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RIC 2017 Preview: Hear From Industry Trailblazers Driving The Retail Revolution

Disruptive brands, innovative thinkers and new data discoveries are all driving rapid change in retail, and it can be tough to keep up. But the Retail TouchPoints 2017 Retail Innovation Conference, being held May 9-10 at Apella in New York City, will give attendees a crash course in what’s driving the retail revolution — along with lots of practical advice about how to take advantage of new opportunities.

Some of the program highlights include:

• Executives from companies including Walmart, Walgreens, J. Crew, Shinola, Jet.com, Moosejaw and Neiman Marcus;

• Leading analysts from IDC Retail Insights, Deloitte Consulting, ERDM and Boston Retail Partners;

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• Exclusive results from the Retail TouchPoints Impact Of New Retail Roles survey; and

• New York Times best-selling author Bryan Eisenberg revealing how companies can win with pages from Amazon’s Playbook.

Read on for a preview and register today before all seats are sold out!

 

Agenda For Tuesday, May 9

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 9:30 a.m.

Keynote: Winning With Pages From Amazon’s Playbook
These days, retailers can’t help but have the ‘How can we compete with Amazon?’ conversation, and for good reason. The company prides itself on staying ahead of their customers, not competitors. This keynote presentation from New York Times Best-Selling Author Bryan Eisenberg will be a must-see for all RIC attendees.

Eisenberg will help attendees understand how to use Amazon’s four pillars of success:

  • Customer centricity;
  • Continuous optimization;
  • Culture of innovation; and
  • Corporate agility.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 11:40 a.m.

Continuity Based Retail: How TechStyle Is Leveraging Innovation To Create A Seamless Customer Experience
Dustin Netral, SVP, Fabletics will reveal how parent company TechStyle’s proprietary FashionOS technology allows Fabletics VIP customers to enjoy all their “perks” whether they are shopping online or in the retailer’s growing group of brick-and-mortar stores. Additionally, he’ll discuss the advantages of a member-based commerce model, and how it allows all the TechStyle brands to obtain deep customer knowledge over an extended period of time.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1:30 p.m.

Meet the Disruptors 2017: Tech Entrepreneurs & Retail Executives Become One
With competition coming from every channel, retailers must constantly look for inspiration to stand out in the crowd. That means executives need to have both solid business acumen and an extensive knowledge of the newest technologies if they want to truly disrupt the industry.

In this panel discussion, Retail TouchPoints Content Strategist Alicia Fiorletta will chat with three executives who will share how technology fuels their companies’ business models, and will provide tips and best practices on how disruptors can succeed in today’s retail environment.

Panelists include:

  • Rathna Sharad, CEO and Founder of runway2street and FlavorCloud;
  • Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder of FitzGLAMSQUAD and Gilt; and
  • Ryan Craver, Chief Digital Officer of Lamour and Founder of Commerce Canal.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1:30 p.m.

The Future Of Virtual Reality In Retail
Virtual Reality is on everyone’s roadmap but what does that mean for retail? Dan Ferguson, EVP of Digital at Groove Jones, will walk through real-world examples of this technology and how it is shaping the retail experience.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2:50 p.m.

Creating The Foundation Through Surprise & Delight
Shinola CMO Bridget Russo will discuss the brand’s creation of The Foundry specifically to establish deeper relationships with consumers via exclusive product offerings, direct communication and frequent “surprise and delight” moments. Her presentation will showcase the ongoing evolution of the Foundry as well as how Shinola continues to deepen its commitment to the Voice of the Customer (VoC).

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2:50 p.m.

Attribution: A Simple Way To Apply It To Your Business
Retail is full of buzzwords and it’s hard to decipher whether these terms are fads or beneficial to your business. Attribution is one of those words.

In this session, TUMI Chief Digital Officer Charlie Cole will make a case for attribution and highlight some simple ways to use these metrics to enhance your business. He also will discuss ways to make attribution a meaningful part of your business without having to shell out thousands for technology.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 3:30 p.m.

The Community-Commerce Connection
Community building can often be just as critical to developing a rapport with consumers as delivering a great experience. Through communities, whether in-store or on social media, retailers can open a dialogue with consumers, discover their shopping desires and introduce new concepts. These communities can build trust among consumers and foster organic brand loyalty that spurs growth.

Kelly Stickel, Founder and CEO of Remodista, will moderate a panel discussion with four early adopters who will share how they developed their own customer communities. Panelists include:

  • Katherine Brodie, Director of eCommerce at Draper James;
  • Jennie Baik, Founder and CEO of Orchard Mile;
  • Marta Wohrle, Founder + CEO of Truth in Aging; and
  • Michelle Cordeiro Grant, Founder and CEO of Lively.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 4:30 pm

Payment Security Beyond EMV: Where Should Your Attention Turn?
Payment security is an ever-shifting target, so even those retailers that have implemented EMV protections can’t afford to rest on their laurels. Beyond EMV, security strategies need to include:

• Mobile payment security;
• Strong e-Commerce controls;
• Network segmentation;
• Secure communication protocols;
• E2EE (end-to-end encryption); and
• Tokenization.

Boston Retail Partners VP Ryan Grogman will identify which payment security priorities are most important for today’s retailers to address.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 4:30 pm

Artificial Intelligence In Retail: It’s Time Now
Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t science fiction and moving ahead with it needn’t be a science project. In this session Greg Girard from IDC Insights will “demystify” key concepts of AI, look at trends propelling its adoption as part and parcel of retail digital transformation, and examine a few use cases where AI is making a difference. The session also will look at what IT professionals and line of business leaders need do to build trust and confidence in AI-powered applications.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 5 p.m.

