Monday, September 21
The Annual Summit will kick off on September 21 with an all-day Online Boot Camp which will be an intense and tactical look at some of the core concepts in the world of online marketing and merchandising. The Online Boot Camp will feature industry experts providing their “7 Tips for Success” on some of the most important topics in eCommerce including Search, Email, Social Networking, Analytics, and Merchandising for Conversion. You should attend our Online Boot Camp if you are new to eCommerce, if you want a refresher course in optimizing your online efforts, or if you want a simple game plan to make sure your eCommerce program is heading in the right direction. A year’s worth of learning in one afternoon! 

Tuesday, September 22 & Wednesday, September 23
The next two days will be filled with some of the most knowledgeable industry speakers presenting cutting-edge content that will directly help you hit your business goals. Each morning will kick-off with inspiring keynote presentations, and we are pleased to introduce three new CEO speakers to the Shop.org community. John Donahoe, CEO of eBay, Terry Lundgren Chairman, President and CEO of Macys Inc., and Dawn Lepore, CEO of Drugstore.com will be giving their unique perspective on online and multi-channel retailing. They will be joined by Sucharita Mulpuru, Vice President and Principal Analyst from Forrester Research who will provide her annual presentation on the State of Retailing Report , and Kelly Mooney, Chief Experience Officer from Resource Interactive who will report on original research regarding consumer behavior during the economic downturn and how it relates to social networking, Web 2.0, and mobile marketing.

The afternoons will be filled with concurrent sessions and individual web site critiques that will provide examples of the most current eCommerce and cross-channel strategies, the most successful retail innovations, and specific tactics that you can take back to the office with you and implement into action.  

Newcomers Reception: South Pacific J
If you are new to the Shop.org community, this reception is a must-attend for you!  Join Shop.org executives, fellow Shop.org newcomers and Shop.org veterans to find out more about Shop.org membership and to tips on how to make the most of your time at the Summit.

Opening Reception: EXPO Hall

Keynote: Terry J. Lundgren, Chairman, President and CEO, Macy's, Inc.
Macy's 3.0: Our 360° View of the Customer
South Pacific Ballroom C

Terry Lundgren will detail what is emerging as one of American retailing's most successful multi-channel strategies. Macy's and Bloomingdale's have driven sales online and in their stores by embracing a 360-degree view of consumers who seek fashion, value and convenience.

Lundgren will discuss how the company has deployed technology to understand consumer needs, reached out through marketing and social networking, and converted shoppers into customers both in stores and online.

Terry's presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A session with Tracy Mullin, President and CEO of the National Retail Federation.

Keynote: Sucharita Mulpuru, Vice President, Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
The State of Retailing Online 2009
South Pacific Ballroom C

Sucharita Mulpuru will provide an overview of the annual Shop.org State of Retailing Online surveys conducted by Forrester Research with details on retailer profitability, merchandising priorities and marking allocation. She will also examine how customer behavior has changed during the economic downturn and how online companies are employing tactics that effectively manage to drive sales, maintain profitability and build customer loyalty.

Keynote: Dawn Lepore, CEO and Chairman of the Board, drugstore.com, inc.
The Pathway to Profitability
South Pacific Ballroom C

Dawn Lepore became CEO of drugstore.com after the dot.com bubble burst.  For nearly 5 years, she has led a turnaround elevating the company to become one of the premier online retailers. While retailers have been experiencing one of the toughest periods in history, drugstore.com has continued to grow reporting record revenues during the recession.  In her remarks, she will offer observations on how to optimize online retail to drive profitability, how technology will continue to drive retail innovation and the lessons she has learned from careful observation of customers. 

The Doctor Is In: One-on-One Website Critiques
Retailer attendees will be able to reserve 20 minute time slots with 13 industry experts.  Sign up for available times on Tuesday and Wednesday in room - Tradewinds E - anytime between 1:30 - 4:45pm. Space is limited!

Mobile Commerce: The Next Frontier for Retail
Moderator: Mickey ALAM KHAN, Editor in Chief, Mobile Marketer
Panelists: Ted Hong, Chief Marketing Officer, Fandango,  Neal Narayani, Senior Manager of Mobile and Email Marketing, Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., Gary Wohlfeill, Creative Director, Moosejaw
Islander F

For retailers looking to tap into the next digital channel for interacting with consumers, look no further than mobile.

