It’s been described as ‘Disney for adults’ and quite apart from iconic names such as Caesars Palace, The Bellagio, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, which conjure up images of excess and indulgence, it also means one thing; Shoptalk 2022 is nearly upon us.
I’ll be there on behalf of Software AG and Retail Reflections and it would be safe to say that I can hardly wait to get back to a live in person retail conference for the first time in over two years.
And what better way to return. Shoptalk has long been a staple on the global retail circuit and this year, billed as ‘Retail’s Big Comeback’ it will be held at the Mandalay Bay between 27 and 30 March.
Boasting over 10,000 delegates, 250+ speakers, 600 sponsors and 20+ epic parties (well, it is being held in Vegas) it promises to be the biggest and best yet.
I’ve put my agenda together so thought I’d share a preview of some of the highlights I’m looking forward to.
Day one
Four tracks running through the afternoon, take your pick from start-ups to empowering tomorrow’s women leaders to recommerce or understanding the European retail market.
Global shopping experiences feature strongly during the first day and other than Europe, the trends in both the Chinese and Latin America markets are covered.
Keynotes to close the first day include those from Sam’s Club CEO Kath McLay and Amazon SVP Shelly Kapoor Collins who will be discussing the ever changing global supply chain.
Day two
Monday sees Shoptalk begin in earnest and personalisation, sustainability and the changing consumer all feature.
Bain and Boston Consulting Group will be presenting on the forces affecting retail whilst surely one of those — the use of data to drive better customer experiences, will be discussed with Best Buy.
The extended session on retail’s metaverse opportunity promises to be fascinating. Does it represent the future of retail or is it the biggest white elephant the industry has ever seen? Look out for my day two blog to find out!
Day three
Day three features speakers from the likes of Nordstrom, Pepsico, American Eagle and Macy’s — it will be interesting to hear their insights on the state of the retail nation as we emerge from the pandemic.
Stand-out keynotes include those from Warby Parker co-CEO Dave Gilboa and Debbie Perelman, CEO of Revlon.
And in the tracks, social commerce and store experience are both featured.
Day four
Wrapping up the conference are some deep dive sessions which explore topics such as designing tomorrow’s retail experiences, marketing & brand building and shining a spotlight on retail verticals.
That’s just a brief summary of some of the sessions I’m looking forward to and I haven’t even touched on all the networking opportunities. Personally, I’m looking forward to meeting over twenty of my fellow RETHINK Retail top 100 influencers and get their take on the retail landscape right now.
I’ll be providing updates on all the breaking news, gossip and retail trends from Shoptalk each day so look out for those on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Andrew Busby is Global Industry Senior Director, Retail at Software AG and Founder of Retail Reflections
