David Brackin of Stuff U Sell is a regular contributor to Tamebay. Here he reflects on ChannelAdvisor Catalyst in Manchester:
While there are many other important conferences, ChannelAdvisor’s Catalyst remains the premier event in the internet retailer’s calendar. It has been so for as long as I can remember although it has subtly evolved over the years. This one, relocated out of London and up to the Northern Powerhouse of Manchester has continued that journey. The Principal Hotel is a fitting venue – a large grand old setting with sufficient space for several hundred attendees to comfortably gather – and conveniently close to the main station.
ChannelAdvisor has always been strong on intellectual leadership – sharing their learning from analysing the data they hold on their many clients’ sales. In the early days, Scot Wingo used to present high level views of the industry with world-class analysis, and David Spitz continues that tradition.
His keynote on the Amazon dominance was discussed throughout the day in the many conversations that I heard. The big stage presentation with headline external speakers — is still the mainstay of Catalyst — and the quality of presentations and guests is a testament to the draw of the event. With Mary Portas and Julie Deane of the Cambridge Satchel Company generously sharing their insights and stories, there was plenty of food for thought. It’s not really an exhibitor conference – you’re not going to find the robot-powered packing widgets that abound at IRX or the Metapack conference – with the dozen or so sponsor stands mostly providing a backdrop for the more serious business of catching up and networking.
And that’s probably what makes this event stand out more than anything else – everyone is here – and you can quickly catch-up on the latest trends to emerge, find out exactly what this business or that does, and connect with people who can quickly give you their recommendations of how to solve a problem you’ve been thinking about.
For eBay sellers, it’s a great opportunity to chat with the team at the marketplace – the event was very well attended by them, with several senior team members from Richmond there who were actively listening to sellers’ concerns and suggestions. Only Amazon were noticable by their absence. (And Paypal/Braintree – Ed.)
In my view, Catalyst continues to go from strength to strength and should be on every internet retailer’s diary for 2018. Did you attend? What was your highlight?
