Opening Reception - Sonoran Terrace

Keynote: John Thompson, SVP and General Manager, BestBuy.com
Sweating Their Assets:  Best Buy's Journey to Multi-Channel Success
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BestBuy.com SVP and General Manager John Thompson will share how Best Buy's dedication to marketing efficiency has resulted in tremendous growth and outpacing the competition in the crowded consumer electronics vertical. John will provide detailed examples of how their consistent focus on acquiring new customers and fostering loyalty of existing customers has resulted in multi-channel success, along with tips for making sense of the massive amount of data that are available to retailers. Finally, John will give his opinion on the state of the online industry in this struggling economy and what online marketers must do to attract the new "post-recession" customer.

Networking Break - Expo Hall (Arizona I)

Keynote: Jay Dunn, VP Marketing, Lane Bryant
Marketing Through The Apocalypse
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Bailouts, bankruptcies, and budget cuts – the economy is a mess and retailers are under pressure to find innovative ways to attract and maintain customers and sales. Jay Dunn will demonstrate how blending your traditional marketing strategies with cost-effective new media and social networking tools may be the way to not only survive, but thrive, in the era of uncertainty.

Jay created this presentation specifically for Shop.org, and it includes lots of hands-on examples, live web, video, and Jay’s unique commentary on retail, marketing, and the current challenges facing all of us.

Fact or Fiction:  The Profitable Online Affiliate Program
Moderator: Larry Joseloff, VP of Content, Shop.org
Retailer Panelists: Jason Roussos, President & COO, Living Direct, Inc; Craig Shields, Vice President, E-Commerce, Jewelry Television; and Cindy Thomas, Senior Marketing Manager– QuickBooks/Quicken Affiliate Programs, Intuit
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In the early days of eCommerce affiliate programs were seen as a top priority for many online retailers.  As time went on however revelations concerning online fraud, spamming, and sketchy search engine practices gave affiliate programs a bad name.  Recently, affiliate programs have enjoyed new life with the implementation of social media tools, but the question remains:  Are affiliate programs an important part of a successful online marketing mix, or is it simply a way to generate sales at the expense of your brand and margins.   Shop.org VP of Content and long time affiliate veteran Larry Joseloff will lead an open discussion with three retailer affiliate managers about whether a happy medium can be reached between having an active affiliate program while still protecting your financial and brand integrity.

LUNCH - Expo Hall (Arizona I)

Tell a Story, Sell a Story: Building a Cross-Channel Video Commerce Strategy
Moderator: Justin Foster, Co-Founder, VP Market Development, Liveclicker, Inc.
Retailer Panelists: Pinny Gniwisch, Founder and EVP Marketing, ice.com and Alison Jeske, Senior Director, Product Management, Drugstore.com
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With the rise in broadband adoption worldwide, proliferation of video enabled mobile devices, and reduced cost required to produce and distribute video content, e-commerce merchants are once again investing in the persuasive power of video to increase sales and acquire new customers.  Still, many retailers struggle with the nuts and bolts of building a video content strategy, deploying video content, and dealing with the inevitable technical issues - all while maximizing the revenue potential of video and supporting a strong business case.  From implementing new processes, building efficiencies, and exploiting video across e-commerce channels, the possibilities (and potential pitfalls) seem almost endless.

In this "hands on" workshop, participants will learn how industry leaders implemented video commerce and are blazing the trail for online retail video.  Learn about the roadblocks to avoid in building a content strategy, how to multiply the effectiveness of e-commerce video assets by leveraging video content in multiple online marketing channels, reduce technical obstacles, and maximize the revenue from online video - at lower cost than you may have thought possible.

