From 24 to 26 August, the EMOK International Conference was held for the 32nd time, hosted this year by the Institute of Marketing and Commerce at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Debrecen. The three-day event took place in Mád, bringing together nearly 130 participants under the motto “Marketing Science Shaped Together” to share their latest research findings and teaching experiences and to discuss current issues in marketing science.
As is tradition, the pre-conference day was dedicated to the PhD Forum. In the Junior session, students at the early stages of their doctoral studies presented their research proposals, while two Senior sessions provided an opportunity to discuss more advanced research projects and findings. The day also featured two workshops: one explored the possibilities of netnographic and AI-based analysis of online forums, while the other, entitled “Research in Workwear – The Strategic Role of the Researcher in a Media Agency,” demonstrated the links between academic research and agency practice, with contributions from MAKSZ and WPP.
The first official day of the conference opened with a plenary session. Following the opening remarks, participants paid tribute to Dr József Lehota. This was followed by Mihály Soós’s presentation, “Those Who Shape Marketing Science Together,” and the annual EMOK report. László Szilágyi delivered a presentation entitled “Quality as Economic Value,” while Zoltán Veres looked back on the history of the Marketing Specialised Library as it celebrated a milestone anniversary. The plenary programme also included presentations of the award-winning papers recognised by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) Publication Excellence Awards and the presentation of the Innovative Course of the Year award.
The afternoon was devoted to traditional conference presentations. Across three time slots and ten thematic sessions, a total of 60 papers were presented. The topics ranged from consumer behaviour and digital transformation to tourism and experiential marketing, sustainability, and health marketing, extending to artificial intelligence, social media marketing, and brand communication.
On the second day, the focus shifted to interactive workshops and collaborative professional discussions. Topics included ethical dilemmas in consumer behaviour research, innovation-driven approaches to B2B marketing, the role of artificial intelligence in marketing research and education, and current challenges in marketing education.
Alongside the academic programme, social experiences and networking once again played an important role. The setting in Mád, a wine tasting at the Holdvölgy winery, shared dinners, and the gala dinner provided opportunities to continue professional conversations beyond the conference rooms.
Over its three days, the XXXII EMOK International Conference once again created valuable opportunities to present new research findings, exchange experiences, and establish new professional connections. At the close of the conference, the organisational baton was also passed on, marking the beginning of preparations for the next EMOK conference.
We would like to thank all participants, presenters, and contributors for helping us shape marketing science together in Mád!
Relive the highlights of the conference in Mád! Photographs taken during the event are available to view and download via the following link until 30 September 2026.