If you’ve not already booked your free entrance tickets for Internet Retailing Expo and eDelivery Expo then it’s time to do so. Don’t forget to book your hotel if you’ve attending both days and this is one event which really does justify investing two days of your time.
1) 2 Days, 2 Expos
This year’s Internet Retailing Expo is for the first time is co-located with the eDelivery Expo which is new for 2015. It’s without a doubt one of the biggest and most relevant expoS for Tamebay readers taking place in 2015.
2) 8 Conferences
There are 8 separate conference streams at this year’s expo, 3 IRX and 1 EDX stream on each day of the event. Sadly that means you’ll be spoilt for choice on which to attend so make sure you plan your days in advance.
3) 16 Workshops
The IRX 2015 workshops are a complete programme of hands-on, practical, training focused sessions delivered by leading companies in the industry and they’re free to attend. Make sure you register for your chosen workshops before the event and grab your seat early – too many times I’ve stood at the door struggling to hear as the workshops are always popular!
4) 30 Minute Ecommerce Expert Clinics
IRX Clinics are held on a one-on-one basis with industry experts. These hands-on, practical meetings will allow you to explain the problems or challenges you face and allow the experts to give you an independent view which could help you overcome the hurdles. If you’ve got a particular aspect of your business that you want to develop in 2015 check to see if there’s an expert on hand and book your session.
5) Innovation Pavilion
Innovation doesn’t just come from the big players in the market who have plenty of money to invest in research and development. It also comes from the small emerging start-ups that have seen a gap in the market and developed a product or service which could change the retail landscape. I’m looking forward to seeing what solutions are here, we’ve found some of the best new services at conferences such as Removethebackground.com and Pelipod.
6) Brands Direct Marketplace
1 in 4 UK retailers will use a marketplace in 2015 and eBay, Amazon and Alibaba will all be represented here. Whether you’re a brand, a retailers and or a trader this is your opportunity to meet with the marketplaces, make contacts you can talk to after the event and get your questions answered and concerns addressed.
7) The Digital Highstreet Pavilion
The Digital High Street is a brand new feature to Internet Retailing Expo and will showcase suppliers of new and innovative technologies that are driving the ‘bricks meets clicks’ experience. Whether it is facial recognition software, contactless payment, smart labels, on-demand delivery, digital changing rooms, virtual stores, 3D printing shops or robotic assistants; IRX aim to make sure it’s covered!
8) Jiangsu Pavilion
Meet the 10 Top Chinese technology providers to help you overcome the challenges and expand your business into China. If you thought cross border trade to Germany, France, the US and Australia was great you’ve not seen anything yet! With 1.4 billion potential customers and year-on-year ecommerce sales growth expected to reach 27.9% this year, taking the total for online shopping alone to £240bn China is a country that you should be considering even if you’re not exporting there yet.
9) Digital Payments Village
Payments happen and it’s perhaps the most ignored part of ecommerce, mainly because it’s not as sexy as products. There’s a ton of innovation happening with payments and IRX aim to address both the commercial and strategic aspects enabling you to take advantage of these ready-to-deploy options before your competitors do.
10) Over 300 Exhibitors
An expo wouldn’t be an expo without exhibitors and IRX and EDX don’t fail to deliver. With over 300 exhibitors you’ll be able to meet just about every company that supports your business as well as discover those that could be essential to your growth in 2015. You’ll need two days just to get around the exhibition area, let alone attending any conferences, workshops or clinics.
11) Networking
With an anticipated attendance of over 7000, just about everyone that’s anyone in ecommerce will be at the Expo. Whether you want to catch up with Internet Retailing Editor in Chief Ian Jindal, speak to one of your suppliers, find a contact from the marketplaces or simply check out what’s happening in Internet Retailing and eDeliveries in 2015 this is the place to be.
Plus it’s a great even for meeting up with friends and acquaintances from within ecommerce community. Dan and I’ll both be there and as always you’ll find us making our way to a pub in the evening (and possibly at lunch time too!) so make sure you at least come and find us at some point during the two day event. See you there on the 25th-26th March!
