Recognized as an AI Innovator: Our Evening at the DUP Entrepreneur Awards in Mallorca

What does an award actually mean for a studio that builds websites and AI solutions? Last Friday, November 6, 2026, we received a very direct answer to this question: at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida, high above Palma de Mallorca, during the DUP Entrepreneur Awards ceremony. Marschfahrt accepted the trophy there as an AI Innovator, presented by the German Innovation Institute for Sustainability and Digitalization (diind) in collaboration with BIG BANG UNTERNEHMER Media.

Dustin Tatarowicz with the trophy in front of the photo wall; the KI Innovator seal is visible on the wall in the upper left corner. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

In this post, we’ll tell you all about the evening: from the champagne on the terrace to the freshly tapped San Miguel to the finger food—which, to be honest, was the best part of the evening. And we’ll explain what’s behind the award, how the evaluation process works, and what qualifies as a seal of approval—and what doesn’t.

In short

Marschfahrt has been recognized as an “AI Innovator” since October 2026 and received the trophy on November 6, 2026, in Palma de Mallorca. The designation is based on a self-assessment and a two-stage review by diind. According to the institute, the evaluation assesses whether a company has successfully transitioned to AI-supported work and handles artificial intelligence in a transparent, values-based, and open manner. The seal is valid through October 2027.

Arrival at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida

While it was already gray and chilly in Germany, mild temperatures and blue skies awaited us in Mallorca. The awards ceremony took place at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida, a castle hotel on a hillside above Palma. Light-colored natural stone facades, large windows, palm trees, and a spacious terrace with bar tables: You can tell right away that this place is made for celebrations.

The terrace of the Castillo Hotel Son Vida, just before the entrance. Photos: Offenblende / Jannes.

I traveled there with a good friend, someone I frequently collaborate with on projects. He’s a very talented UX designer, and anyone who thinks professionally about design and user experience has an eye for every detail in a place like this. We were welcomed at 4:30 p.m. on the terrace with a glass of champagne and a view you won’t soon forget: across the green hills and the rooftops of Palma, all the way out to the bay.

Champagne reception on the terrace. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

Those who preferred a beer were also well taken care of: On the terrace, there was a tap serving fresh San Miguel, the beer that’s simply a staple in Mallorca.

Freshly poured San Miguel on the terrace. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

Toasting the evening: Dustin Tatarowicz on the right, his companion—a friend who is a UX designer—on the left. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

Even before the official part of the event began, everyone quickly struck up conversations. Entrepreneurs from all over Germany—representing hospitals, real estate firms, home care services, architectural firms, agencies, and the retail sector—stood around the bar tables, exchanged business cards, and talked about why they were being honored.

Conversations on the terrace, with the Bay of Palma in the background. Photos: Offenblende / Jannes.

The program: brief, personal, with a question that sticks with you

The event began in the hall at 5:00 p.m. The diind welcomed the award winners, followed by a discussion with Mark Gregg of the BONAGO Incentive Marketing Group.

A welcome from the diind team. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

Next came the keynote address by Frank Kübler, CEO of Leada AG. His presentation was titled “I Have Eight Minutes” and focused on time and priorities. His starting point: There’s no such thing as a lack of time—only misplaced priorities. The question on his final slide stayed with us for a long time: “How many summers do you have left?”

Frank Kübler (Leada AG) during his keynote address. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

Starting at 5:30 p.m., the DUP Entrepreneur Awards were presented in small groups, with the company names displayed on the screen for each group. “Marschfahrt ” was also listed there, alongside companies from all over Germany. It’s a strange yet wonderful moment: Every day, you build websites, automation systems, and workshops for others, and suddenly you’re holding a trophy in your own hands. For a small studio from Hürth, that feels like quite a big deal.

Die Trophäen im Licht der Terrasse. Foto: Offenblende / Jannes.

The Price on the Chair

Here’s a little story we don’t want to keep from you: After the awards ceremony, we were quickly drawn back outside to the terrace—to the conversations, the view, and another drink. Meanwhile, the trophy was left sitting on a chair in the hall for the time being. The photographer spotted it there and snapped a photo. Luckily, it didn’t go missing, so the AI Innovator is now safely here in our studio.

Our trophy, left unattended on the chair for a moment. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

Finger food, wine, and an evening that unfolds naturally

After the awards ceremony came the part everyone had secretly been looking forward to. And the best part of the evening was, quite honestly, the finger food. Tray after tray of small bowls and appetizers kept coming by, each one better than the last. There was wine, champagne, and San Miguel to go with it, and with a glass in hand and a view of Palma, it’s a great time to talk about work—and even better to talk about everything else.