The United States already boasts more than 233 million mobile subscribers nationwide – one-fifth of them with text- and email-friendly, Web-enabled smartphones such as the Apple iPhone, Palm Pre and assorted BlackBerry, Nokia, LG, Samsung, HTC and Motorola models. These consumers use the mobile phone not just to talk and text, but also to email, search, play, find directions, listen to music, shop and buy.

Better handsets, affordable data plans, higher mobile Web usage and increasing awareness of mobile shopping are creating an ideal environment for retailers to take their ecommerce and online marketing operations mobile. Consumers will soon expect to receive the same experience on mobile as they do on the wired Web on PCs.

Hear case studies and best-practice tips from retailers and marketers who understand mobile marketing, merchandising and commerce, including the use of SMS, mobile coupons and mobile Web. Panelists will take questions during presentations, so expect a lively, interactive session. 

Reinventing Online Retail: Radical Business Models That Are Paying Off Today
Moderator: Joshua Goldman, General Partner, Norwest Venture Partners
Panelists: Susan Lyne, CEO, Gilt Groupe Inc. and Matt Rutledge, CEO, woot!
Islander G

Understanding today’s more connected consumers, and leveraging innovative business models, marketing techniques and social media, online retailers Gilt Groupe and woot! have built profitable businesses that are changing the retailing industry.  Gilt Groupe has built its highly successful business through an exclusive “invitation only” shopping model, which, while it restricts access, counter-intuitively also reaches a  large audience of  designer brand shoppers. woot! has created a business that is rumored to be doing over $100M a year in revenue, yet it sells just a single item per day in massive quantities for incredibly low prices.  What lessons can be learned from these companies? Can multi-channel retailers implement some of these approaches to attract new customers and stimulate new types of buying from existing customers?  Using viral marketing to “spread the word,” and incentivized viral marketing to reward members who bring in  new customers, these companies are growing new, and exciting shopping communities.  They are proving that online retailing has moved beyond the “trial” or “experimentation” phase, into mainstream businesses. Now is the time to capitalize on their techniques.

Quadrants, Waves and Charts, Oh My! Making Sense of the eCommerce Platform Marketplace for You
Moderator: Bernardine Wu, CEO, FitForCommerce
Panelists: Jay Greenberg, Director, eCommerce, Spencer's, Brian Salau Beck, COO, OvernightPrints.com and Jill Salomon Dvorak, Director of Consumer E-commerce, North America, The Britannica Store
Islander H

With so many more choices than just 18 months ago, choosing and re-launching an eCommerce platform can be as painful as living through a house renovation. And all too often the pain doesn't stop there. Now more than ever, it's critical to find the right "fit" platform to meets your exact needs. In this advice-packed session, an expert will lay out a view of the eCommerce platform landscape, give you the tools to make a knowledge-based decision, and three eCommerce practitioners will share their real-life lessons learned - tips and mistakes - in choosing the platform approach (license, on-demand, in-house) and choosing the best fit vendor.

40+ Specific Things You Can Do to Make More Money Next Week (SEO Edition)
Moderator: Allan Dick, Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Plumbing Evangelist, Vintage Tub and Bath
Panelists: Mona Elesseily, Director of Marketing Strategy, Page Zero Media; Todd Friesen, SEO Ninja, Todd Friesen Associates; Ken Jurina, President and Founder, Top Draw and Epiar; Brian Klais, Vice President of Search, Netconcepts; Bill Leake, CEO, Apogee Search; Amanda Watlington, Owner, Searching For Profit; Chuck Whiteman, Sr. VP Client Services, MotionPoint Corporation
Islander I

Last year’s highest rated session is back with a vengeance! Forget the grand strategy talks; ignore the expensive, time-consuming software implementations; discard the hard-to-measure long-term plans - this session is about specific, actionable tactics you can use to make money NOW. Our panel of experts is going to give you killer tips to improve your Paid Search and Natural Search. We’re going to be moving fast so we will have a handout for session attendees with all of the gory details. This is the session you want to attend if you want to get your hands dirty and improve the bottom line. It will also help you convince your boss that you came to the Summit to make money – not just party in Vegas.

