This year’s InternetRetailing’s annual conference will be taking place on October 10. Emma Herrod looks ahead to some of the highlights.
London’s Business Design Centre is the venue for 2019’s InternetRetailing Conference (IRC 2019). The event returns on October 10 with a line up of speakers from brands including eBay, Groupon, Avon, Liberty London, Adidas, Made.com, Arcadia, Trip Advisor, Watchwhop and Pernod Ricard UK – and super early bird tickets are still available until the end of this week.
Senior retailers from these big name brands will share their visions for the future, how they see their strategic initiatives translated into practice and how they are implementing new technology across the business.
Delegates will hear from these thought-leaders as they discuss and outline what actions they believe retailers must take if they are to ride the wave of change in the retail industry instead of being swept away. Six conference tracks will focus in on areas of RetailCraft enabling discussion and insight to be shared into the different areas on ecommerce and multichannel directors’ to do lists.
Stuart Barker, director, InternetRetailing Events, said: “What’s not to love at this year’s IRC? We have a great line of up of CXOs and Directors from retail trailblazers, disruptors and established names; an immersive programme that lets you get deep into the discussion; and a focus on how to delight the customer and exceed their expectations. And we have a more exciting announcements due in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!”
Track 1 will focus on growth and new markets, in the UK and overseas. Speakers will examine cross-border delivery, the use of marketplaces for international delivery and international returns, as well as the power of personalised content and using payments as a customer conversion tool for new markets.
Track 2 will focus on customer engagement and loyalty. From creating an emotional connection online with your customer, subscription models and loyalty schemes, through to referral schemes and getting customers to become a proactive ambassador of your brand in the future.
Track 3 focuses on the customer experience across all touch points. Topics being discussed include using AI for final mile accuracy, the single customer view, delivery and returns. The issue of abandoned browsers and carts will be tackled as well.
Omnichannel and the changing dynamics between online and offline will be the focus of Track 4. In these conference sessions, speakers will examine the relationship between physical, desktop and mobile, how click and collect will drive physical interactions and new innovative marketing strategies in the post-GDPR era.
Track 5 will focus on tech enablers and innovation. It will examine whether you should stay ahead of the market or keep up with the pack, take a close look of real-world experiences online using VR, AR and Big Data, and see how estimated data can predict customer behaviour and their buying patterns to increase sales.
Track 6 will focus on customer expectations and giving them what they want. It will examine how to replicate the personal magic touch online, as well as personalising the proposition, driving growth through mobile and how to create a competitive strategy to meet customer wants when it comes to delivery and returns.
IRC 2019 is more than PowerPoint presentations and speaker interviews. Round tables, workshops and 1-2-1 meetings give everyone the chance to discuss individual business issues with peers and suppliers to the industry, while the exhibition brings together the latest systems and innovations.
The IRC Roundtables have been crafted to allow open and intimate discussions giving retailers the room to debate and discuss the most pertinent issues their jobs demand. These dedicated forums have been designed to span a breadth of topics critical to the future retail machine and will equip participants with the tools to create an overall solution that ultimately attracts, keeps and builds customer loyalty and revenue over time.
In the workshops, delegates can hear from the companies which have led, delivered and assisted significant projects for globally-renowned retailers, brands and services in these hands-on, practical, training focused sessions.
Last year’s conference welcomed more than 800 digital retail leaders, many of whom return each year, seeing IRC as an informative event and a great opportunity to network.
For more information and to register, visit internetretailingconference.com. Super early bird tickets are available until the end of this week.
Image courtesy of InternetRetailing Events