The hidden highlight of the evening: the finger food. Photos: Offenblende / Jannes.

As darkness fell, the evening took its course. The terrace was lit up, the bar tables were full, and everywhere there were conversations, laughter, and new connections. When it comes to AI, many companies are actually at a similar stage—something we’ve seen in our own projects as well: The tools are there, and some team members are using them enthusiastically, but there’s a lack of common guidelines, priorities, and time to set everything up properly.

The terrace in the evening. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

In between, diind gathered all the award winners for a group photo.

All of the evening's award winners. Photo: Offenblende / Jannes.

Who is behind the award

diind, the German Innovation Institute for Sustainability and Digitalization, is based in Hamburg. It evaluates companies in various categories and awards them honors, including “Business Innovator,” “Top Service,” “Employer of the Future,” “Fairness First,” and “AI Innovator.” In addition, the institute publishes trend studies and offers training courses on AI.

The co-publishers are BIG BANG UNTERNEHMER Media, which publishes DUP Magazine. According to the company, the print edition is published every two months in partnership with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung and the Süddeutsche Zeitung am Wochenende. diind is planning another awards ceremony for February 4 in Hamburg.

What Sets This AI Innovator Apart

According to diind, the award honors companies that have made the transition from traditional to AI-driven entrepreneurship and do so in a visionary, transformative, and efficient manner. It specifically recognizes transparent practices, clear values, and open communication when dealing with artificial intelligence.

That’s exactly what mattered to us about this award. By 2026, it will no longer be unusual for a studio to use AI tools. What’s more interesting is how openly we handle it: Where do we use AI, where do we deliberately avoid it, who reviews the results, and how are customers informed about it? We address these questions in our projects anyway, and they’re also included in our draft AI policy.

Here's How the Review Process Works

1. Self-report: The company describes how it operates and how it uses AI.

2. Audit: An audit team from diind analyzes the company in a two-step process based on the institute’s audit criteria.

3. Certification: Those who pass both levels will receive certification and a test report.

4. Use of the Seal: Companies that receive the award may use the seal in their communications. To do so, they must enter into a licensing agreement.

We went through this process in October 2026. By the way, we also passed the “Business Innovator” certification. However, for our external communications, we deliberately chose the “AI Innovator” designation because AI now plays a central role in most of our work—from website projects and automation to workshops for teams.

To be honest: What is a seal and what isn't

On this blog, we regularly write about how to compare providers and verify claims. So the same standards apply to us as well. Evaluation and certification are free of charge at diind; however, there is a fee for using the seal in advertising. This is the case with many corporate seals, and the institute openly states this on its website.

A seal of approval, therefore, is no substitute for references or interviews. It is an indication that a company has undergone an audit and passed it. When you’re comparing providers with seals of approval, three questions can help: Who awards the seal, what criteria are used for the audit, and how long is it valid? Our seal is valid through October 2027; after that, a new audit is scheduled.

What's Behind the AI at Marschfahrt

Continuing Education: Dustin Tatarowicz, founder of Marschfahrt, completed the continuing education program to become an AI Innovation Manager at the Education Center for AI, consisting of 693 instructional units, and earned the IHK AI Competency Certificate in June 2026. Both credentials can be verified online; the links are available on our “AI for Businesses” page.

AI in Client Projects: We build automation tools, assistants, and AI agents that integrate with existing systems, such as CRM or ticketing systems. We’ve explained what an AI agent is and what its limitations are in the glossary under “AI Agent.”

AI Workshops: Many companies have been using AI for quite some time, but without common rules. In an AI workshop, a team spends a day working on real-world tasks and determines which data can be used in which tools. This is also in line with the requirement set forth in Article 4 of the AI Regulation, which we discussed in our article on the AI competency requirement.

Websites That Thrive in AI Search: More and more people are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI summaries instead of using traditional search. That’s why we build our websites so that content is clearly structured, well-sourced, and easily readable by both search engines and language models.

What We're Taking Away from Palma

That question from the keynote has stayed with us ever since. Anyone who waits for the “right moment” to smoothly introduce AI into their company often ends up waiting a very long time. It’s better to take a small, clear first step: a process that takes a few hours each week, a guideline for the team, a workshop with the people it affects. And every now and then, an evening like this one, when you pause for a moment and take stock of what you’ve already accomplished.

Thank you

Thank you to the team at diind for organizing this wonderful evening, to the team at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida for the finger food, drinks, and hospitality, to Frank Kübler for a keynote speech that continues to resonate, and to everyone we had the pleasure of speaking with that evening. And, of course, thank you to our clients—without whose projects there would be nothing to honor.

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