eTail East 2019 kicks off in Boston, Mass., on Monday, August 19. The four-day event is one of the largest gatherings of retail-oriented professionals in the US, and includes on-site events, sessions, and summits aimed at helping retailers learn how to improve their methods in areas like customer centricity, content marketing, and e-commerce optimization, just to name a few.
The eTail East 2019 agenda is jam-packed with over 150 speakers across the four day event. Members of the QuickPivot team will be attending the event and are looking forward to sitting in on as many of the sessions as possible to soak up all the information each has to offer.
With so many valuable sessions taking place at this year’s event, it’s hard to choose which ones to prioritize over the rest. To help out, we’ve put together a list of five ‘can’t miss’ eTail East 2019 sessions that you’ll want to be sure to check out (sessions appear in chronological order).
#1. ROAS Is Garbage
Duncan Blair, Director of Marketing at Article, will discuss why the “return on ad spend” (ROAS) key performance indicator, used by marketing teams to measure campaign/channel performance, is flawed and why marketers shouldn’t be enamored with it. He will provide session attendees with his take on an alternative measurement framework to ROAS, and how this alternative can better ensure long-term growth. This session takes place Monday, August 19 from 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm.
#2. Today’s Omni-Organization: Putting The Customer Front and Center
Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe, will discuss the importance of omnichannel experiences and exceeding customer expectations. This looks to be a great session to attend to learn about the need for integrated digital and direct marketing campaigns, as well as the importance of personalized marketing experiences to connect with today’s customers. This session takes place Tuesday, August 20 from 8:40 am - 9:05 am.
#3. Headwinds Into Tailwinds: The Six Digital Strategies
Shelagh Stoneham, SVP of Marketing at Chico’s, will discuss online retail marketing and the market pressures that impact retailers’ efforts in that area. She will provide attendees with six strategies for increasing the effectiveness of their digital marketing campaigns and ensuring those efforts result in increased sales. This session takes place Wednesday, August 21 from 10:35 am - 10:55 am.
#4. Fostering Innovation: Rethinking The Omni Organization Today
This panel discussion – featuring executives from J. Jill, Macy’s, RXBAR, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Lucidworks – should offer up valuable information on the processes and challenges retailers can expect to face in their pursuit of becoming an omnichannel presence. New and emerging technologies that help with this pursuit are also slated to be discussed (perhaps customer data platforms?). This session takes place Wednesday, August 21 from 11:15 am - 11:45 am.
#5. Confessions of a Marketer
Luke Droulez, CMO of Parachute Home, will discuss the importance of, and steps to take, to understand the customer journey. Luke's experience in operations, technology and marketing provide him with a unique perspective on how to develop a strategic marketing plan. This session takes place Wednesday, August 21 from 4:00 pm - 4:20 pm.