Christian Henschel, co-founder and CEO at Adjust, previews the companys upcoming event for app marketers, taking place in Berlin on 6 June.

Today’s marketers don’t have it easy. With more competition than ever before, they face an uphill battle when it comes to promoting their app and keeping users engaged. But theres also plenty of good news to go around. Time spent on mobile is set to eclipse all other forms of media in 2019, and, according to Sensor Tower, consumers are now generating more revenue in-app than ever before, so marketers who get it right have a lot to gain.

Winning is about acquiring and retaining users – a tall order, given these skills aren’t taught in schools or textbooks. This is why we fill the gaps with Mobile Spree, Adjust’s bi-annual mobile marketing conference. Showcasing an impressive roster of industry experts, the event is now in its fourth year. The Berlin event takes place on June 6 at Radialsystem, before it moves on to San Francisco in the fall.

Setting up Spree
Our intention with Spree was to create an event to better prepare marketers to face their challenges and grasp the opportunities that come their way. In an industry marked by rapid change, we’re proud that Spree has turned into a must-attend event for many of our guests.

Right from the start, we decided that the conference would be purely educational. That’s why you won’t find any sponsors, or be subject to any sales pitches. And in order to maintain the highest level of event quality, and value for our attendees, Mobile Spree works on an invite-only format. This ensures that marketers connect with brands and other members of the business ecosystem, not third-party providers or vendors. What’s more, we limit the guest list to 300 people, to foster intimacy and relevancy.

A look at the agenda
The Spree agenda is always driven by the experts who join us on stage, and who bring with them experiences from every vertical. Many of the talks centre on the real challenges that have had a major impact on their campaigns. Last year, for example, Moshi Blum, head of user acquisition at messaging company Viber, gave a keynote on incrementality, and the lessons he has learned about organic cannibalization.

He spoke about the dangers of over-attributing traffic – that is, attributing new users to paid channels when they should really be counted as organic. He described the need for marketers to understand their baseline: the organic users that come into an app when marketers aren’t running advertising at all. Being able to step back and understand what users would do without any sort of engagement will help marketers spend more strategically, as well as get a better grasp on user motivation.

In addition to attribution, the event is a platform to discuss other industry hot topics such as how to stretch your app’s PR and marketing budget, and the dangers of over-personalization.

The event has made fans over the years, including Leigh Isaacson, co-founder and CEO of Digg, a dating app that connects dog owners and lovers. In her view, the event is well-rounded and well worth attending: “The different things you can learn at Spree are really fascinating – its not all focused on data,” she says. “You get to learn from the experts about what else you should be thinking about, and going beyond attribution even to M&As, for example. Having the entire community together here to talk about the bigger picture has been incredible.”

Join us in June
This year’s event will be held in Radialsystem, a brand new location for us. The former pumping station is situated on the banks of Berlin’s river Spree. Already confirmed for this year are speakers from condensed reading platform Blinkist; South Koreas largest mobile-gaming company Netmarble; fitness app Runtastic; popular French ride-hailing company Kapten; and football app Onefootball.

Half price early bird tickets are available until 14 April. The ticket covers a full day of mobile marketing talks, unique networking opportunities, and complimentary food and drinks at the venue. The theme underlying this year’s event will be “Made in Berlin”, which will explore the unique link between tech, art and lifestyle in Germany’s capital city.

Our afterparty then moves up to the roof of the event space, where attendees can enjoy beautiful views of Berlin, music and drinks until late. We’re looking forward to welcoming many more of the brightest minds in mobile, and hope you’ll be one of them.