"This year’s conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from an unprecedented array of the most remarkable players in retail, technology, entertainment and business."
Cristina Ceresoli
NRF Senior Vice President for Retail Strategy
WASHINGTON – CEOs, startup founders, top business school professors and entertainment luminaries will discuss the changing retail landscape and how digital commerce is transforming business to better engage consumers as more than 2,500 leading members of the ecommerce community gather in Los Angeles later this month for the National Retail Federation’s annual Shop.org conference.
“This year’s conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from an unprecedented array of the most remarkable players in retail, technology, entertainment and business overall on topics that are critical to today’s transformative and dynamic retail environment,” NRF Senior Vice President for Retail Strategy Cristina Ceresoli said. “Our goal is that they walk away inspired and informed, taking with them practical skills and knowledge that are quickly translatable in their current business practices so they can continue to grow and succeed.”
The September 25-27 conference will include keynotes from industry leaders and other experts, including:
September 26:
Tyra Banks, creator, “America’s Next Top Model,” and chairwoman and CEO, The Tyra Banks Company
Michael White, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media
Marc Lore, president and CEO, Walmart eCommerce U.S.
Andrew Nusca, digital editor, Fortune
Adam Goldenberg, co-founder and co-CEO, TechStyle Fashion Group
Gregg Renfrew, founder and CEO, Beautycounter
Mariam Naficy, founder and CEO, Minted
Danielle Weisberg, co-founder and co-CEO, theSkimm
Carly Zakin, co-founder and co-CEO, theSkimm
September 27:
Scott Galloway, clinical professor of marketing, New York University Stern School of Business, and founder and chairman, L2
Adam Grant, professor, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
Mindy Grossman, president and CEO, Weight Watchers International Inc.
Roger Rawlins, CEO, DSW Inc.
Rachel Blumenthal, founder and CEO, Rockets of Awesome
Tracy DiNunzio, founder and CEO, Tradesy
Graham Stanton, co-founder and senior vice president for performance marketing, Peloton
Max Levchin, founder and CEO, Affirm
James Rhee, executive chairman and CEO, Ashley Stewart, and founder and president, FirePine Group
Omar Miller, actor, producer and global director, Big Easy Productions
Kobe Bryant, five-time NBA champion, CEO, Kobe Inc., and general partner, Bryant Stibel
On September 26, feature stage speakers presented by Fast Company will include Contributing Editor Verena Von Pfetten, Thrive Market founder and Chief Strategy Officer Gunnar Lovelace, CVS Caremark Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Brian Tilzer, Panera Bread Vice President for Experience Design Mark Berinato, Wayfair Next Director Mike Festa and Pinterest Head of Retail Strategy Amy Vener.
On September 27, the feature stage will include Digital Prophets Network Founder and President Elaine Rubin, Barnes & Noble, Nook Chief Digital Officer Fred Argir, Orvis Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information and Interaction Dave Finnegan and Future Laboratory CEO Trevor Hardy.
In addition to the speakers on the main stage and feature stage, breakout sessions will provide tactical insights into ecommerce, innovation, consumer trends and more. Highlights include:
- 7.5 Billion Bosses: Consumers are in Charge Now – Kate Ancketill, CEO and founder, GDR Creative Intelligence.
- Going Gaga for Brands in La La Land – Nina Ojeda, columnist, Inc. Magazine; Mondy Herndon, vice president for ecommerce, TOMS; and Jane Fisher, co-founder, Harper Wilde.
- Putting the ‘Instant’ in ‘Instant Gratification’ – Tammy Everts, chief experience officer, Speedcurve; Luke Chatelain, vice president for innovation, West Elm; and Grace Glenny, senior director for site merchandising, Target.
- They Want It All: The Empowered Consumer – Nick Worth, chief marketing officer, Selligent; Rick Ton, director of membership and product marketing, Sam’s Club; and Benjamin Weiss, senior product manager, Walgreens.
- Loyalty Building Strategies from Cult Brands – Rebecca Kaden, partner, Maveron; Dave Cho, co-founder and CEO, Soko Glam; Bobby Farahi, co-founder and CEO, Dolls Kill; and Joey Zwillinger, co-founder, Allbirds.
- Not Just Mini-Millennials: What Makes Gen Z Unique – Dan Coates, president, Ypulse; Chad Kessler, global brand president, American Eagle Outfitters; and Caren Sinclair-Kay, president, Dormify.
- Digital Sleuths: How Kohl's is Increasing Conversion and Elevating Customer Experience – Sarah Rasmusen, vice president for digital merchandising and analytics, Kohl’s; and Jess Simpson, principal, Deloitte Consulting.
- Viral Marketing in the YouTube Era – Shane Murphy, vice president for marketing, AdRoll; and Bryant Garvin, director of digital marketing, Purple.
- A New Era of Retail: Advice from Venture Capitalists – James Rhee, executive chairman and CEO, Ashley Stewart, and founder and president, FirePine Group; Rebecca Kaden, partner, Maveron; Jordan Nof, head of investments, Tusk Ventures; and Hans Tung, managing partner Silicon Valley, GGV Capital.
- Conversational Commerce and the Rise of the Robot – Healey Cypher, CEO and founder, OAK; Jennifer Tvedt, global director of project management and performance, Nike Inc.
Complimentary registration is available to editorial members of the news media as well as accredited retail analysts and bloggers. For more information, visit the Shop.org media registration page.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association. Based in Washington, D.C., NRF represents discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF.com