SALTY Conference 2026 at KU Leuven

Once again, a large delegation from the Marketing Center Münster attended the SALTY conference, a longstanding fixture in the academic calendar. The SALTY community is an academic family, connected through a network of researchers whose roots can be traced back to the conference’s founder, Professor Sönke Albers (KLU).

This year’s conference took place at KU Leuven from September 27 to 29, 2026, with Professor Alexander Edeling and Gijs van Bussel welcoming more than 100 participants. The MCM was represented by colleagues from the Chair of Marketing Management (IfM), around Professor Manfred Krafft, and the Institute for Value-based Marketing (IWM), around Professor Sonja Gensler.

With its beautiful historic streets, large student population, and loads of bicycles, Leuven quickly felt familiar to the Münster delegation. Alongside KU Leuven, widely regarded as Belgium’s leading university, the city is also the birthplace of Stella Artois and therefore now home to the world’s largest brewing company AB InBev.

The Faculty Club, set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site Groot Begijnhof, provided an impressive backdrop for the two days of academic sessions. The program featured doctoral research firmly rooted in quantitative marketing yet spanning a wide range of topics: from authenticity in luxury resale markets and the influence of social media in the restaurant industry to the optimal composition of cast and crew in film production. Another highlight was the “Meet the Co-Editors of JR and JSR” session. Moderated by Prof. Manfred Krafft, the discussion with Professor Els Breugelmans (Journal of Retailing) and Professor Bart Larivière (Journal of Service Research) offered insights into the journals’ work and the publication process.

A particular highlight for the Münster delegation was the presentation by Isabel Sophie Münch (IfM). She presented “Sales Strategy at the Firm Level: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Profitability Consequences,” a project she is currently working on with Dr. Victoria Kramer (IfM) and Professor Sebastian Hohenberg (DIGIT). The research examines the role of sales in shaping firms’ strategic direction. In an initial qualitative study, the team explores the priorities of firms in which the sales function play a highly influential role, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the work of senior sales executives. Building on these insights, a quantitative analysis of shareholder letters examines how pursuing and actively communicating a sales strategy affects firms’ return on sales. Reflecting on her presentation, Isabel said:

“I was delighted to present my project at this year’s SALTY and receive so much constructive feedback. I’m coming home with valuable ideas and plenty of motivation to take the research project forward.”

Beyond the academic sessions, participants enjoyed a varied social program, including a historical walking tour that ended at the Oude Markt, known as “the world’s longest bar”, a gala dinner at the Faculty Club, and the conference party.

On behalf of everyone from the MCM who attended, we would like to thank Prof. Alexander Edeling, Gijs van Bussel, and KU Leuven for the invitation and an excellent conference. Next year, SALTY heads to the Champagne region, where Professor Timo Mandler will welcome the community to NEOMA Business School in Reims for SALTY 2027.