Agenda

• Highlights on Conference Day 1 Key Sessions

James is the Chairman and Founder of IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group). For over 20 years, IMRG has been the voice of e-retail in the UK, assisting the successful adoption of e-commerce by business, government and consumers in Europe and across the world. James previously held Business Development Director positions with Convergent Communications and New Media Productions. He also served as a member of the Government’s European E-commerce Taskforce, chaired by Lord Young, and currently serves on the Government’s advisory Future Retail Working Group.

• Designing user experience in cross-channel ecosystems: How to seize every new opportunity for interaction through speech, touch and gesture?
• What you should keep in mind when designing retail spaces to offer your shoppers a more complete experience?
• What you need to consider when mapping the customer journey to ensure your shopper is at the forefront of your designs?

Dr David Benyon has been working in the area of human-computer interaction (HCI) and interaction design for over 25 years. He has lectured and written widely on the subject and has attracted significant commercial and research income to support his work. His recent work includes developing the concept of a “blended space” to characterize UX in this era of omnichannel interaction. He is the author of the best-selling “Designing Interactive Systems” currently in its 3rd edition. The new edition, due in 2017, is called “Designing User Experience” a change that reflects the rapid and significant changes in the area.

• Harnessing the power of digital in your store
• 1:1 Connected retailing
• Improving stock accuracy: Using RFID to register and communicate live in-store inventory
• Future opportunities: Future-proofing your store to adapt to changing customer behavior and technologies

Siobhán heads Kurt Salmon’s strategy and private equity service offer in the UK and Ireland, leading assignments with global and European firms, involving due diligence, operational improvement and international expansion. From her 20 years’ retail experience, which includes senior management posts at Wal-Mart, Home Retail Group and KFC, she has also developed an in-depth understanding of operating a multi-channel business, strategy, new format development and international expansion.

Sarah Davis heads Kurt Salmon’s digital practice in the UK, with responsibility for developing services and initiatives to assist multi-channel businesses deliver the high level of personal interaction that customers are demanding across all buying touch points. She advises companies on strategy, 1:1 Connected Customer Retailing, business development and technical solutions. Sarah’s 20 years’ experience has been gained through a broad range of digital engagements spanning retail – department stores, e-commerce, grocers – consumer products and media industries.

• The 5 most significant innovations that will impact your strategy over the next three years
• How organizations are using Customer Work and Social Media to deliver retail transformation, and how the new Opti-channel Customer Experience models will connect to big data and financial models
• Case studies on how retail organisations are using behavioral engineering to drive change in customer behaviour and how that impacts the bottom line
• Case studies on how gamification has revolutionised customer journeys and show the latest innovations in Retail Customer Experience design from around the world

Morris Pentel is a Customer Experience and Contact Strategy Designer and runs one of the most respected private Customer Experience and Contact Strategy consulting businesses in the world. Based in the UK, he has a track record for successful work for some of the largest institutions and government organizations all over the world. He has delivered workshops over the last 18 months in 11 countries and his designs have influenced billions of the world’s Customer Experiences.

• Extending the value of stores beyond brick-and-mortar to increase volume and revenue across all channels
• Optimizing store locations and leveraging store formats
• Stores as fulfillment center
• Embracing showrooming
• Empowering your store associates

Kirsten is responsible for developing B&Q’s vision and plan to become a true omnichannel retailer. She leads the business development of their fulfilment and collection propositions; developing their digital in store selling offer across store formats; and prioritising the development of their digital products. Kirsten is also responsible for digital insights and analytics, ensuring the development programme is data and customer led. Kirsten has worked for B&Q for 12 years and has held a variety of senior roles across digital and customer insights. Prior to B&Q, Kirsten worked in similar roles at M&S, Freemans and AXA

• Delivering relevant messages to the – right audiences at the right time – in today’s fragmented, non-linear, cross-device customer journeys
• Achieving the ROI: Time, resources and meticulous planning is put behind the creation of great content and offers but what if we fail to reach the targeted prospects and customers?
• Exploring case studies of leading brand, who successfully morphed their content and delivery flawlessly to match customers’ expectations in real time

Lynsey has been described as ‘Frighteningly Knowledgeable’ and ‘the best social media trainer ever’ by some of the world’s leading brands.

With over 10 years experience, Lynsey and her team specialize in providing social media, digital marketing training and consultancy to all sizes of businesses, including household names such as The United Nations, The Metropolitan Police and Barclays. Lynsey is regularly called upon for industry insights and comment by the media including CNBC, The Guardian, BBC News & Bloomberg. She also works alongside other key influencers as part of the Social Media Council at the DMA where she is Vice Chairperson.

