CONTENT QUESTIONS Maybe you’ve wondered how we come up with the content for our events…or perhaps you’ve been thinking that you should get up on stage to share your know-how with your eCommerce colleagues. For anyone who is interested in the process of how we at Shop.org go about finding topics and speakers for our events, here is a FAQ that might help. How does Shop.org choose the topics for its presentations? We ask a lot of questions! We talk to Shop.org members, we work with the Shop.org Content Committee, we read industry publications, we even send out online surveys to our members. We try hard to deliver content that helps you do a better job, no matter what you do in the world of e-commerce. Presentations can range from keynotes meant to inspire and challenge all of us in this industry, to very practical, tactical discussions with practitioners who have learned from their years in e-commerce and who share their experience and advice. We even have retailer case studies where they show in detail innovations and features on their web site that have directly improved their business. If there is a topic you’d like us include in an upcoming Shop.org event, don’t hesitate to email or call Artemis Ebneyousef, Content Manager at ebneyousefa@shop.org or 202 626-8118. How does Shop.org choose its speakers? We are fortunate to know many experienced and accomplished e-commerce professionals, many of whom are extraordinarily generous with their time. We often reach out to these folks to help us: either to brainstorm about content or to actually participate in an event as a speaker. But we learn about great speakers from Shop.org members, from our Board of Directors, and from attending events in other industries. We try hard to find speakers from within the Shop.org membership—both our retail and associate members—because we know how many talented folks are part of Shop.org. Is there a formal process for submitting an idea for a session or for proposing a speaker? We have no formal process, and we no longer do calls for speakers/presentations. If you have an idea for content you’d like to see presented at an event, the best way to let us know about it is to send us an email. When you email us, please let us know about the topic you are interested in, and whether you, yourself, would like to be a speaker. If you are with a PR firm and want to find a speaking opportunity for a client, please be sure to include the following in your email: - Your name and contact information
- The name and brief bio of your client
- The topic or topics your client can speak about
We will reply to all inquiries as quickly as possible, and we will let you know whether or not we are able to use your suggestions in an upcoming Shop.org event. Please be patient as sometimes there is a long wait between when you submit a topic and when we can find the perfect fit for the session at a Shop.org event. Who can speak at a Shop.org event? We draw from a wide range of professionals to speak at our events. Though we love having our members speak, we also tap into the wider business community and invite CEO’s, authors, academics, analysts, and others. If we think that someone has something to say to our community—something that will instruct, challenge, inspire, or encourage—we will try to get that person to speak for us. Do you have to be a retailer to speak at a Shop.org event? Anyone who can help teach, encourage, and inform our membership can speak at our events. Retailers have a lot to say about their experiences and can be great speakers. But our associate members have a lot to share, too. They are often subject matter experts with years of expertise, and they can provide insights and advice that many of our attendees find invaluable. Many of these associate members have also worked in retail at some point in their careers, making them doubly qualified to be effective presenters. How does Shop.org ensure that speakers don’t use their presentations to make a sales pitch? We work with all of our speakers ahead of time, reviewing their presentations and talking to them about what they will say. We gather audience feedback after every presentation, and we sit in the audience for every session. If we hear a pitch, or if an audience member feels that the presenter was “selling,” we would be extremely reluctant to ask the speaker back again. | 
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Lori Kahn
Brian Kalma
Chris Wilson