Twitter and Social Media All-Stars
Moderator: Denise Zimmerman, President & CSO, NetPlus Marketing
Panelists: Tracy Benson, Sr. Director, Best Buy Interactive Marketing & Emerging Media, Best Buy, Alison Jeske, Senior Director, Product Management, Drugstore.com and Kevin Ranford, Director, Web Marketing, 1-800-Flowers.com
Islander F

Social media including Twitter, is exploding, drawing unprecedented attention, participation, as well as questions from marketers and retailers. And retailers and brands are feeling pressured to find solid answers to these questions. While most recognize the importance of an online presence, they are wondering how Social Media and Twitter can realistically impact their business. Is it a viable way to reach and engage their audience? How? What are the key elements to having an all-star campaign or presence?

While success and stardom may seem elusive to us common folks, many retailers and brands are finding their own place on the Social Media Walk of Fame, while many others find themselves on the Walk of Shame. What can they learn from the current all-stars to carve out their own success? How do they do it? You dont have to be a major celebrity like Ashton Kutcher to succeed on twitter or social media. Brands and retailers are finding new ways to leverage the channel to engage with their customers to support and advance their brand, marketing and sales goals.

To provide you with some practical insight, answers and perhaps a dose of inspiration, Denise Zimmerman, President of NetPlus Marketing, will moderate a panel of bona fide social media all-stars, who will share their real life experiences and give advice to help you on your way to social media Fame.

Site Harmony: Creating the Optimal Balance of Customer Experience and SEO
Moderator: Dustin Engel, VP, Strategy and Media, Range Online Media
Retailer Panelists: Bill Pryor, Chief Operating Officer, Shoebuy.com and John Tighe, Director of eCommerce, Genesco Retail
Islander G

It is clear that there must be a balance between your customers’ experience on your site and the search engines’ ability to find and rank it. But, how do you ensure that you are fully optimizing your site without compromising your brand? Attendees will learn from real-life examples and experts in the field how to reach this much sought-after stasis, including discussions on:

Understanding how SEO affects the user experience, and vice versa. From readability and keyword ranking, and page design to specific copy usage, the panelists will discuss the “secret sauce” to finding the perfect balance for your site.

Tactical information such as  product descriptions, site design options, usability, site structure and category set up. Learn how your site can draw customers to quicker and more profitable conversions while ensuring it appears at the top of the engines.

Brand protection and the technical options for growing customer loyalists without losing rankings.

The 60 Minute Cross-Channel Checkup:  How To Service and Fulfill in a Cross-Channel Environment
Moderator: Janet Sherlock, Research Director, AMR Research
Panelists: Brian Dean, VP of Direct, Brooks Brothers, Tom Giacalone, DVP, Multi Channel Management, Sears Holdings and Steven Turco, Cross-channel Fulfillment, LEGO
Islander H

Today’s consumer wants to research, buy, ship, return, or be serviced from any channel represented by your brand.  Retailers, brand manufacturers, and retailers have the opportunity to leverage this trend to their advantage.  Retailers can better service their customers while optimizing inventory if they employ intelligent cross-channel fulfillment practices.  Learn from our panel of retail experts about their companies’ experience executing cross-channel strategies and fulfillment practices.  Also, learn why cross-channel offerings, execution, and fulfillment impact every part of the retail enterprise—including merchandising and marketing.

40+ Specific Things You Can Do to Make More Money Next Week (Driving Conversion)
Moderator: Allan Dick, Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Plumbing Evangelist, Vintage Tub and Bath
Jason Billingsley, Founder, Flip Retail; Heather Blank, Senior Director of Strategic Services, Responsys; Heather Brunner, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Client Services, Bazaarvoice; Kevin Ertell, VP of Retail Strategy, ForeSee Results; Justin Foster, Founder & President, Video Commerce Consortium (VCC) and Co-Founder & VP Market Development, Liveclicker, Inc.; Tom Funk, Vice President of Marketing, Timberline Interactive; Lance Loveday, CEO, Closed Loop Marketing; Brian Platter, General Manager, Home Delivery, Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc.; Brian Smith - CEO and Founder - SingleFeed; Zia Daniell Wigder, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research, Inc.; Kimberly Williams-Czopek, User Experience Group Director, Fry
Islander I

Roundtables:  Islander F, G and H
Roundtables consistently rank as one of the most worthwhile portions of our events.  Immediately following the last concurrent session,  join Annual Summit speakers and industry experts in interactive discussions on the most relevant eCommerce and multi-channel topics.