Key takeaways:

1. Learn which roadblocks to avoid and successful strategies to adopt when building a content strategy
2. How and when it makes sense to think about video as a cross-channel media
3. Reduce technical obstacles and build a stronger business case for video
4. Lower the cost required to grow a program through strong processes and innovative content acquisition methods

Using Social Media to Optimize Your Email Marketing and Beyond
Moderator: Andy Clibanoff, Founder and CEO, PayParade
Retailer Panelists: Jeanniey Mullen, EVP & CMO Zinio, EVP & CMO VIV, & Founder, Email Experience Council and Nick Sheth, Director, Business Development, The Gap, Inc.
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Do you use email as much as you used to?  If you are like many other savvy internet users (and your customers) the answer is “no”.  More people then ever are using social media tools such as Facebook to replace the communication once reserved for email.   Email is a cornerstone for most online retailers and just as many are dabbling in social media, but surprisingly very few retailers are successfully integrating these two powerful channels.  Andy Clibanoff Founder and CEO of PayParade will lead an in-depth discussion with two retailers who will explain how they have successfully used social media to maximize the performance of their email programs in response to the new social consumer.  They will provide practical tips on how to integrate both channels and the results they have seen from this new email marketing strategy. 

Measuring What Matters: The Secret of Marketing Channel Attribution
John Ardis, VP, Corporate Strategy, ValueClick, Inc.; Anne Ashbey, Online Marketing Executive; Dustin Engel, Vice President, Strategy and Media, Range Online Media and John Lazarchic, Vice President, E-Commerce, PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc.
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Creating an optimized marketing program begins and ends with analytics.  If you do not have a true picture of how your different channels are performing together, making them more efficient is virtually impossible.   With the large amount of data available to all retailers, it can quickly become overwhelming to try and make sense of it all and can result in assumptions that can steer your efforts in the wrong direction.   Join this panel of industry experts as they tackle the difficult questions revolving around marketing channel attribution including:

• How to discover the interrelationship and interdependence of various aspects of your marketing mix, rather than executing and evaluating each program in a silo.
• How do you face the challenge of proper budget allocation?
• How can you be sure if each channel is bringing you new business, rather than just shifting it from one channel to another?  
• Are there circumstances when you may need to pay for repeat shoppers even though you already consider them your customers?
• How can I get started on all of this with minimal impact to budget, time and technology?

ROUNDTABLES - Arizona G

Click here to view a list of available roundtable topics and moderators

Reception and Dinner at The Garden (Located on hotel property)

Keynote: Rob Bondurant, VP, Marketing, Communications, Merchandising, Patagonia
Achieving Marketing Nirvana Despite the Recession
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SEO Interactive Power Session: 90 Minutes of Pure ROI
Stephan Spencer, Founder and President, Netconcepts
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This hands-on session promises to be one of the best investments on 90 minutes of your valuable time with some of the most impactful, most immediately actionable SEO tactics and tools available. Stephan will lead participants through practical exercises that identify major gaps and "quick wins" in keywords, content, site architecture, internal linking and inbound link acquisition. For example, learn how to find keywords with the highest ROI potential that are AND aren't driving search traffic, do advanced content optimization, turn your site into a rapid-fire iterative SEO testing platform, build powerful links through "link baiting" and social media, and tie all your various SEO initiatives to the bottom line in ways never before possible, and much more. Stephan will tap participants to help him conduct live, impromptu site critiques utilizing their new SEO skills and knowledge -- demonstrating in a very tangible way the power of SEO and the potential that it provides. Bring your laptop if at all possible, as we will be getting "hands-on"!

A real crowd-pleaser at past conferences, Stephan’s workshops are filled with great ideas, essential tools, practical advice, and real-world examples that attendees can take back to their offices and apply immediately.

Lunch & Vendor Retailer Case Studies - Expo Hall (Arizona I)
Join us in the EXPO Hall for a series of solution provider/retailer case studies. This will provide you with an additional opportunity to meet with our exhibitors and learn whether their solutions are a good fit to help you achieve your organizational goals.

Click here to view the list of roundtable topics and moderators.

Jeanniey Mullen
EVP & CMO Zinio, EVP & CMO VIV, & Founder, Email Experience Council