Announcement: Shoptalk has been rescheduled for September 14-17, 2020 due to the rapid escalation of the Covid-19 outbreak
You can count the number of not-to-be-missed annual retail conferences on one-hand – and while it might only be in its fifth year running, Shoptalk has quickly emerged to be one of them. And as if the innovative retail conference needed another reason to stand out, Shoptalk 2020 will feature a female only speaker line up this year!
Held at the Manadalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, between the 22 and 25 of March, Shoptalk will be a week on the retail calendar you can’t miss. Here’s a little glimpse at what you can expect this year!
What will take place at Shoptalk 2020?
Shoptalk brings together established brands and retailers, venture-backed startups, tech companies and investors to foster a sense of community and drive the retail sector forward by deconstructing often damaging internal silos and enabling individuals across marketing, digital, stores and operations to collaborate.
This year, over 8,000 decision-makers from almost 3,000 established retailers and brands, startups, tech companies, investors and real estate firms will flock to Las Vegas to learn, collaborate and create.
Across the four day long event, you’ll be given access to dozens of engaging sessions, high-profile keynote speakers, curated meetings, networking opportunities and several social events worth blocking out time in your calendar for.
Why will speakers at Shoptalk 2020 be 100% women?
Despite founding companies, driving startups forward and rising through the ranks at brands, retailers and tech companies, gender equality in the retail space remains unacceptably slow, says Shoptalk’s Global Chief Content Officer, Zia Daniell Wigder in a recent blog, pointing out that only 5% of the S&P 500 are led by women.
From 2021 onwards, Shoptalk will feature 50/50 male and female speakers every year, says Zia Daniell Wigder, but to advocate women in the retail industry and enable a female-led dialogue to take place, 2020 will feature a fully female speaker line up.
“Gender parity in 2020 would have been relatively easy, but it would not have shifted the dialogue in the way that Shoptalk has done consistently. Is this all-female speaker approach extreme? Absolutely, but we think extreme problems require extreme solutions,” she says.
“We believe this groundbreaking move, a first in events to our knowledge, is necessary to propel our industry forward and showcase many incredibly talented women who are working to transform retail in every way.”
What speakers to see at Shoptalk 2020
Shoptalk’s track sessions are diverse and varied – to make it a little easier to navigate, we’ve compiled a list of the most compelling (in our eyes, anyway) – click here to read the list.
Our CEO and Co-founder, Imogen Wethered, will also be speaking at the Emerging Technology Spotlight: Customer Experience – In-Store Experience session on Monday 23 March 3:05 – 3:45pm – make sure you don’t miss it!
And here are some of the keynote speakers we’re looking forward to seeing the most:
- Macy’s Chief Diversity Officer, Shawn Outler (Sunday 22 March, 5:05 – 5:25pm)
- Ulta Beauty’s CEO, Mary Dillon (Monday 23 March, 11:45 – 12:10pm)
- Amazon’s VP Grocery Delivery, Stephenie Landry (Monday 23 March, 12:10 – 12:30pm)
- Google’s Global VP, Ads Marketing, Marie Gulin-Merle (Monday 23 March, 4:15 – 4:35pm)
- Salesforce’s Chief Marketing Officer, Stephanie Buscemi (Tuesday 24 March, 11:25 – 11:45pm)
- FedEx’s EVP, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Brie Carere (Tuesday 24 March 4:20 – 4:40pm)
- President of Lord & Taylor and Chief Merchandising Officer at Le Tote, Ruth Hartman (Tuesday 24 March 5:00 – 5:30pm)
And Flo Rida!
The conference also has a fantastic entertainment line up – after all, you don’t go all the way to Las Vegas without having a little fun, too! Shoptalk will host a poolside concert that will feature rapper, singer and songwriter, Flo Rida, amongst others.
Key themes that will emerge at Shoptalk 2020
Expect to hear insights into all different aspects of the retail sector, such as:
- Experiential and immersive retail
- Emerging technology trends
- Social marketing and mobile commerce
- Innovations in retail marketing
- Data, personalization and omnichannel
As we know, new topics will undoubtedly emerge over the course of the week as people start coming up with new ideas and sharing strategies, but we’ve pulled together some of the key themes we think will emerge.
Read our blog on the key themes that will emerge at Shoptalk 2020.
We’re really looking forward to attending the big event in Las Vegas in March and can’t wait to see you all there.
