Ahead of this year’s InternetRetailing Conference (IRC 2017), we’re previewing the event and interviewing key speakers. Today’s preview looks at conference stream four, the Stand Up & Deliver Conference.
The Stand Up & Deliver conference focuses on the challenges facing the retail logistics professional, served by InternetRetailing sister title eDelivery.net. This year’s event comes at a time when operational performance is now more scrutinised than ever.
Consumers now expect seamless delivery, whenever and wherever works for them. This leaves retailers challenged to deliver on those expectations while doing so profitably. Conference speakers will focus on subjects from how they made their operations more efficient while also looking at customer expectations and how they can best be met.
Peter Ward, chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association, will chair the conference stream, which opens at 9.30am.
Karen Gibson, senior manager, toyou client relationships at Asda, is the keynote speaker. She’ll be addressing the role of operations in building customer loyalty, from what it is that customers really value to how to deliver this consistently. Her keynote address, Reputation in Delivery, is at 9.35am.
Her session is followed by roundtable discussions and networking opportunities, running from 10.10am to 10.40am. Subjects under discussion will include distribution innovations and approaches to futureproofing online shopping.
Jane Smith, business development manager at CML and Richard Clark, marketing director at N Brown Group are among the panellists discussing issues related to third-party logistics providers and how these organisations can provide the services that modern retailers demand. The discussion runs from 10.45am to 11.15am.
The afternoon features presentations on cross-border delivery, the cost and capacity of transportation, and returns strategies. It closes with a panel debate on how logistics departments are recruiting the young talented they will need for the future. Panellists in The Next Generation debate, at 4.50pm, include Bill Hopkins, executive director of operations and logistics at Trainline and Philip Green, chief financial officer at Deliveroo.
The InternetRetailing Conference, taking place in London on October 5, is the 12th annual edition of the event and this year focuses on energising retail. It runs alongside sister event the eDelivery Conference, and will be held at the Novotel, Hammersmith, London. One pass gives entry to both events with speakers including Giles Delafeld, global CIO, Clarks; Bill Hopkins, executive director of operations and logistics, Trainline; Philip Driver, head of ecommerce EMEA, Canon Europe; and Regis Koenig, director of customer services, Darty.
For further information on the conferences, and to register for your delegate pass, visit www.internetretailingconference.com.
