasser-231ba3220/">Tobias Sparwasser</a>, Director of Communication and Media at Mainz 05.  “Xperience by Kentico will sustainably improve the digital fan journey and optimize our internal processes.”

Mainz 05 Football Club Scores with New Website on Xperience by Kentico, the Hybrid Headless DXP

Mastering the Poetry of Partnerships: An Interview with Kentico’s Jenda Perla 

Hotjar - Spot what confuses

Spot what confuses your users with Hotjar & AI

#ffffff

Explore a wide range of informative articles on Kentico, insights, and industry updates. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our diverse collection of news and posts covering the latest trends and developments in the industry