The Marketer’s Guide to the Shop.org 2014 Summit

We recently discussed the importance of trade shows, and for marketers in eCommerce and digital retail, the upcoming Shop.org 2014 Summit is on the must-attend list. Geared specifically for digital and multichannel retailers, Shop.org offers workshops, lectures, and roundtable discussions to equip marketers with the latest and greatest in retail innovations and dynamic, strategic marketing – not to mention the EXPO Hall showcasing the latest cutting-edge technologies, products, and services from over 280 solution providers.

This year, the conference is taking place in Seattle, WA from Monday, September 29th through Wednesday, October 1st. The agenda is jam-packed with keynote speakers and breakout lectures – go in with a game plan to make sure you don’t miss anything!

To get you started, here’s our pick of data-driven and predictive marketing-focused sessions you won’t want to miss at this year’s Summit:

Monday, September 29

1. EXPO Hall Opening Reception

4pm-6pm, Retention Science Booth, #142

Okay, you caught us! The opening reception isn’t technically onlyat our booth; you’ll be able to preview the entire EXPO Hall during this first event to kick off Shop.org 2014. But while you’re mingling, make sure to come visit us – we’ll have games, prizes (including a GoPro Hero3+!), and a team available to answer all your Retention Marketing and predictive analytics questions. You can also learn more about how having a data-driven retention marketing strategy improves your company’s bottom line. We’ll be at Booth #142 all three days; look for our blue shirts and Nerf guns!

Tuesday, September 30

2. Keynote: The Amazon.com Story

10:30am-11:30am, Room 4A

Amazon.com changed the online retail landscape forever. Under visionary Jeff Bezos, the online bookseller expanded to become “the world’s store,” revolutionizing the retail industry in ways that benefit its customers while dealing heavy blows to competitors. For any retailer who has ever been “Amazoned,” this Keynote is a must.

Speakers: Sucharita Mulpuru, VP and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research; Brad Stone, Author, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

3. Time to Get Personal on the Customer Journey

1pm-2pm, Room 611-614

Experts will lead you through the biggest trends in personalized marketing and advertising, and discuss how to more effectively achieve personalization in every stage of the customer’s purchase cycle. They will dive deep into personalized email, video, and web experiences for customers, incorporating newest trends like seasonality and geolocation.

Speakers: Bernadine C. Wu, CEO, FitForCommerce; Oren Harnevo, CEO, Eyeview; Daniel Moure, CMO, PureFormulas.com

4. Attributing Success: Incremental Gains through Applying Cross-Channel Analyses

3pm-4pm, Room 611-614

Thanks to advances in data collection, it’s now possible to have singular views of customers across multiple marketing channels. That said, integration of new data techniques and attribution findings into the older business structures of many retail organizations can be difficult. Panelists will lead you through their own success stories with applying attribution data into their marketing programs, and discuss trends and latest strategies.

Speakers: Ryan Gibson, EVP Marketing Strategy, RKG; Milton Pappas, eCommerce President, The Jones Group; David Abbot, Sr. Dir. of Online Marketing, The Home Depot; Eric Gohs, Dir. of Digital Marketing & Loyalty, Express

Wednesday, October 1

5. Keynote: Capitalizing on the Digital Transformation of Commerce

8:15am-9:30am, Room 4A

Michael Rubin, founder and CEO of Kynetic, will lead you through the key takeaways he learned while building successful eCommerce businesses, including keeping ahead of competition and predicting market trends. Listen and learn from a successful entrepreneur on how to pivot your own experiences into success.

Speakers: Sucharita Mulpuru, VP & Principal Analyst, Forrester Research; Michael G. Rubin, Founder & CEO, Kynetic

6. Keynote: Digital Retail’s Fast Track Program – Customer Influence on Building Brands

10:15am-11:30am, Room 4A

Many retailers buzz about the importance of the customer experience to their business, but the truly successful companies are the ones who take customer-centricity to the next level. Listen and interact with leaders of innovative industry leaders who not only took customers’ influence into account, but also shaped their decision-making, growth strategies, and business models and practices around them.

Speakers: Katia Beauchamp, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Birchbox; Darrell Cavens, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Zulily; Matthew Kaness, Former Chief Strategy Officer, Urban Outfitters Inc.; Alon Cohen, President & Co-Founder, Houzz

7. From Buzzword to Big-Time: Bringing Big Data to Life in the Retail Environment

12:15pm-1:15pm, Roundtable #2, EXPO Hall

Big Data is no longer just a buzzword, but a central part of staying competitive in the eCommerce industry. It’s now imperative for retailers to adopt and integrate data-driven strategies for key business initiatives. Blueocean Market Intelligence and Lenovo will lead this roundtable discussion on how Lenovo has been able to implement Big Data into their big picture.

Moderators: Anees Merchant, SVP Digital, Blueocean Market Intelligence; Ashish Braganza, Director of Global Business Intelligence, Lenovo

8. Using Customer Data to Drive Online Acquisition

12:15pm-1:15pm, Roundtable #5, EXPO Hall

Dive deep with industry leader Zappos to discuss how integration of customer data into their marketing and acquisition strategies is at the key to their success. Learn their best practices for delivering the right message to customers across all channels, and how data and analytics drive significant ROI.

Moderators: Monique Robbins, Sr. Marketing Mgr. of Experian Marketing Services; Lisa Archambault, Head of Demand Gen Marketing, Zappos Inc.

9. Elevate Customer Engagement and Loyalty with Personalized Content

12:15pm-1:15pm, Roundtable #10, EXPO Hall

Pet360 leads this discussion with how they drive advanced engagement and loyalty in their customers by delivering targeted, personalized content. They take tailoring above and beyond just product recommendations by engaging their customers through articles, videos, blogs, and more based on their profile information and behavioral data.

Moderators: Mark Porter, Director Strategic Sales, Certona; Rose Hamilton, EVP & CMO, Pet360

10. Leveraging Customer Lifetime Value Data to Power Your Digital Marketing Strategy

1:15pm-2:15pm, Room 6B

We saved the best for last! Learn more about one of our favorite topics, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), and how tracking the CLV of your customers helps you hit them with the right message at the right times to keep them engaged. The panel will also provide insight on how understanding and implementing a data-driven marketing strategy will provide you with the edge needed to survive in the eCommerce world.

Speakers: Rose Hamilton, EVP & CMO, Pet360; Robert Moore, CEO & Co-Founder, RJMetrics; Amy McDowell, VP Digital Marketing, BaubleBar; Patrick Terrell, VP Digital Marketing, Prep Sportswear

With less than a week to go, we’re gearing up for the 2014 Shop.org Summit in Seattle, from September 29 – October 1. As we prepare our giveaways and product demos, we’re most excited about the opportunity to meet and speak with marketers in the retail industry. Come and visit us at booth #142 for your free Retention Marketing assessment and chance to win a GoPro Hero3+!