Shoptalk, widely known for organizing retail’s best events and bringing together thousands of industry changemakers to collaborate at scale across a broad range of use cases, today announced the launch of a groundbreaking new series of virtual events called Shoptalk Virtual Events, which will supplement Shoptalk’s in-person events.
Shoptalk Virtual Events will initially focus on the impact of COVID-19 on retail and ecommerce, and will be offered in three distinct formats:
- Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks
- Shoptalk Virtual Conferences
- Shoptalk Virtual Meetings
“For five years, Shoptalk has consistently pioneered important new initiatives that have led to our in-person events becoming the fastest growing in the retail industry,” said Anil D. Aggarwal, founder of Shoptalk. “We’re proud to announce the launch of a broad range of virtual events at a time when they can most help the industry adjust to entirely unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances. As with our in-person events, the formats of our virtual events will bring people together for everything from large-scale learning to small group conversations and one-to-one collaboration.”
Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks
First to launch will be Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks, which will take place on April 23, 2020 and initially be open only to retailers and brands registered for Shoptalk’s in-person September 2020 event. Virtual Tabletalks will be held via video conference and will bring together hundreds of individuals from retailers and brands in small groups of 4-6 individuals to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on retail.
Virtual Tabletalks are similar to Tabletalks held during Shoptalk’s in-person events and will utilize Shoptalk’s custom technology, workflows and personalization algorithms, integrated for the first time with interactive video capabilities. Virtual Tabletalks are free to attend and, as with onsite Tabletalks, invite-only.
Shoptalk Virtual Conferences
Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks will be followed a week later by the first half-day Shoptalk Virtual Conference, which is open to all at no cost and will take place via live stream on April 30, 2020. The event will include a 12-session agenda featuring more than 20 speakers. Topics include the many ways COVID-19 will transform the retail industry, ranging from changes in consumer behavior and workforce dynamics to radical reassessments of marketing spend and ecommerce. The event will also include a spotlight on the retail technologies set to accelerate in this changing environment.
The first Shoptalk Virtual Conference will have a speaker lineup that reflects the full range of perspectives that Shoptalk’s in-person events are known for, including leading retailers, brands, investors, research analysts and more. Confirmed speakers for the virtual event to date include:
- Mike Edwards, CEO, Hanna Andersson
- Lauri Kien Kotcher, CEO, hello products
- JuE Wong, CEO, Olaplex
- Stu Landesberg, Co-Founder & CEO, Grove Collaborative
- Suzanne Hader, Chief Marketing Officer, John Hardy
- Ben Sun, Co-Founder & General Partner, Primary Ventures
- Matt Nichols, General Partner, Commerce Ventures
- Deborah Weinswig, Founder & CEO, Coresight Research
- Melissa Gonzalez, Founder & CEO, The Lionesque Group
- Nithya Thadani, CEO, RAIN
- Chris Walton, CEO, Red Archer Retail, Omni Talk
- Wendy Liebmann, CEO & Chief Shopper, WSL Strategic Retail
- José Vicente Aguerrevere, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Takeoff Technologies
- Daniel Laury, CEO & Chief Product Officer, udelv
- Michael Gabay, Co-Founder & CEO, Trigo Vision
- Richard Schwartz, President & CEO, Pensa Systems
- Adam Levene, Founder, HERO
- Liyia Wu, Founder & CEO, ShopShops
“We’re thrilled to offer the same, high quality content we’re known for in a new, virtual format that reflects today’s changed environment,” said Zia Daniell Wigder, chief global content officer at Shoptalk. “Speakers at the upcoming Shoptalk Virtual Conference reflect the diversity of perspectives that are so critical to understanding the acute challenges facing brands and retailers today. The virtual format will also allow us to offer shorter sessions that will enable the audience to learn about a range of topics in just a few hours.”
Registration for Shoptalk Virtual Conference: COVID-19 is open at www.shoptalk.com.
Shoptalk Virtual Meetings
Finally, Shoptalk Virtual Meetings will be expanded, video conference-enabled versions of Shoptalk’s highly regarded and incredibly successful Hosted Retailers & Brands Program, which brings thousands of individuals from hundreds of retailers and brands together with thousands of individuals from hundreds of sponsoring companies for upwards of 10,000 onsite, one-to-one meetings each year.
Shoptalk Virtual Meetings will also incorporate the many other networking and collaboration initiatives traditionally conducted in connection with Shoptalk’s in-person events, creating the ability for individuals throughout the retail industry to engage with each other across a wide range of use cases at unparalleled scale in distributed and digitally interactive environments.
