AI and growth in focus at HubSpot Engage Nordics 2026

Stockholm – AI is not only changing how companies work, but also how customers discover, evaluate and make purchasing decisions. This became one of the clearest key messages during HubSpot Engage Nordics 2026, where market leaders, AI experts, entrepreneurs and growth specialists gathered to discuss the next generation of marketing, sales and customer experiences. The IT industry was on site and participated during today's event in Stockholm to follow the most important presentations, insights and discussions directly from the stage.

HubSpot Engage Nordics 2026 clearly showed that the marketing of the future no longer just about traditional SEO, traffic or clicks. The focus is now shifting towards AI-driven customer journeys, new discovery behaviors, conversational search, and how companies are building demand in a world where more and more decisions are being made directly in AI platforms.

From SEO to AI optimization

One of the most notable presentations was about how AI is rapidly changing the entire journey of search and discovery online. Instead of users clicking through traditional search results, they are increasingly getting answers directly in AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and other conversation-based platforms.

This means that in many cases the customer journey ends before a click even occurs.

HubSpot highlighted that traditional SEO is still important, but it is no longer enough on its own. Businesses now also need to optimize their content to become part of the answer itself in AI-generated results.

This includes, among other things:

• Hyper-personalized content based on specific user queries
• Shorter, clearer, and more AI-readable text blocks
• Structured schema data and clear entities
• Content that covers the entire customer dialogue, not just a single search

According to HubSpot, AI has become a new distribution channel where companies need to measure visibility in new ways, far beyond traditional click-based KPIs.

AI traffic converts better

A recurring theme during the event was that users who come via AI platforms are often further along in the decision-making process compared to traditional search visitors.

HubSpot described this as a new type of high-value traffic where the user has already done much of the research before the visit. The result is faster conversion, higher relevance and greater business value per visitor.

It also changes how companies need to measure visibility in an AI-driven world.

The focus shifts from just clicks and traffic to KPIs such as:

• AI visibility
• Share of voice in AI responses
• Citation volume
• Referral traffic from AI agents

TikTok and new ways to create demand

TikTok At the same time, it presented a clear picture of how purchasing behavior has changed in the Nordic region.

Instead of people actively searching for products at the end of the buying journey, discovery often happens much earlier through inspiration, community, video, content, and recommendations.

TikTok described this as a ”curiosity detour”, where users start with a vague intention but are led through content to new products, ideas or brands they were not actively searching for initially.

This means that marketing needs to create demand to a greater extent, not just capture existing demand.

AI as decision support for leaders

Another clear theme during the day was how AI is used internally as a practical decision support for leaders and teams.

HubSpot showed examples of how AI can be used to analyze pipelines, interpret customer signals, identify risks, and give managers better decision-making in real time.

The message from the stage was clear: AI is not just about automation, but also about helping people make better decisions faster.

Profiles on stage during HubSpot Engage Nordics 2026

HubSpot Engage Nordics 2026 brought together several profiles from the worlds of technology, marketing, and AI on stage in Stockholm.

Among the participants were Susanne Rönnqvist Ahmadi, VP International Marketing at HubSpot, who together with the HubSpot team highlighted how AI, new customer journeys and data-driven marketing are changing future growth strategies in the Nordics.

Also on stage were Stuart Shingler, VP of Marketing at fast-growing AI company Legora, who shared experiences around hypergrowth, AI-driven marketing and how modern B2B companies build demand in a new digital era.

From Audiomob The company's co-founder also participated Wilfrid Obeng, entrepreneur, engineer and international speaker, who contributed perspectives on innovation, technology and the digital business models of the future.

The event thus brought together a broad mix of leaders from AI, martech, entrepreneurship and digital business development, with a focus on how technology is now changing both marketing and growth in practice.

The IT industry on site during HubSpot Engage Nordics 2026

IT industry participated during today's event on site in Stockholm, where industry leaders, marketers, AI specialists and technology professionals gathered to discuss how AI, data and new digital behaviors are changing the business landscape of the future.

The event offered concrete examples, strategies and insights on how companies can build visibility, create demand and strengthen their growth in an increasingly AI-driven world.

The IT industry followed presentations, discussions and insights directly from the stage together with some of the industry's most high-profile speakers and companies in AI, martech and digital growth.

A new era for marketing

HubSpot Engage Nordics 2026 showed that marketing, sales, and customer experience are now entering a new phase where AI is no longer an experiment, but a central part of how companies build visibility, create demand, and drive growth.

For companies in the Nordic region, the challenge is not only to be visible in Google, without becoming part of the answers, recommendations and digital decisions that increasingly happen directly in AI-powered platforms.

The IT industry continues to monitor developments directly from the industry's most important meeting places where AI, technology and digital business development are at the center.