Merch Workshop 2012 Agenda

5:30p - 7:30p
Edge Pool

Opening Reception

Kick off the event with a reception to help you network with merchandisers, other digital retail community veterans...and some cocktails.

8:30a - 9:30a
General Session: Costa del Sol Ballroom A - D

Doug Mack

Jim Kingsbury

KEYNOTE: Next Generation E-Commerce: Tools to Engage Consumers

Doug Mack, CEO, One Kings Lane
Jim Kingsbury, VP, Marketing, One Kings Lane
 
One Kings Lane CEO Doug Mack and Vice President of Marketing Jim Kingsbury share their perspective on the evolution of eCommerce, the fundamental differences between past generations of online shopping and disruptive new offerings - as well as the increased importance of imagery and vibrancy as core e-commerce conversion tools.

10:15a - 11:00a
General Session

Kevin Ertell

KEYNOTE:  Increase Conversion Through Better Customer Experience

Kevin Ertell, Chief Marketing Officer, OnlineShoes.com

It sounds obvious, doesn't it? But improving customer experience is a difficult task for a variety of reasons. Kevin Ertell, CMO of OnlineShoes.com, will explore the obstacles we face and provide a four-step process designed to learn from our customers, face those obstacles head on, and enjoy the fruitful path of conversion growth.

11:05a - 12:00p
General Session

James Sherrett

Michael Burgess

Sarah Veit Wallis

Customer Experience Goes Mobile

Moderator: James Sherrett, VP Marketing, Mobify
Panelists: Michael Burgess, President, Saks Direct and
Sarah Veit Wallis, VP, Global Ecommerce, Bare Escentuals

With the massive adoption of smartphones and tablets, the world is changing as much as it did when the web first evolved back in the 1990s. Mastering the art of customer experience design for all screens - PC, smartphone and tablet devices may be one of the most challenging feats for digital retailers. Join us as our panel of leading retail executives debate mobile optimized sites and apps, share their mobile optimized website evolution, and dive into specific opportunities to convert the mobile shopper.

The Doctor Is In: One-on-one website Critiques

Space is limited for these 20-minute one-on-one website critiques.

1:00p - 1:45p
General Session

Jo Amie

Joe Barrett

Jared Blank

Photography and Video: Best Practices to Drive Conversion and Improve Customer Loyalty

Speakers: Jo Amie, Global Operations Manager, Nike;
Joe Barrett, Chief Executive Officer, Sandbox Studio;
Jared Blank, VP, E-commerce, Tommy Hilfiger

Your website is more than just a flagship retail store; it’s become the first-stop destination for anything and everything related to your brand or products.  Product photography is critical to prolonging site visits, converting sales, and keeping customers coming back for more.

After this session, attendees will be able to:

• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their existing merchandising content (photography and video).
• Recognize and manage obstacles, pain points and “money pits” related to the production of high-volume, high-visibility content for the Internet as well as traditional medium.
• Draw from the practical experience of eBusiness veterans to build scalable foundation for the production of photography and video assets in line with evolving demands of e-commerce.

1:50p - 2:35p
General Session

Sue Chapman

Jonathan Isernhagen

Doug Rosenberg

Leveraging the Power of A/B Testing

Speakers: Sue Chapman, Director, Merchandising Practice, Demandware
Jonathan Isernhagen, Director of Marketing Analysis, Travelocity.com
Doug Rosenberg, Manager, Online Traffic and Loyalty, Brooks Sports

If you are not currently using A/B Testing as a key component to your merchandising strategy you are missing out on one of the most efficient methods of driving conversion and improving the customer experience. Proper A/B Testing execution allows merchandisers to constantly challenge their assumptions or “merchandising intuition” about what works on their website by testing the messaging, design, and flow of the site. In this session, two retail executives will join eCommerce veteran, Sue Chapman, to help you learn how to measure what your customers value and determine what barriers stand in the way of completing the sale.

In this session we will cover:

• How to plan a test
• Determine what to test
• Deciding on your goal and what you are trying to prove
• How to evaluate the results and measurement KPIs

3:20p - 3:45p
General Session

Tim Ash

The first seconds a shopper spends on your landing page determine the success or failure of your online campaign. In this practical session, learn from real-world examples the factors retailers must address to make landing pages effective, such as why less is more, aligning page content with visitors' expectations, clarifying calls to action and editing text down to simple headlines and short bullet lists, and more.

