I’m looking forward to ChannelAdvisor Catalyst conference next week on the 17th – 18th May in London. As well as the formal schedule I already have a ton of people I’m looking forward to seeing again or meeting for the first time, including many friends from TameBay.
Companies participating in the conference include eBay, Facebook, Amazon EU, Google, LivingSocial, Republic, B&Q, M-Retailing.net, Practicology, Criteo, LanguageWire, Cloud Conversion, Create Your Template, GoldenFeeds, InterCultural Elements, MetaPack, NexTag, One iota, Pentagon Interactive, Shopzilla Europe, Skuuudle, Moneybookers.com, SKU Logistics, Smith & Williamson and Twenga
If you’ve not booked your place then there’s now a waiting list to sign up to attend Catalyst – I’m already crossing my fingers that a couple of friends on the wait list get in. If you’re already booked then let us know in comments below so that you can meet up with the friends and colleagues within the industry and be sure to find me to say hello.
26 Responses
In my opinion Channel Advisor are an overpriced and underdeveloped solution. I am embarrassed to say that I used them for a few years but am glad to say I no longer.
It seems that they spend more on marketing than developing their platform. In addition, the staff all have an air of used car salesmen.
The Catalyst events occasionally have some useful snippets of information, however it is grossly overpriced There are many free expo’s seminars which have as much, if not more, information and networking opportunities.
I think it’s safe to say that I wouldn’t recommend these lot!
the staff all have an air of used car salesmen.
100% agree with this, much the same as Froo(ition), put me right off before the guy had even finished talking…
I went last year to Catalyst and always attend the regional Insite events. I’ve booked my place and have to say that it is perhaps the best event of the eCommerce annual calendar and I do attend quite a few..
The high calibre of the speakers, presentations and networking opportunities at Catalyst are worth every penny of the ticket price, I paid more being my business is now not predominantly retail any more. Still worth every penny.
One of the best things about Channel Advisor events is that they bring together the best in eCommerce in one place, a valuable resource for any business in my book.
Where else can you speak directly to the likes of eBay, Google, Amazon and Facebook, the leaders of some of the biggest UK, EU and global eCommerce businesses without any hard sell from CA? If you are interested in CA then you can ask while you’re there if not you won’t be pitched to.
Sorry you feel you have to anonymously post on a public forum to get your point across.
CA staff are all extremely friendly and easy to talk to, if you’re going to insult a company or their staff at least put your name to it please.
I once went to a timeshare party in spain and there were all sorts of leaders in their field giving me expert advice
It would appear that DBL is either a Channel Advisor employee or part of the clique! No intention to insult, simply posting an honest opinion about our experiences.
In terms of staff, I’m sure they are very nice and we have nothing against them…just how they’ve been trained.
Ultimately, there seems to be a little clique of companies (CA, Froo, etc) that are dining out on offering an average product at extortionate prices.
Hopefully a final point on this – When you sign up for CA sales staff explain how the system can help you create a ‘perception of scarcity’ to your customers, which will whip them in to a frenzy and generate extra sales. The hilarious thing is that CA do exactly the same thing to sellers (their customers) when advertising the Catalyst event.
The few events I have attended have always been ‘nearly sold out’ or like now ‘sold-out’, despite there being ample space available in the hall! I’d bet my left nut on there being spaces to this latest event…however, how else would they justify £250! If it’s so packed year on year, surely get a bigger venue!
I shall be there in full force with a stand and haribo as my company is sponsoring again.
I hope this means I belong to the clique too as there is a ‘club night’ and I want to hang with the cool kids.
Word.
A clique (pronounced /?kli?k/, also /?kl?k/ (U.S.)) is an inclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity
In this instance it’s a group of back scratching over priced software companies driven by sales and not the customer.
Liz, if you fit the above description then yes you are a member.
Hi Folks,
Is anyone here been invited to the eBay dinner/meet & greet on the night of the 16th?
If so, anyone going?
I bet you all piddle in the same pot, or have sun burn half way up one leg
Well I have just been to one Channel Advisor event. There was plenty of booze bur the pizza was not great -there was a very nice cheesecake.
I will be there. Looking forward to it. Mmm cheesecake!
I hope there will be a few CA employees left back at the office on Wednesday to sort out the problems caused by the transition to eBay checkout..
I’m not a fan of Channel Advisor but I recognise that if there wasn’t a market for the services they provide they would not exist.
It appears to me that any middle man receiving a percentage of all sales would be more concerned with making sales than profit for the seller. I could sell a significant volume of stock overnight by simply dropping prices.
My sales would increase but profit decrease.
Small business could find themselves selling more for the same or less profit whilst drifting towards the VAT threshold.
There is potentially a conflict of interest between a seller and CA. The former is looking for a reasonable return on their investment whereas the later wants their percentage of the sale.
High volume sales do not necessarily mean more profit and for all the promises of increased sales across multiple platforms I am far more concerned with profit than fingers in pies.