InternetRetailing is heading for Berlin next week, where the first InternetRetailing Events B2B Summit is to be held.
We’ll be joining senior leaders from the B2B industry as they debate and discuss the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation. The event, which starts with a drinks reception and networking on January 24 and continues with a full one-day programme on January 25, is held under the Chatham House Rule to enable frank sharing of opinions and learnings from leaders in the sector in a dynamic and informative conversation. We’ll report back on the key themes that emerge from the event, and aim to learn not only what unique challenges the B2B industry has, but how the experiences of the consumer-focused retail industry can be put to use, and vice versa.
Speakers taking part in the event hail from global organisations as diverse as stationery business Office Depot, electronic, electrical and industrial component supplier RS Components, fashion retailer and wholesaler Ralph Lauren, healthcare products supplier Medi, computing technology business Hewlett Packard Enterprise, electronics business Phillips, and engineering and technology company Siemens Building Technologies.
In recent weeks we’ve featured interviews with Markus Birkel, head of IT at Medi Gmbh, Jonathan Newman, CIO and VP ecommerce and marketing operations at Office Depot, and Klaus Göldenbot, outgoing president of RS Components.
All told us that the B2B Summit provided them with an opportunity to talk frankly with their peers about how they were approaching digital.
Office Depot’s Jonathan Newman said: “I’m always interested in hearing where leaders across the B2B industry are in their thought processes around the customer journey and how to optimise that. How to help the customer get through that journey as quickly as possible, and what you need to do in your organisation to help that happen. How do you group units of the organisation together most effectively? What type of things do you need to go into those groups that are to drive innovation and change?
“Every one of these events I go to I have a conversation with somebody that sparks something different and gets me thinking about how to solve problems that we’ve got today. One of the great truisms of digital transformation in B2B is we’re all going through it, we’re all learning, nobody has got it perfect, noone has won this domain yet.”
Medi’s Markus Birkel said he was looking forward to “talking to people who are working in similar situations, about transformation, about B2C and B2B – and the meaning in bigger companies as well as in traditional companies.”
RS Components’ Klaus Göldenbot said he was looking forward to: “The networking, and getting to meet people from different industries, to see what their pain points are, their challenges, what the opportunities are, spending time with them and discussing things through. Often you can come from very different industries, and have very similar problems but at the end of the day you have to understand how to create an outstanding customer experience.
“If you do that you can be at the forefront. If you don’t, then lose out. When I look at the attendee list for the B2B Summit, it’s fascinating. There’s a really good mix of industries and companies and I think that’s what I’m hoping to get out of it – to exchange information, see what opportunities and challenges they have, enjoy the time and get something really out of it.”
The InternetRetailing B2B Summit has come out of the success of the InternetRetailing Summit 2016 (pictured) which attracted leading B2B organisations from across the multichannel world. Those taking part hailed from businesses as diverse as Argos, Zalando, Alibaba, Adidas Group, eBay and Boots. Over the course of two days they exchanged ideas for the future of European retail, while the event established itself as a key forum for discussions around the future of the industry.
About the B2B Summit
The day will be chaired by Ian Jindal, founder and editor-in-chief of InternetRetailing. He will lead a range of sessions designed to vary the pace and interaction of the one-day event.
Leadership panel
In these fast-paced sessions the chair, Ian Jindal, will fire questions at panelists to dive deep into the issue and expose differing views. Be ready to contribute, as the panel will also engage the audience! The panels, featuring leading B2B organisations, will look in depth at areas from changing customer demand to the challenges of digital transformation.
Performance Dimension discussions
These sessions will spotlight on specific key B2B challenges thrown over to the delegates to debate openly with their peers. This is a unique setting for delegates to share real issues they face, discover how their peers find solutions and benefit from wider feedback in the audience discussion and debate. These focus on areas where key B2B challenges intersect the InternetRetailing IREU Top500 Performance Dimensions of strategy & innovation, merchandising, operations and logistics, mobile & multichannel, the customer, and brand engagement.
Roundtables
Designed for open and intimate discussions with a specific focus on one of the chosen topics, the Roundtable groups will encompass 10 senior level directors led by a moderator to encourage open and frank discussions on the subject matter, which ranges from digital transformation, and what B2B organisations can learn from the B2C experience, through to strategies in areas as varied as order management and transparency.
Next generation technology solution workshops
These short sessions will be held in breakout rooms and led by providers of solutions in areas from personalisation to commerce platforms, and beyond.
The InternetRetailing B2B Summit has come out of the success of the InternetRetailing Summit 2016 which attracted leading B2B organisations from across the multichannel world. Those taking part hailed from businesses as diverse as Argos, Zalando, Alibaba, Adidas Group, eBay and Boots. Over the course of two days they exchanged ideas for the future of European retail, while the event established itself as a key forum for discussions around the future of the industry.
Visit the InternetRetailing Events B2B Summit site, or contact Lee Price (Lee.Price@internetretailingevents.com) for more information.