• How Gen-Z differs from Millennials? How are they similar to each other?
• How Gen-Z are redefining ownership culture?
• The formula to tap into the upcoming generations: Intelligence + Emotional + Digital
• The Gen-Z Effect: How are they shaping the future of retail?

Listed as one of most influential people in the industry by the WatchPro Hot 100 Retail Titans, Damian has been part of iconic retail institutions in the UK. From managing multi-branded retail portfolio to mono-branded strategy, Damian has previously worked at Selfridges, where he held senior roles and managed few business categories, from fashion to beauty. He also opened Global retail flagship for Burberry at Regent Street and is now part of the Aurum group where he is responsible for the Flagship market as a Retail Director for Watches of Switzerland. He is also a contributing editor to various contemporary UK publications as well as a retail consultant.

James Roper, FRSA, Chairman & Founder, IMRG – the UK e-Commerce Association

James is the Chairman and Founder of IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group). For over 20 years, IMRG has been the voice of e-retail in the UK, assisting the successful adoption of e-commerce by business, government and consumers in Europe and across the world. James previously held Business Development Director positions with Convergent Communications and New Media Productions. He also served as a member of the Government’s European E-commerce Taskforce, chaired by Lord Young, and currently serves on the Government’s advisory Future Retail Working Group.

Steve Webster, Head of Ecommerce, Steinhoff UK

Steve Webster is Head of eCommerce at Steinhoff UK, driving the omnichannel growth of Harveys Furniture, and Bensons for Beds. An experienced ecommerce professional, he has spent the last decade optimizing online strategies for retailers including Boohoo and Fashion Union. Well-versed across fashion, home and lifestyle brands, Steve was also named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in online fashion for two consecutive years by Directorsof.com and British Vogue.

Siobhán heads Kurt Salmon’s strategy and private equity service offer in the UK and Ireland, leading assignments with global and European firms, involving due diligence, operational improvement and international expansion. From her 20 years’ retail experience, which includes senior management posts at Wal-Mart, Home Retail Group and KFC, she has also developed an in-depth understanding of operating a multi-channel business, strategy, new format development and international expansion.

Morris Pentel is a Customer Experience and Contact Strategy Designer and runs one of the most respected private Customer Experience and Contact Strategy consulting businesses in the world. Based in the UK, he has a track record for successful work for some of the largest institutions and government organizations all over the world. He has delivered workshops over the last 18 months in 11 countries and his designs have influenced billions of the world’s Customer Experiences.

• Highlights on Conference Day 2 Key Sessions

• Optimizing business processes and technologies to support a dedicated CRM system
• Organizing, automating, and synchronizing sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support
• Managing and analyzing customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle

As Customer Insight Director at Getty Images, Alex helps everyone in marketing to generate and publicize insights from their channels. Her “built to grow” approach unites the whole team around the customer and their needs, democratizing the task of customer insight and amplifying the results of the marketing teams. Alex enjoys hearing and representing the voice of the customer – as expressed through data, research and service channels.

• How Volkswagen overcome the challenges of integrating ‘Blended Retailing’ into the sales and after-sales operations of their UK franchised network through co-ownership and co-development
• The people element: Adding the warmth of passionate brand advocates to ‘bricks and clicks’ to engage and deliver a consistent yet personal brand experience
• Staying ahead of the game: Discover how embracing digital changes has helped Volkswagen improve car sales, customer satisfaction and loyalty

With automotive experience gained in several countries and spanning international e-commerce projects with OEMs as well as leadership of a large retailer group, Ian has delivered sustainable sales growth in Volkswagen UK through the design and implementation of Blended Retailing. This integrated customer journey has provided customers with a seamless experience between the digital and physical touchpoints, and led to increased sales, customer satisfaction and loyalty. Fully empowering the people tasked with delivering this new customer experience remains the key ingredient of that success.

• The Unknown Audience – Over 1.9 million unknown visitors per year coming to Frankies, using untraceable vouchers and zero integration into CRM
• The Backbone – A unified SCV, CRM, EPOS and vouchering solution
• The Delivery and Acquisition – An app, a website, the staff. How all digital and offline channels work together to drive downloads and engagement?
• The Repetitive Cycle of Joy – Frictionless loyalty and the power of gamification
• Making the Audience Known – Data driven measurement and optimization
• Keeping the Audience Engaged – Lessons learnt and future roadmap

Sam has worked in marketing all of her career, starting with trade marketing in the wine industry before moving to consumer and retail marketing with companies including John E Fells & Sons, O’Briens Wines and Lendlease Bluewater.  Influenced by the surge in digital and data driven marketing strategies, she joined Aimia to gain data driven and digital marketing experience. Sam is now Marketing Director at TRG with a particular focus on data and digital innovation across Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito, Coast to Coast and all other brands.

