An Open Letter from Scott Silverman, Shop.org Executive Director

You may have many reasons for putting 2009 behind you. I hope that one of them is because Shop.org in 2010 will be filled with exciting new programs and activities, which I can summarize in two pithy statements: 
1) The Strategy and Innovation Forum Reinvented, and 2) May is Marketing Month.

Please allow me to explain.

1. The Strategy and Innovation Forum Reinvented.
Customers are changing. Retail is changing. Fast. Shop.org is partnering with the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association to produce the Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference scheduled for March 2-4, 2010, in San Francisco. This event takes the Strategy and Innovation Forum to a new level to help retailers address these changes through innovation. Digital, technology and marketing working in tandem will accelerate innovation faster than any single retail discipline can do alone. Retail executives in these areas will be at this event to see a glimpse of the future and to collaborate with their peers. Just like other Shop.org events, one free pass is available to each Shop.org member company. Details can de found at www.nrf.com/innovate10/shopfreepass.

2. May is Marketing Month
Marketing is near and dear to the hearts of Shop.org members. Why have just one single marketing workshop on this topic when you can have a series of Webinars and regional dinners? Why travel to an event when the event can come to you? Stay tuned for more details on Marketing Month – coming to a restaurant or laptop near you in May 2010.

These are two of the most exciting new developments available to Shop.org members in 2010, and, they are also just the tip of the iceberg. We heard loud and clear from our most recent membership survey that you’d like to have more networking opportunities. So, also be on the lookout for:

• More regional dinners throughout the year in more cities. Dinners are always free to Shop.org retail members.
• New Special Interest Groups and committees to allow for more collaboration on specific topics.

Of course, you can also expect the continuation of many of Shop.org’s most popular programs including the State of Retailing Online research, the Annual Summit, and the Merchandising Workshop.

I look forward to your participation in these new activities. And, wish you the best for a prosperous online holiday season.

Warm regards,

Scott Silverman, Executive Director