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.

Given that I talk to retailers frequently about what they’re doing and the challenges they face, I can’t say I heard anything I didn’t already know from the retailers themselves. However, there were plenty of new takeaways for retailers looking to hear from their peers about the innovative solutions they’ve implemented to boost business. My biggest takeaways came from the impressive tech companies making real strides in an otherwise crowded market. Make no mistake — if there’s a solution to be had, someone else is already doing the same thing and maybe even better. Virtual Reality and artificial intelligence were loud at the show. Visual commerce — think making your next Netflix binge shoppable — may seem blue sky sci-fi, but it’s not. Investors held meetings with various high potential startups that will help retailers make game-changing strides. If I had to sum up Shoptalk’s message in one sentence, it’s that disruption isn’t the goal, it’s the expectation.

Details, Details, Details Make For A Good Experience

I’m a very detail-oriented person, and I noticed every little thing that, by detailed design, made for a great attendee experience — from the Shoptalk-branded lip balm in the restrooms to the top-shelf liquor during the Main Street Happy Hour Networking events to the great WiFi connection to the friendly and informed staff donning bright yellow “Ask Me” t-shirts whose job it was to answer any and all Shoptalk-related questions. Logistically, it probably wasn’t all roses. In fact, during their Opening Remarks, Shoptalk Founders Anil Aggarwal and Jonathan Weiner explained that while attendees should expect an informative experience, they also readily admitted that just as with any launch, mistakes would be made and encouraged attendees to be loud about what those mistakes were so those same missteps are avoided next year.

What does all this have to do with nextgen commerce, retail, and retail technology? Shoptalk, like retailing itself, was about delivering a memorable experience — one that show-goers would not soon forget, tell their peers about, and ultimately return for next year’s event. Remember that line from Field of Dreams: If you build it, they will come. Shoptalk built it, and retail executives, technology providers, entrepreneurs, and more came — in droves. And, I suspect that, like me, they’ll be back to attend next year’s show.