Top highlights from Sitecore Symposium 2025: SitecoreAI, the future of composable, and more key moments

Sitecore Symposium 2025 in Orlando, Florida was one for the books. It was a whirlwind of sessions, conversations, and major product news that will shape the future of digital experience. Between co-hosting the official Sitecore livestream and connecting with clients and partners, our Horizontal team left energized and inspired by what’s next. 

Here are a few standout moments and insights from this year’s event. 

Introducing SitecoreAI: The new core of the DXP ecosystem 

The biggest announcement of the week came from Sitecore CEO Eric Stine, who unveiled SitecoreAI, the foundation of a unified SaaS platform launched November 10. Over the coming months, Sitecore will consolidate its products into features on this single platform, simplifying how marketers and developers navigate, purchase, and activate Sitecore’s full suite of capabilities. 

The goal? Simplicity across pricing, experience, and execution. 

Of course, this move sparked a hot question across sessions and social feeds: Is Sitecore going back to its monolithic roots... or reinventing what “all-in-one” really means? 

What does this mean for Sitecore’s composability? 

There was a comment made on stage this week that we are moving from “composable” to “composed.” So, what is the difference between composed and monolithic? Sitecore has always had a reputation for being monolithic, but is that always a bad thing?  

On the surface this move looks like a consolidation, but it's more like a reinvention. What were once separate products are now becoming built-in, native, and integrated features. You get to keep the flexibility but eliminate the friction.  

At Horizontal, we see this as a positive evolution that mirrors what customers want most: 

• A seamless experience across tools 
• Faster time to value 
• Less complexity under the hood 

This is a positive direction for Sitecore. This shows that they are learning and innovating and are prioritizing customer friendliness and ease of use.  

They are not staying “composable” just because it’s the word of the year, or it’s the hot new thing that everyone wants (Hint: it’s not). And with agentic AI woven into the platform, Sitecore is adding intelligence in meaningful, market-ready ways. 

Ultimately, SitecoreAI is the perfect blend of composable and all-in-one, simple and intelligent. And not to fret – we are still leaving the monolith in the past. 

Horizontal Digital wins five awards 

It was also a banner week for our team and our clients. We were honored to receive the Global Sales Partner Execution Award, recognizing Horizontal’s global expertise in helping brands get the most from their Sitecore investments. 

And we couldn’t be prouder of our partners who took home Digital Impact awards for redefining what’s possible with connected, customer-centric experiences. Those clients include: 

• Atkore: Market Trailblazer Award 
  
• DP World: Digital Experience Leadership Award 
  
• Miral Destinations: Business Impact Award 

But perhaps the biggest moment came when Horizontal Digital and Pet Supplies Plus won Sitecore’s Agentic AI Challenge — a competition among more than 130 partner submissions to build real-world use cases for SitecoreAI agents. 

Our winning concept, Sense Agent, analyzes customer reviews across multiple channels to map sentiment and brand voice alignment, helping brands monitor perception and maintain consistency in real time. 

“We are extremely honored to have won the Challenge out of more than 130 submissions,” said Sabin Ephrem, Co-Founder and CEO at Horizontal Digital. “This recognition is a testament to our team and the extraordinary drive and ingenuity they brought to creating a solution that solves a real need for our clients. 

At Horizontal, we believe the future of customer experience lies in turning intelligence into action, and that’s exactly what this collaboration with Pet Supplies Plus represents. With our new AI-powered solution, Sense, we’ve shown how agentic AI can redefine what’s possible for digital experience. We’re proud to partner with forward-thinking brands like Pet Supplies Plus and Sitecore to pioneer the future of customer experiences.”

Horizontal’s Neon Nights PRTY was lit. Literally. 

We celebrated the week in true Horizontal fashion with our Neon Nights HZTL PRTY at Walt Disney’s Dolphin Resort Cabana Bar that drew over 300 clients, partners, and friends. 

Everything was glowing — from the swinging chairs to the electric pink decor to the beats from our live DJ. It was an unforgettable night of connection, laughter, and a reminder that the Sitecore community knows how to shine. 

As the dust settles... 

Looking back on Sitecore Symposium 2025, one thing is clear: the future of digital experience is intelligent, integrated, and action-oriented. 

With SitecoreAI redefining what’s possible, our team continues to push innovation through collaboration. We’re more excited than ever about what’s next for our clients, our partners, and the evolving world of digital experience.