Prepping for eTail West 2024

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on February 22, 2024

Insight from Elizabeth Robbilard, Co-Producer of eTail Palm Springs

Editors Note:

eTail West is kicking off its 25th anniversary event beginning 26 February. The show runs from 26-29 Feb in Palm Springs, California and The Wise Marketer will be covering the show for our readers.

In advance of the big event, we interviewed Elizabeth Robillard, co-producer of eTail West to learn of her thoughts regarding the show and vision for the future of retail.

What is your vision for the show?

We aim to create an inclusive platform that caters to retailers from a diverse range of companies and executives at various professional levels. Our program is packed with a variety of ways to learn and includes specialized programming for women in retail and C-Level execs. We also curate countless opportunities for retailers to network with one another during multiple roundtable style sessions throughout the event. Beyond the traditional keynote sessions, we aim to foster an environment where ideas can freely flow and connections can be made. The EXPO, always bustling, is also the perfect place to find the answers to find your next technology provider and contains hundreds of vendors ready to be the answer to your technical problems.

Why was each track was selected and what do you expect to see/learn from the content/on stage engagement? What do you most look forward to?

Through months of research with an extensive list of retailers, we narrowed down the most pressing challenges facing the retail industry today. The main goal of eTail is to provide actionable insights and strategies to help attendees optimize retention, balance growth with profitability, leverage artificial intelligence, and effectively integrate digital and physical retail to attract omnichannel customers.

We are excited to feature a special keynote focus group onstage at eTail Palm Springs this year. We partnered with the The Z Suite to bring together this session which will feature a group of diverse Gen Z students selected by Berns Communications Group from top schools across the U.S. They will participate in a Q&A with Jeremy Lowenstein, CMO, Milani Cosmetics, and through this session will provide fresh perspectives and insights into the preferences and behaviors of the younger generation.

What I most look forward to is the opportunity to learn from and engage with industry leaders, experts, and peers. The exchange of ideas and experiences on stage and in networking sessions is invaluable for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving retail landscape.

Reflections on the show achieving its 25th anniversary - how have things evolved over the years? What the future holds for the industry and/or What the future holds for eTail in the years to come, what to look forward to (for attendees; for sponsors)

As we celebrate eTail's 25th anniversary, we are filled with pride and gratitude for the journey that has brought us to this milestone. Since our inception in 1999, eTail has worked hard to keep up with the times and ride the waves of challenges faced by retailers. We’ve welcomed thousands of brands and industry professionals, fostering a community of the brightest minds in retail and eCommerce.

This year, we are thrilled to host over 2,200 retail industry leaders for a celebration that promises to be one of our most exciting and memorable events yet. We have planned a variety of special activities to honor our 25-year legacy, including nostalgic "blasts from the past" featuring old brochures and photos throughout the years. We also put together a Retail Veterans panel featuring Advisory Board Members, retail heavy hitters and longtime eTail speakers. This session will be an opportunity for us to reflect on the evolution of eTail and the significant changes we've witnessed in the industry.

As we look back on our journey, we will also focus on the future. Our sessions will feature speakers who will share their predictions for the coming years and discuss how they are preparing their teams to navigate the evolving retail landscape. This blend of reflection and forward-thinking is what makes eTail's 25th anniversary a truly remarkable occasion, and we can't wait to share it with our attendees.