CONNECT 2017 AGENDA
MONDAY / AUGUST 21, 2017
4:00 pm | Registration opens
5:00 pm | Opening Keynote Session
The Three Levers of a Consumer-Focused Strategy
Financial metrics like comp sales, revenues, and earnings are important to measure but customers actually drive a business. Business results derive from three primary consumer levers: (1) Get More Customers (2) to Come More Often, and (3) to Spend More. Aligning against these “3 Levers” drives organizational focus and results. Digital marketing and technology investments need to start with which of the “3 Levers” is affected. Whether considering a loyalty program, deploying an app or mobile payments, it’s critical to ascertain which consumer outcome will change. Initiatives aligned with the 3 Levers are easily measured and drive continuous results.
Speaker:
• Jayson Tipp | Former SVP Strategy & Chief Development Officer | Papa Murphy’s International
5:30 – 7:30 pm | Opening Reception
Join us for a chance to network with attendees, speakers and sponsors over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
TUESDAY / AUGUST 22, 2017
7:00 am | Registration & Breakfast
8:00 am | Opening Remarks
• David Drain | SVP, Events | Networld Media Group
8:15 am | Keynote Session
Mobile Moving Forward
New technologies and strategies are popping up all the time. Which ones are really moving the needle and having an impact now? Which ones do you need to be aware of and keep an eye on for the future?
Speaker:
• Nikki Baird | Managing Partner | Retail Systems Research
9:00 am | Refreshment Break
9:30 am | Breakout Session
The Opportunities & Challenges of Buy Online, Pickup In Store
Speed and convenience are two primary reasons consumers choose so-called “click-and-collect” programs. When first introduced, there were certainly some bumps in the road. Retailers and restaurants are learning the importance of good signage, email and text-message communication, dedicated counters and, of course, order accuracy. Can buy online, pickup in store (aka BOPIS) compete with same-day delivery? What about the value of getting customers in-store to create the opportunity for additional (impulse) purchases?
Panelists:
• Howard Blumenthal | VP, eCommerce | Brookstone
• Rich Hope | CMO | Jersey Mike’s
• Dennis Schleicher | Senior Manager of Customer Experience | Kohl’s
Moderator:
• Christopher Hall | Managing Director | ICX Association
9:30 am | Breakout Session
Making Your App Indispensable
Many agree that apps provide the best mobile experience, but we also know people keep a limited number of apps on their phone. Your loyal customers are the ones downloading your app, therefore you should reward them as such. In this session, you’ll hear tips and tricks on how some brands are making their app stick.
Panelists:
• Jordan Campbell | Former Digital Marketing Manager | la Madeleine Country French Café
• Prakash Karamchandani | Co-Founder & CEO | Balance Grille
• Laura Reese | Senior Director, Media/Digital/PR | Church’s Chicken
Moderator:
• Jim Steinberg | SVP of Enterprise Partnerships | LoyaltyPlant
- Sponsored by LoyaltyPlant
10:30am | Refreshment Break
11:00 am | Breakout Session
Do We Really Need Cashiers and Checkout Lanes?
The launch of Amazon Go in Seattle — a store where Prime members check in with their phone, pick up items they want and leave — has made an idea that’s been talked about into a reality. It begs the question: do we need cashiers or can we handle that process seamlessly through mobile? If we can’t do away with it entirely, how do we speed up the checkout process to solve that customer pain point?
Panelists:
• Nikki Baird | Managing Partner | Retail Systems Research
• David Hewitt | Group VP, Consumer Experience | SapientRazorfish
• Richard Schneider | COO, Sportservice | Delaware North
Moderator:
• Bill Morris | General Manager | Aware Software
- Sponsored by Aware Software
11:00 am | Breakout Session
The Attribution Fallacy: Your Marketing ROI is a Lie!
Every business owner seeks a quantifiable and clear relationship between their carefully planned marketing tactics and the revenue they generate. One of the biggest appeals of online marketing channels is their ability to directly attribute ROI – but can they actually do it? Until you know precisely what mix of marketing channels influenced consumer behavior, you don’t really know what works and what doesn’t. In this session, we’ll explore the reasons why direct attribution is a fallacy, and discuss methods to quantify your marketing using data, AI, and your businesses’ POS transaction details.
Speaker:
• Corey O’Donnell | SVP of Marketing | Mobivity
- Sponsored by Mobivity
12:00 pm | Lunch
1:00 pm | Breakout Session
The Latest in Mobile Marketing
What does it take to reach your customer these days and how do you cut through the noise? We’ll cover a range of topics, including successful mobile campaigns, mobile wallets, rich communication services (RCS) and more.
