For Stefan Hofer, Chief Operating Officer at Emma the Sleep Company, DELIVER Europe offers a rare opportunity to combine thought leadership, market discovery and strategic partner meetings in one place.

Speaking at DELIVER Europe 2026, Stefan reflected on his experience as a keynote speaker and as an operator looking for strong logistics and supply chain partners. For a fast-growing company like Emma, the event provides access to vendors, business partners and new ideas across ecommerce operations, logistics and supply chain.

Stefan also shared one of the central messages from his keynote: AI is powerful, but it cannot fix weak foundations. In his view, businesses need to apply AI early in the supply chain, make sure the operational basics are working and put the right people in place to use the technology effectively.

That people-first perspective also shapes how Emma thinks about partnerships. As the company scales, it is moving from transactional supplier relationships towards more strategic partnerships with reliable partners that can support long-term growth.

Stefan believes more retailers should attend DELIVER Europe because it gives them a concentrated view of what is happening in the market. Rather than returning only to existing solutions, retailers can meet new companies, understand emerging trends and identify the partners that can help them build the next stage of their business.