This is part 1 of a 2 part series on OpenX at MWC17

While many come to MWC in Barcelona to discover the latest in mobile phones, driverless cars and IoT devices, the Emerging Tech Hall showcased the latest in advertising, technology and mobile apps.

In between a busy first day scattered with meetings and downing espresso to beat the jet lag, members of the OpenX team tuned in to interesting sessions at the Modern Marketing Summit, where brand marketers, agencies, publishers and tech partners engaged in discussions on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the ad industry.

Beyond talk of the programmatic landscape, marketers shared their experiences tapping into the latest methods for connecting with their desired audiences. In our ‘always on’ world, marketers are looking to explore every opportunity to catch consumers where they spend most of their time — on mobile devices, scrolling through Facebook feeds, Twitter streams or chatting with friends. Live video and chat bots are just a few emerging technologies agencies and brands are experimenting with as alternative ways to engage consumers in the mobile environment.

As brands slowly begin to invest in these channels, supplementing their marketing strategies with a fresh approach, real-time bidding will soon be sharing the spotlight with what they call “real-time content”. Whether viewing a “live stream” in real-time or one from hours before, it has become clear that consumers prefer the exclusive, behind the scenes feel they get from watching a live event unfold on a platform like Facebook.

This shift means that brands need to think about how to shape their message and adapt content as things play out to keep engagement high and ensure relevance. The same goes for chat bots that, through sophisticated machine learning, must learn and respond to consumers, facilitating a two way conversation and building a stronger relationship with the brand.

And, of course, day one in the Emerging Tech Hall wouldn’t be complete without the constant quiet hum of drones buzzing through the air, watching and reporting back…while weaving through gamers engaged in intense live battles of Clash of Clans.