Panelists:
• Donna Josephson | Chief Marketing Officer | Fazoli’s
• Kira McCabe | Associate Director, Digital Media | Tropical Smoothie Café
• Kimberly Turman | Digital Marketing Manager | Pie Five
Moderator:
• Michael Ahearn | VP, Customer Development & Strategy | Upland Mobile Messaging
- Sponsored by Upland Mobile Messaging
1:00 pm | Breakout Session
Mobile POS and Bridging POS Systems to External Platforms
In this session, we’ll discuss mobile POS systems to help your customer check out anywhere. We’ll also explore systems that can bridge the gap between your legacy POS systems and the latest tools and platforms.
Panelists:
• Paul Epperley | Director, Consumer Technology Portfolios | Sodexo
• Will Hernandez | Editor | Mobile Payments Today
• MJ Worsham | Corporate IT Manager | Roy Rogers Restaurants
Moderator:
• Justin McNally | Chief Technology Officer | Chowly
- Sponsored by Chowly
2:00 pm | Refreshment Break
2:30 pm | Breakout Session
The State of M-Commerce
Most people search on mobile and then buy on desktop, but mobile commerce is expected to surpass desktop soon. According to Criteo’s State of Mobile Commerce Report, the leading 25% of mobile retailers saw 50% of their sales from mobile. Also according to the report, app conversion rates exceed mobile web. We’ll talk more about where m-commerce is and where’s it’s going.
Panelists:
• Callie Blackburn | Social Media Manager | Regal Cinemas
• Michelle Evans | Digital Consumer Manager | Euromonitor International
• Gary Kazmer | General Manager of Global e-Commerce | Crayola
Moderator:
• Vishal Naik | Director of Product Marketing | MomentFeed
- Sponsored by MomentFeed
2:30 pm | Breakout Session
Let’s Get Personal
“It’s all about me,” is how customers think. They want the right thing, at the right time, at the right price and they choose brands that meet their needs and wants. Advancements in personalization have given marketers the ability to customize their message and their offerings based on a consumer’s preferences, interests, demographics and more. In this session, we’ll talk about personalization and one of consumer’s most personal possessions, the mobile phone.
Panelists:
• Melissa Gallagher | VP Marketing | Freshii
• Krista McLay | Brand and Communications Manager | Nando’s Canada
• Lauren Thigpen | Digital Experience, Marketing | Chick-fil-A
Moderator:
• Devon Wright | GM, Yelp WiFi | Yelp
- Sponsored by Yelp Wifi
3:30 pm | Refreshment Break
4:00 pm | General Session
Chatbots: The Future of Commerce?
Chatbots and other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) seem to have entered our lives overnight. Should your company adopt “conversational commerce” methods such as Amazon Echo, Siri, Google’s virtual assistant, Facebook Messenger and/or voice ordering? We’ll hear from brands who are implementing this tech, how it has helped, and what pitfalls to avoid.
Panelists:
• Ryan Craver | SVP Emerging Brands, Licenses & Digital Strategy | Lamour Group
• Will Hernandez | Editor | Mobile Payments Today
• Ken Moy | Former VP of Digital | Subway
Moderator:
• Jeff Michaud | VP of Sales | 3Cinteractive
- Sponsored by 3Cinteractive
6:30 – 9:30 pm | Dinner Party
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is the VIP of lanes with a nightclub vibe, cool lighting, soft seating, great food and drinks. We will have exclusive use of the second floor of the venue. Enjoy great food, an open bar, unlimited bowling, billiards tables, shuffleboard, and darts!
This private dinner party is included with your Summit registration at no additional cost.
Summit participants will meet in the Sofitel lobby at 6:15 to walk to Lucky Strike.
WEDNESDAY / AUGUST 23, 2017
8:00 am | Breakfast
9:00 am | General Session
Brain Exchange
One of the highlights of the Summit is this deeply interactive session where you’ll work with others at your table on a specific topic, hashing out best practices and things you’ve learned. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in two table discussions. Come prepared to learn and to share!
10:30 am | Refreshment Break
11:00 am | Closing Keynote Session
Mobile, Minds, and Merchandise
The pervasiveness of digital media and its integration to our lives is influencing the structure of our brains as well as our physical environments. Digital place-based media, handheld devices and emerging technologies are changing the way retailers, restaurateurs, hoteliers and myriad other businesses, need to communicate with their customers.
While Millennials are all the focus of many businesses trying to capture this market of consumers, there is a generation of emerging guests for whom expectations about how brand experiences should unfold are changing the paradigm of what a branded experience will be in a digitally mediated future. How does a brand experience remain relevant when you consider that the idea of a ‘Generation Gap’ is morphing into a “Brain Gap” between ‘older’ and Gen Z guests?
Moderator:
• Lee Auerbach | VP of Sales | Chatmeter
- Sponsored by Chatmeter
12:00 pm | Summit adjourns