Keynote: John Donahoe, President and CEO, eBay, Inc.
South Pacific Ballroom C

John will discuss consumer shopping trends and what theymean for commerce online and offline.

John's presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A session with Patti Freeman Evans, Vice President and Research Director at Forrester Research.

Keynote: Kelly Mooney,  President and Chief Experience Officer, Resource Interactive
Recession-Rewired: Moms and Millennials in Consumerism’s Crosshairs
South Pacific Ballroom C

As Americans ride out the nation’s protracted economic recovery, they are retaining some of the consumerist values and habits acquired during one of the worst of the downturns in U.S. history, when choices were tougher than usual. Kelly Mooney, President and Chief Experience Officer of Resource Interactive, will show some interesting shifts in the shopping decisions and brand affinities of the new consumer. Looking specifically at two of the most influential cohorts, Moms and their at-home Millennials, Kelly will debut new modes of digital engagement and ecommerce amenities to help marketers make the most of the increasingly powerful digital channel.

Retail Widgets and Apps: A Guidebook for Success
Moderator: David Yovanno, CEO, Gigya
Panelists: Albert DiPadova, Vice President, Due Maternity, Alex Miller, Director of Programming, QVC, Inc., and Jonathan Schaaf, Associate Media Director, Razorfish Chicago
Islander F

Dramatic changes in the online landscape are providing new challenges and opportunities for retailers. Content and experiences are now distributed across the web, increasingly on social media, where consumers are spending a fast-growing proportion of their time.  These consumers rely on social tools to discover or get feedback on products, and this creates a tremendous opportunity – and a potential minefield – for brands.  In this session, leaders in retail, social technologies, and interactive advertising share how they are using web widgets, also known as portable apps, to make shopping social and deliver brand and retail experiences to all corners of the web. Attendees will learn what defines a portable app, best practices for retail apps, and the latest tools and technologies for creating and distributing portable apps to wherever consumers spend time online.

Innovations in eCommerce—Did it Happen? What is Next?
Panelists: Doug Mack, Vice President of Hosted and Consumer Solutions, Adobe; Ivy Chin, Vice President, Strategic & Multimedia Ops, QVC, Inc.; Peter Cobb, Co-Founder, eBags; and Paul Miller, President, Enservio Retail;
Islander G

Reviving one of our most highly rated panels of speakers from 2006, this group made predications three years ago as to the future of eCommerce. Did their predictions come to fruition? What do they expect to happen next? These industry veterans bring diverse perspectives—and will share their insights into how the online shopping experience may need to change over the next few years to keep up with growing consumer expectations and to win the increasingly fierce battle for existing shoppers. With experience across multichannel retail, pure play eCommerce, and key industry technologies, this group is well- equipped to look at this question from a variety of angles and to address the questions of just about any attendee.

1-800-Make More Money:  The Path to Call Center Excellence
Moderator: Troy Brown, Retail Practice Leader, Demandware
Panelists: Josh Friedman, Dell.com Consumer E-Commerce – North America, Dell, Inc.; Jane Judd, Senior Manager of the Customer Loyalty Team, Zappos; and Ron Spath, Vice President of Customer Relations, Cabela’s Inc.
Islander H

Are your Call Center and other direct customer touch-points over-looked, under-managed, or generally ignored as a key part of your operational model?  What are some of the best practices that retailers must implement in their call center and chat functionality to not only create a positive customer experience but actually drive sales?  Meet a couple of retailers who focus on customer call center and chat and derive significant benefits from doing so.  Listen in on some of their recorded customer service calls and chat logs and learn how they “walk their customers to check-out” to make the most out of every consumer interaction.  Learn how the call center is truly the “hub” of online business and how they need to collaborate with marketing and merchandising  to be successful.  We will also hear specific examples how senior management can benefit by being actively involved in the customer service operations including taking phone calls and answering chat inquiries.   In a tough economy, where marketing budgets are being frozen or shrunk, learn how you can use your existing call center assets to drive incremental results and still meet or exceed your targets in 2009.

