Will AI Also Destroy the Webwinkel Vakdagen in Utrecht?

The Webwinkel Vakdagen! The annual highlight of the e-commerce world, where under fluorescent lighting and with a lukewarm coffee in hand, you get to listen to keynote speakers saying “disruption” as if they own shares in the word. And now the question everyone whispers while standing in line for a free canvas goodie bag is: will this sacred gathering also be taken over by AI?

AI is everywhere now. Uninvited, it joins every conversation, every presentation, and every marketing plan. While the average webshop owner is still worrying about loading speeds and the right discount percentage, AI arrives with promises of smart personalization, automated customer service, and marketing on autopilot. Exciting — and maybe a little intimidating.

So expectations were high: booths with talking algorithms, chatbots scanning your badge and knowing your life story, and panel discussions where experts explain how AI won’t replace our jobs — just do them slightly better.

But what did we discover? The human touch is still very much alive.

Instead of the expected digital-first approach, the Webwinkel Vakdagen showed that visitors were mainly craving genuine personal interaction — a good conversation, a handshake, a cup of coffee. That’s where the real magic happens.

Because in the end, business is still done from person to person. First you make contact, then trust grows, and only after that comes the deal. Beautiful how simple it actually is, isn’t it?

AI makes work smarter and faster, but the Webwinkel Vakdagen proved that technology does not replace the human aspect. At MisterChat — along with many others — we truly enjoyed the meetings, conversations, and energy on the exhibition floor. It was busier and more vibrant than ever, filled with sharp questions and real discussions.

We will absolutely continue automating where it makes sense, but the core remains the same: people come first.

See you next year!