3:50p - 4:15p

Mary Schueler

Heather Brandner

Crate and Barrel User-Centered Product and Home Page Website Redesigns

Speakers:
Mary Schueler, Senior Merchandising Manager, Crate and Barrel and
Heather Brandner, eCommerce Manager of Merchandising Projects, Crate and Barrel

It was time for a redesign. At Shop.org, we've heard that website redesigns are taking place more than ever before, are demanded faster, and are a critical item on the strategic plan for digital retail executives. With the growth of the influence of all things digital and eCommerce in the retail industry as whole, we think it's time to discuss the site design (or redesign) of two of the most critical pages of your website: the homepage and your product page.

Join us as two online merchandising experts from Crate and Barrel walk through how they have incorporated user-centered design to redesign their website. Our speakers will dive into two specific pages of their website to lead to improved site usability and conversion. They’ll share the what, why, how, and what’s next as it relates to these changes that have led to the most user-centered site design in the company’s history. 

4:20p - 4:45p

Elizabeth Ragone

HSN believes in the New Media Math. Add Content and Community to Digital Commerce and you get higher conversion, more satisfied customers and people who come back regardless if they intend to purchase.

HSN has launched a huge range of content features on their Digital Platforms—some work, some don’t. Elizabeth Ragone, Director of Digital Merchandising at HSN will walk you through three elements HSN has used to drive results: video, editorial and games—and HOW they have employed them in the site experience. Additionally, she'll discuss common pitfalls in merchandising these elements and ways each of you can optimize these learnings for your site. 

4:50p - 5:15p

Dawn Bronkema

The Evolution of a Checkout Experience

Speaker: Dawn Bronkema, Director Digital Experience, Belk Ecommerce

How do you design the best customer checkout experience and add functionality without risking loss of business?  Belk will take you through the evolution of their recent new checkout launch, and how to add functionality without overwhelming or disorienting the customer.  We will cover gift card redemption including fraud deterrents, express checkout as an option, sign ins for guests and return customers, and much more!

Roundtable Sessions

Join your colleagues to discuss merchandising topics in greater detail with peers in a roundtable format. Shop.org roundtables are always rated highly by our attendees. Also, check out the Vendor-Retailer Case Study Roundtables during lunch on Tuesday!

Reception & Dinner

Join us on Tuesday night at the Networking Reception and Dinner at the Valley Promenade (on the resort property)! Since the weather is almost always perfect in southern California, we host this dinner outdoors. The relaxed setting makes for the perfect networking opportunity and we might even have some fun!

Breakfast

8:45a - 9:45a
General Session

Rohit Bhargava

KEYNOTE: 10 BIG Ideas Transforming The World Of Retail Right Now

Rohit Bhargava, Author, LIKEONOMICS and Personality Not Included,
Global Strategy & Planning Group, Ogilvy
 
One of the biggest side effects of the explosion of content online and new social networking tools introduced every day is an ongoing confusion about what really matters. Does anyone remember how Second Life was going to change the face of retail? We're still waiting. But the this doesn't mean there aren't some very real developments and trends in the worlds of business and technology that will dramatically affect the world of retail.
 
In this keynote talk from bestselling author and marketing Professor Rohit Bhargava, you will learn about 10 big ideas that go beyond empty hype and actually matter for retailers right now.  For each idea, you will see not only learn why the idea matters, but also get real practical tips for how you might use this in your own retail business.

Shop.org Blog Post: Talking with…Likeonomics Author Rohit Bhargava

10:30a - 11:20a
General Session

Kristina DiMatteo

Johanna Murphy

KEYNOTE: Merging Content and Commerce: A Digital Deep Dive with Kate Spade New York

Johanna Murphy, VP of eCommerce, Kate Spade New York and
Kristina DiMatteo, Digital Marketing Manager, Kate Spade New York

Progressive retailers realize that a digital content strategy should run through the entire organization to fuel growth across the enterprise - eCommerce, retail stores and wholesale. Join us as two industry experts from Kate Spade New York share how they merge content and commerce on their e-commerce site, in their social marketing, and in-stores with one of their most powerful 360 degree digital campaigns to date. It’s integrated retailing at its finest.

11:30a - 12:20p
General Session

Diane Kegley

Karen Kobus

Nathan Decker 

Personalization Never Goes Out of Style

Moderator: Diane Kegley, Chief Marketing Officer, richrelevance
Panelists: Nathan Decker, Senior Manager of Ecommerce, evo and
Karen Kobus, Lead Functional Analyst, Office Depot

Today, as retail spans omni-channel and data is more persistent than ever before, Personalization has become a top action item for retailers given its significant influence across every customer touchpoint: online, email, in-store, mobile.  This panel presentation will cover where Personalization has evolved from since the early days of Amazon.com's adoption of recommendations to where it's arrived in today's environment and its potential for the future.  We'll hear from two retailers  about their experience introducing Personalization in new and different forms across their business, how its impacting the omni-channel merchandising opportunity, and the latest trends and strategies on how to approach this utilizing your existing assets today.