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On November 18, Droids On Roids (part of Apadmi) and Apadmi welcomed leaders from top European brands to the Loreta Bar at the PURO Warsaw hotel for an invitation-only masterclass. The topic? How mobile technology is reshaping the customer experience and driving measurable business growth. The setting was intimate, the conversations were candid, and the insights were the kind you typically only hear behind closed doors.
If you weren’t able to attend that night, read on for the full story of what happened and why many guests left reconsidering their digital priorities for 2026.
We opened with an exclusive launch of the Apadmi Tech Trends Report
The evening began with an introduction to the brand-new Apadmi Tech Trends Report. Adam Fleming, the company’s Co-Founder and group Chief Innovation Officer, together with Jake Sargent, Group Marketing Director, revealed the emerging technologies and behavioral shifts that will shape customer expectations over the next few years.
Attendees got an early glimpse into the trends that will define competitive advantage, from the rise of AI agents to the future of personalized messaging and the evolution of mobile ecosystems. The report set the stage for the rest of the evening: Mobile is no longer just one touchpoint among many; it’s becoming the operating system of the customer experience.
Gamified loyalty: How top retailers outperform their competitors
After the report was released, Kacper Cebo, the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of Open Loyalty, took the stage to share the results of interviews with over 300 top retailers from around the world. His insights revealed a clear transformation happening across the loyalty landscape.
Gamification has evolved from a marketing experiment into a strategic tool used by some of the world’s most successful brands. The surveyed retailers, who operate loyalty programs across 45 countries, consistently reported that gamified experiences generate greater engagement, encourage more frequent purchases, and foster stronger long-term loyalty compared to traditional points-based systems.
Kacper explained that retailers are investing more in emotionally resonant customer experiences, such as challenges, dynamic tiers, limited-time missions, and interactive rewards that encourage behavior change rather than short-lived, discount-driven spikes. Brands that embrace gamified strategies are seeing measurable growth in customer lifetime value, repeat purchase behavior, and program participation because they view loyalty as an investment rather than an expense.
AI and the era of limitless personalisation
The conversation then shifted to personalization, led by Jordan Twiggs, App Product Manager at Topps Tiles, and Katsiaryna Kuchuk, Senior Account Manager at Bloomreach. Together, they discussed how AI-driven experiences are changing what modern customers expect from brands.
Jordan outlined Topps Tiles’ digital journey for trade professionals, who currently rely on physical stores for trusted service and the trade website for planning and bulk ordering. He explained that the company is developing a mobile app for trade professionals that will unify these touchpoints, providing real-time visibility into stock, pricing, receipts, loyalty features, and job-site readiness. The goal is to create a seamless, connected journey where the mobile experience enhances the overall experience rather than replacing any single channel.
Katsiaryna then discussed Bloomreach’s evolving work on its Agentic Platform, powered by Loomi AI. She described how the platform is designed to autonomously craft personalized journeys for every customer based on their behavior, preferences, and intent. She emphasized that mobile will play a central role as these capabilities mature because push notifications, SMS, and in-app messages typically have far higher open rates than traditional web or email channels. As the platform continues to develop, brands will be able to reach customers at precisely the right moment to influence decisions with real-time personalization delivered through mobile.
Together, they illustrated how personalization and mobile technology are converging. AI-driven, mobile-first experiences are quickly becoming essential for retail and lifestyle brands, helping them boost engagement and revenue while fostering long-lasting loyalty.
Decathlon’s masterclass in app-driven growth
Bartosz Żochowski, Head of Loyalty & CRM at Decathlon, delivered the final keynote, which was one of the most data-rich and impressive sessions of the evening.
Decathlon’s mobile app has become the company’s main tool for omnichannel engagement, loyalty growth, and increasing customer value. Bartosz shared that app users return twice as often, purchase more frequently, and spend significantly more than customers who don’t use the app. Even more telling, 80% of app users still buy offline, but their offline spending is dramatically higher.
He also revealed that customers who install the app are far more likely to make a purchase soon after and that app users make an average of 1.5 more purchases within six months. Strategic initiatives such as App Days, cash-back mobility challenges, and exclusive member campaigns have amplified this momentum, driving millions in additional engagement and attracting thousands of new active members.
Most notable was the synergy between loyalty, mobile, and physical retail. Decathlon isn’t using the app to pull customers away from stores; rather, it’s using the app to deepen overall customer engagement across every channel. The app informs, inspires, and incentivizes, ultimately strengthening the customer’s relationship with the brand.
A panel discussion that tied everything together
The evening concluded with a panel featuring all of the speakers, which was moderated by Jake Sargent, Apadmi’s Group Marketing Director. The panelists delved deeper into the future of loyalty, the challenges of omnichannel personalization, the role of AI in customer decision-making, and how brands can develop scalable mobile strategies.
A shared belief emerged across all perspectives: Mobile isn’t just one part of the customer experience; it’s the space where loyalty is built, personalization feels natural, and the most valuable customer behavior occurs.
