Shoptalk 2016: Believe The Hype

By Erin Harris, Editor-In-Chief, Cell & Gene
Follow Me On Twitter @ErinHarris_1

In the weeks leading up to Shoptalk, “the nextgen commerce event” held in Vegas last month, it seemed as though not a day went by without receiving an electronic update announcing the newest big-name company to join the impressive and ever-growing speaker lineup. Like many people who attended Shoptalk’s inaugural event, I had high expectations for the show based on, well, hype. After all, Shoptalk’s creators are the minds behind the Money 20/20 juggernaut, so I was excited to see for myself the show that promised to deliver what nextgen commerce actually means for the retail industry and the customer experience.

The hype was very real, and Shoptalk delivered.

I’ve attended many-a-tradeshow in my day, and I’m not going to lie — when the agenda tells me I have to spend 2+ hours sitting in a massive theater listening to keynotes, chats, etc. I get immediately antsy. But when the Keynotes, Fireside Chats, etc. are scheduled in 20-minute bite-size chunks featuring some of the most influential brands and innovative executives in retail technology, I’m in. In a matter of two days, Shoptalk attendees heard from executives from Pinterest, Google, Facebook, Jet.com, Dunkin Brands, Hudson’s Bay Company, Dollar Shave Club, etc. who shared some of the ways they’re bridging the gap between digital and physical and ensuring retailers and brands are delivering the best possible customer experience. Cut to the Track Sessions, which featured informative sessions on everything from Target and Macy’s execs talking omni-channel fulfillment to Sephora’s SVP Digital discussing mobile commerce.