Escaping The Trap Of Convention: How To Rethink Retail And Regain The Customer
Disruption is the name of the game in retail, but not where most people may think. While Amazon continues to dominate industry sales, low barriers to entry are flooding the market with new players of all sizes, according to research from Deloitte. A panel of four industry trendsetters will discuss why the current approach to retail innovation may be flawed, and how brands should rethink retail to regain the customer.

Panelists include:

  • Kasey Lobaugh, Chief Retail Innovation Officer at Deloitte;
  • Rose Hamilton, former Chief Digital Officer of The Vitamin Shoppe;
  • Chau Banks, EVP, CIO and Channel Integration of New York & Company; and
  • Jason Morris, VP of Retail Technology at Walmart.

 

Agenda For Wednesday, May 10

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 9:40 a.m.

Keynote: Love The Madness: Moosejaw’s Take On Experiential Vs. Transactional Marketing
Moosejaw has long been known as much for its quirky sense of humor as its wide array of outdoor gear. The company was recently acquired by Walmart as part of its growing stable of e-Commerce merchants with distinctive identities. CMO Dan Pingree will explain how the retailer sees every customer touch point as an invaluable opportunity to create a notable and memorable experience.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 10:10 a.m.

Online Retail Disruption: How It Will Affect Every Retailer
More and more consumers today are turning to e-Commerce to get their daily household products delivered to their door—think Amazon Pantry. This new phase of commerce may put a damper on brick-and-mortar stores that rely on a business model based on consumers coming in to do their weekly shopping.

Josh Wais, Emerging Technology and Strategy Lead at Jet.com, will put a spotlight on this pending disruption and how retailers can take action immediately. Key topics will include:

  • Why retailers must rethink and reshape the approach to e-Commerce as online household shopping continues to increase;
  • How to engage with the new type of shopper emerging from this new phase; and
  • How these effects will reshape the industry altogether.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 11:15 a.m.

How Walgreens Is Staying Ahead On Convenience In The Age Of Digital And The Customer
Consumers today demand instant gratification and convenience, especially in a world where you can buy anything on Amazon in two clicks. But even as a (primarily) brick-and-mortar retailer, Walgreens is able to deliver convenience in innovative ways.

The retailer’s Director of Digital Commerce Wayne Duan will share his strategies around same-day delivery, ship-to-store, subscriptions and more during this session.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 11:35 a.m.

Exclusive Survey Findings: Impact Of New Retail Roles
Retail TouchPoints recently conducted a survey about the Impact Of New Retail Roles. Preliminary findings showed that more than 66% of retailers have added new executive roles within the last three years.

During this session, Editor-In-Chief Debbie Hauss will sit down with retail strategist and former NRF executive Vicki Cantrell to discuss the complete survey results and key takeaways, including:

  • What drives the additions of these new executive roles;
  • The effect these new roles will have on the overall business; and
  • Why collaboration between business units is essential to success.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1:45 p.m.

CIO Panel: Technology Innovation Across the Retail Enterprise
The CIO role has evolved with the emergence of new digital technologies, making the “I” in the title stand for “Innovation” just as much as it stands for “Information.” So the question is: which technology resources do these execs feel will reel in the biggest ROI?

Martha Heller, President of IT leadership executive search firm Heller Search Associates, leads this panel discussion of three CIOs who will share insights into how brands can thrive in a digital world.

Panelists include:

  • John Hnanicek, CIO, Chief Customer Innovation & Technology Officer of The Vitamin Shoppe;
  • Jarrod Phipps, CIO of A.C. Moore; and
  • Michael Israel, CIO of Six Flags Entertainment Group.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2:30 p.m.

Women Fueling Change: Understanding The Value Women Executives Bring To The Bottom Line
Executive leaders across different areas of the retail industry will share their experiences in this thought-provoking session.  Executives from Google, Women2Watch and ?What If! Innovation Partners will share insights on the value and power of cultivating women leadership in the workplace.  Creating an inclusive environment fosters growth and profitability, but it is something that must be nurtured over time.

Attendees also will have the opportunity for interactive experiences, participating in two different exercises focused on Privilege and Force Of Change.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2:30 p.m.

20 Tips In 20 Minutes To Increase Repeat Customers
In this quick-hit session, Richard Shapiro from the Center For Client Retention will share tips and best practices for motivating customers to return to your store and brand.

A preview of the tips include:

1. Use phone calls to your business as an opportunity to invite a relationship
2. After a customer asks a question, respond with, “I can help you with that”
3. Tailor scripting for first time customers
4. Develop a checklist of useful information
5. Find out how customers learned about your business
6. Listen for magic phrases
7. Uncover the story behind the purchase

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 3:20 p.m.

Retail Innovation Labs: Turning Trends Into Reality
This breakout session features two innovation gurus: Scott Emmons, head of the Neiman Marcus Innovation Lab, and Pano Anthos, Managing Director of innovation incubator XRC Labs. Emmons will share examples of projects born in the Neiman Marcus Innovation Lab to illustrate how they deliver real value to consumers. Then he and Anthos will discuss how to get from the hype that often surrounds innovation to real-world experiences and solutions.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 3:20 p.m.

On The Ground And In The Cloud: The Crossroads Of Traditional And Next-Gen Retail
In this session, Ruth Hartman, Chief Merchandising Officer of Le Tote, will share her journey from mainstream fashion to Silicon Valley startup, and discuss how traditional brands can work in tandem with innovative online fashion companies to evolve and compete in the ever-changing retail marketplace.

With C-Level experience at DSW and Macy’s, Hartman can share which elements of the traditional model still fit in with next-gen retailers’ experiences.

Click here for more information about the 2017 Retail Innovation Conference.

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