Nick has been working within mobile delivery for the last 6 years, mainly within the sports and leisure industries with clients such as Wembley Stadium, Glastonbury, The Premier League and more recently, The Restaurant Group. With a strategy, design and development past, he is able to work closely with all stakeholders within a project. Heading up Product & Delivery at Omnifi means he sits in-between everyone in the agency, acting as the starter, the ideas man, the sense checker, the motivator, the good guy, the bad guy and the annoying guy.

• Social as a catalyst for change
• The rise of service design
• Accelerated collaboration: design a vase!
• Contextualising new service models

Guy has focused on social customer care since 2008, when he set it up at The Carphone Warehouse. At that time he was seen as one of the early pioneers of social customer care in the UK. Currently the Social Customer Care Lead at IBM, Guy helps organizations navigate through their own social journeys. He has been described as one of the world’s leading thinkers on social customer care.

• Overcoming the challenge of increasing devices and customer touchpoints
• Utilizing visual language to grab the attention of consumers in saturated spaces
• Bringing great storytelling and the control of the marketing funnel back to the
  industry

Dave works on the Retail & e-Commerce Team for Facebook in the UK. In his role, he collaborates with clients on how to best utilise the Facebook platform to drive business results, from a branding and performance perspective. Clients that Dave works closely with include LEGO, Alibaba, Shop Direct and Made.com. Prior to working at Facebook, Dave worked in London’s Tech City for the award winning e-Commerce start up Flubit.

• Getting on board the offline-to-online data train
• How to seize real-time, intent-driven micro-moments to shape your shoppers’ decision to purchase?
• How to leverage new conversion types and connect the dots between channels to optimize the end-to-end omnichannel experience?
• How do you measure your omnichannel success? By clicks and sessions, or for the real bottomline — profits and lifetime value?

Steen, a Google Partner Academy Program Trainer, has been in the analytics game for more than 15 years. He has been nominated as one of the world’s leading analysts by the Digital Analytics Association for the last 3 year running. He has shared his thoughts on the subject from Silicon Valley to Budapest and from Oslo to Barcelona for IIH Nordic, the agency he co-founded more than 10 year ago. With more than 55 employees, clients all across EMEA, and a nomination for Global Analytics Agency of the year, IIH Nordic is a Scandinavian data-driven force to reckoned with.

• How will AR/VR dramatically change how customers interact with brands, products and information?
• How to influence buyers at point-of-purchase with AR/VR?
• How will VR and AR enhance brand engagement and product information?
• How the UX and UI will need to be altered to accommodate a mixed reality world?

James Roper, FRSA, Chairman & Founder, IMRG – the UK e-Commerce Association

James is the Chairman and Founder of IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group). For over 20 years, IMRG has been the voice of e-retail in the UK, assisting the successful adoption of e-commerce by business, government and consumers in Europe and across the world. James previously held Business Development Director positions with Convergent Communications and New Media Productions. He also served as a member of the Government’s European E-commerce Taskforce, chaired by Lord Young, and currently serves on the Government’s advisory Future Retail Working Group.

Steve Edwards, Former Executive Director & Head of Beyond Innovation, Manning Gottlieb OMD

Steve has 20 years experience in the media agency world, working with clients including Volkswagen, Starbucks, Waitrose and Renault.  He created the Beyond division within Manning Gottlieb OMD using start-up thinking to develop growth strategies for early stage businesses through to established blue-chip organizations. Steve’s approach looks ahead to next generation consumer solutions and how personalization of connection built around VR, AR and AI will prove to be the key to long term success.

Edward is an interactive imagery specialist and has produced interactive imagery for the likes of BBC, UEFA, ESNP, Vogue, NHS, Daily Mail and Royal Ballet. In 2014, he captured the first news documentary for the Oculus Rift, captured during the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests. Later in 2015, he created the first 360-degree video of a live surgical operation, in association with the Royal London Hospital.

Frameless Adventures was formed a couple of years ago when Chris realized that few people were aware of the massive change occurring with media technologies and the creative potential this provides.  He has since worked as a consultant and freelance producer on some  award-winning virtual reality and immersive projects for brands such as Cancer Research UK, Samsung,  Real Madrid and Gucci.

Tom is the Director of Social at Twelve AM, helping to make brands relevant to their target audience through effective and intelligent solutions. Prior to that, he worked at Ogilvy & Mather Group UK. He is also the tech and innovation editor for “We Are Social Media”, a global ambassador for Hootsuite, a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD), a university drop-out and also a busy man.