Leading retail trade show, RetailEXPO, will bring together retail professionals digitally in an exciting new virtual conference format, with two days of insight, inspiration and innovation from the UK’s most progressive retailers and tech leaders, delivered via online sessions.
Taking place on 29 and 30 April 2020 – the days on which the RetailEXPO show itself would have taken place at London’s Olympia – RetailEXPO Virtual Conference will instead offer up insight from some of the industry’s leading luminaries virtually. The seven sessions which form the digital series will cover key topics driving the retail agenda right now – from weathering the Coronavirus pandemic to new ways of engaging shoppers, and emerging trends for commerce during Covid-19.
The RetailEXPO Virtual Conference will be led by former MD of Waitrose and Deputy Chairman of John Lewis & Partners, Baron Mark Price CVO, who will chair a keynote on creating a new vision in the new era of retail. His session will cover business imperatives for retailing during the pandemic, and what commerce will look like when lockdown is lifted. Looking further ahead, Baron Price will also address long-term challenges and opportunities facing retailers, and the crucial role of technology in future-proofing businesses for success.
Day two of RetailEXPO Virtual Conference will see a keynote from mathematician and broadcaster, Dr Hannah Fry, focusing on the science behind data analytics and how retail businesses can leverage this to drive performance, while other retailers joining RetailEXPO virtual sessions include Nicola Thompson, CCO at Made.com; Susan Aari, Mobile Lead at The Very Group; Tristan Bums, Analytics Lead at Pizza Hut; as well as speakers from Facebook, Tesco and River Island.
Retailers joining the virtual sessions will be able to get involved in live Q&As with the panel of leading industry speakers, allowing for the sharing of best practice and advice on pressing topics, as well as networking opportunities with partners and peers.
Matt Bradley, Event Director at RetailEXPO, commented: “Retailers are having to completely reimagine not just their operations, but in some cases their entire business model at unprecedented pace and scale. We often talk about retail undergoing seismic shifts as it continues to evolve to meet shoppers’ needs – never has this been more true than now. RetailEXPO’s very existence is to showcase forward-thinking insight and innovation from retail visionaries and tech leaders that can help retailers transform their businesses for success and ready them to weather change. That’s why it was imperative for us to still deliver that source of inspiration, albeit digitally, to support the retail community we serve – and that’s exactly what RetailEXPO Virtual Conference will enable us to do.”
