We all know there is no free lunch in life, particularly in the retail world.  However, Shoptalk’s inaugural fall event — Shoptalk Europe, which will be held in Copenhagen on October 9-11, 2017 — offers any U.S. retail executive who would like to attend several free lunches and dinners, plus a free conference ticket and a $1,000 reimbursement for travel and hotel expenses.

The qualifications for this incredible offer are that executives must be responsible for evaluating or buying retail or e-commerce technology or other solutions for their companies and that they agree to take eight 15-minute onsite meetings (a total of just two hours) with Shoptalk Europe’s wide-ranging exhibitors and sponsors. The meetings are based on the interests and requirements of the retailers and brands.

While meeting with eight solution providers (selected by you) might not actually define a totally “free lunch,” in exchange for what you are getting — including the invaluable two-and-a-half day educational experience (and breakfasts, lunches, and dinners) — this offer goes way beyond a free lunch. That’s why more than 100 retailers and brands have already signed up for the offer.

Shoptalk Europe was created by technology entrepreneur and venture capital investor Anil Aggarwal, whose last tech company was acquired by Google in 2012 for over $220 million and who founded Money20/20 Europe–the largest Fintech event in Europe–as well as its U.S. counterpart, Money20/20–the largest Fintech event globally. He launched Shoptalk in the U.S. last year and it grew to over 5,500 attendees in just its second year.

Like the U.S. event, Shoptalk Europe brings together established retailers and brands, venture-backed direct-to-consumer startups, tech and Internet companies, investors, media, analysts and others to learn, collaborate and evolve. The event will include all key ecosystem stakeholders from a wide range of industry verticals — from grocery to fashion and everything in between, including home, electronics, beauty, and CPG.

“Shoptalk Europe facilitates a much-needed modern retail and ecommerce conversation and creates a new community of industry leaders and innovators,” says Anil. “We fill a major industry gap because this pan-European–as well as global–dialogue and community don’t currently exist but are now critical to shaping the future of retail and ecommerce.”

Yes, Shoptalk CEO, Anil Aggarwal, is positioning Shoptalk Europe to make it the powerful retail educational ecosystem in Europe that mirrors two-year-old Shoptalk U.S.  But this is not a promotional coupon or a giveaway just for the sake of pumping up attendance.  Anil describes this Hosted Retailers & Brands Program as a key investment to continue to create the industry’s most unique and powerful platform for learning, for the interchange between the old and new worlds, and for understanding the newly forming retail ecosystem necessary to transform business models for future success.

Regardless of this incredible offer, if I were a retail CEO, I would want as many of my executives as possible to attend what I might call the “Shoptalk Master’s Program.” And given the offer, it really is a no-brainer to attend Shoptalk and send as many of your qualified executives as possible. It is the kickstarter to transforming an industry that needs to leapfrog into retail-tech now.
Retailers and brands can apply for the Shoptalk Europe Hosted Retailers & Brands Program here: http://shoptalkeurope.com/register/retailers-form.

Shoptalk Europe to Date

So far, the preliminary agenda (http://shoptalkeurope.com/agenda) for the Copenhagen event is the expected Shoptalk on-target content that will include more than 100 sessions and 250 speakers.  Over 2,000 attendees are anticipated. Like its U.S. counterpart, Shoptalk Europe focuses on the evolution of how consumers discover, shop and buy in an age of digital transformation, and it will cover the trends, technologies and business models disrupting retail and ecommerce.

Shoptalk Europe’s currently confirmed speakers (http://shoptalkeurope.com/speakers) are European and global leaders and innovators from retailers, brands, startups, investors, analysts, and tech and internet companies, including William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc and Jerry Storch, CEO, Hudson’s Bay Company, plus brands Birchbox, Casper, Dollar Shave Club, H&M, Tesco and Westfield. The event will also feature a Startup Pitch Contest with significant cash prizes.

Dear CEO: Take my advice and get as many of your top executives, including yourself, to Shoptalk in Copenhagen this fall (less than 150 days from now!) to take advantage of the “free lunch” and be an active part of the conversation to transform retail.

VIA The Robin Report

By Robin Lewis