Extreme Makeover: SEO Edition
Moderator: Stephan Spencer, Founder and President, Netconcepts
Panelists: Jeremiah Andrick, Online Customer Acquisition Manager, Logitech, Mike Bibbey, Vice President Marketing, Affy Tapple & Mrs. Prindable's, Alexander A. Tabibi M.D., CEO, Tabcom (Dog.com) and Jeff Wisot, Vice President Marketing, Buy.com
Islander I

Wouldn't it be great if your in-house SEO or your SEO consultant could wave a magic wand and you'd end up with a completely search engine optimized site -- all tricked out with the latest and greatest SEO elements? Instead, going beyond the SEO basics (search friendly URLs, custom titles, meta descriptions, headings) often requires either major invasive surgery on your ecommerce platform, or worse -- re-platforming.

Stephan will deconstruct and redesign both large and small retailers' home pages and representative product and category pages -- solely from an SEO perspective. First, get the background from the retailer. Then, Stephan will walk you through the "Before" and "After" -- the "After" being in the form of functional mockups.

The New Rules of Relevance: Improving Email Marketing in a Fragmented World
Moderator: David Daniels, Vice President, Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
Panelists: Larry Cooper, Head of Online Marketing, Under Armour, Jeff Haddox, Direct Marketing Analyst, Pier 1 Imports and Jon Kosoff, Director of E-commerce and Direct Marketing, The Wet Seal, Inc.
Islander F

Armed with every communication modality, consumers are shifting their media and communication consumption patterns which are driving new challenges and opportunities for marketers. Email marketing is experiencing a renaissance including emerging social oriented email tactics, SMS to email integration as well as the re-introduction of video-email.   

Attend this session and learn:
- The latest market trends including Forrester’s latest email marketing forecast
- Segmentation and data integration tactics that prove to be most effective
- Methods of bridging the social, mobile and email marketing worlds
- Creative strategies that resonate with consumers including when video might be an appropriate creative asset to deploy
- Results oriented best practices to improve email relevance and marketing ROI

Growing Pains:  Is Profitable Global eCommerce Expansion a Myth or Reality

Moderator: Jim Okamura, Senior Partner, J.C. Williams Group
Panelists: Ryan Bonner, Director, Online Commerce Group, Bose Corporation, Dennis McEniry, ELC Online, President and Thomas Ryan, CEO, Threadless/skinnyCorp
Islander H

More than one-half of the largest U.S. E-commerce brands are engaged in some form of international selling. Most are quick to admit modest capabilities, yet others are surprised to discover how many “domestic” orders end up with international consumers. For big brands, realizing the full potential of International E-commerce without costly in-country solutions is unlikely. Yet barriers for international entrants are low enough that small retailers are showing their agility versus big brands. Is there a staged progression that establishes a foundation for future international growth? Can you gradually test your way to an international strategy? Or does the enterprise need to be committed and completely aligned before International E-commerce commences?

J.C. Williams Group conducted best practices research among leading E-commerce brands to set benchmarks at the start of a marathon race. Key research findings will be discussed among a panel of E-commerce leaders. Then join roundtable discussions to exchange insights and your own International best practices.

Leveraging the Power of Alternate Payments
Moderator: Luke Albertalli, Executive Relationship Manager, Javelin Strategy & Research
Panelists: Chris Cummings, Chief Technology Officer, eBags.com and Jeff Wisot, Vice President Marketing, Buy.com
Islander I

In an environment where attracting new customers has become more expensive, retailers are looking for the most effective ways to increase conversion and to maximize the influence of their existing customers.   While numerous alternate payment methods are available, the effect they have on consumer behavior has not been entirely understood.  Are alternate payments options a “nice to have” feature or an indispensable tool for driving conversion?  What is the difference between the numerous payment options and how can retailers use these payment options to maximize the potential to increase their business?  This session will provide an analysis from Javelin Research on the different payment types, how alternate payments can influence purchasing behavior, and also a real world look at how several retailers are using alternative payments to pave the road to profitability.

Roundtables :  Islander F, H, and I
Roundtables consistently rank as one of the most worthwhile portions of our events.  To conclude the Annual Summit,  join speakers and industry experts in interactive discussions on the most relevant eCommerce and multi-channel topics.

We are confident that retailers attending Shop.org events will acquire valuable strategies and tactics to improve their online and multichannel retail business. If not, let us know and we'll refund your registration fee.

Contact Stacy Cornell at cornells@shop.org or call 434.326.5740. 
Download the prospectus, including current sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities.

Listen to the Voices of Shop.org Attendees
We'll tell you it is the one-of-a-kind networking, innovative and engaging education, and access to state-of-the-art technologies but it sounds better when it comes from them. Watch this short clip.