Magento Imagine truly is the premier global eCommerce conference focused on exchanging inspired and innovative ideas, discussing emerging trends and making lasting connections! This year’s event will take place May 12th – 14th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and nChannel is proud to be a Silver Sponsor. As a Magento Partner, we’re anticipating a fantastic show next week and want to share 5 of the top reasons we think you need to attend the conference. We just found out though, the conference being so popular, has recently sold out. So, if you have not already registered, consider the title of this to be the top 5 reasons why you should have attended, and put it on your calendar for 2015!
1. Magento Imagine Pre-Imagine Party
First on your itinerary, be sure and schedule some pre-Imagine fun with the 3rd Annual Pre-Imagine Community Party Sunday, May 11th from 4 – 6 pm, the day before the conference starts. nChannel is excited to be a sponsor of this event held at Culinary Dropout Patio and Restaurant at the Hard Rock. The Dropout is the funky gastropub for libation-loving foodies and is located adjacent to the Hotel’s famed Sunday Pool Parties. This will be a great opportunity to personally meet the nChannel team and other active Magento Community members, mingle, hang out and enjoy some light food and drinks.
2. Imagine Grand Opening
Second on your itinerary you won’t want to miss the Imagine & Marketplace Grand Opening, Monday, May 12th from 3 – 4 pm in Muse Hall. Imagine brings together more than 1,700 merchants, partners, developers, digital industry experts and open source enthusiasts, from over 35 countries. Whether you are a casual browser, a serious buyer, or a curious competitor, explore the vast array of innovation and imagination on display and engage experts and experience cutting-edge eCommerce technology first hand. Cap off your Marketplace exploration with the Marketplace Reception from 4 – 7 pm in Muse Hall.
3. Key Speakers
We certainly cannot say enough great things about the informative sessions and talented key speakers lined up. Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell is this year’s keynote speaker. Malcolm was named one of the 100 most influential people by TIME magazine, exploring how ideas spread in The Tipping Point, decision making in Blink, and the roots of success in Outliers. With his latest book, David and Goliath, he examines our understanding of the advantages of disadvantages, arguing that we have underestimated the value of adversity and over-estimated the value of privilege. We also anticipate hearing from Roy Rubin, Co-Founder & COO of Magento, Mark Lavelle, Sr. VP of Product & Strategy for eBay Enterprise and Brent Peters, CTO of eBay Enterprise. Each of these leaders brings a passion and vision for Magento and eBay that is contagious. As both an eBay and Magento strategic partner, nChannel regards the joint venture and shares in the desire to provide innovation and opportunity helping partners and customers grow their businesses.
4. Magento Imagine 2014 Sessions
We know you probably already have a jam-packed itinerary, but Magento has done a great job scheduling some of the best breakout sessions yet. We highlight a few favorites we highly recommend that aim right at the heart of multichannel selling:
Tackling Multi-Channel Complexity on Magento, Coldplay Track, Artist Hall 3-6, Wednesday, May 14 – Breakout Session 5, 11:15am – 12:15pm
The consumer is becoming more and more demanding. Retailers who don’t invest in cross-channel technology right now will not be top-of-mind of the savvy consumer and ultimately lose sales. Retailers with physical and web stores need to ensure that all consumer touch points are quick, stable and optimized to use data in a smart and engaging way. Hear how Harvey Nichols translated complex requirements into a simple user experience (optimized for mobile and tablet) primed for personalization, content curation and innovative fulfillment methods — ultimately giving the discerning Harvey Nichols consumer what they want now and in the future.
- Darryl Adie – Managing Director, Ampersand Commerce
- Gavin Williams – eCommerce and Digital Marketing Consultant, Harvey Nichols
B2B Commerce in a B2C World, Hendrix Track, Wednesday, May 14 – Breakout Session 5, 11:15am – 12:15pm
As B2B buyers move online for research and transactions, B2B businesses must change the way they drive sales. Thick print catalogs, hoards of sales reps, and massive call centers are giving way to B2C-like experiences on the desktop and on mobile devices. Hear directly from B2B merchants and partners on how they are leveraging these new channels and experiences to maximize customer reach and sales.
- Paul Demery – Managing Editor of B2B eCommerce, Editor for B2BecNews – Internet Retailer
- Tony DiCostanzo – President, BookPal
- David Hess – Vice President of Sales, Zeon Solutions
- Brad Kuhns – Senior Manager of Digital Strategy, Zoetis
- Ahmad Rashidi – Director of IT and Web, Implant Direct Sybron International
From $0 to Multi-Millions…A Strategic Roadmap for Growth, Nirvana Track, Fitness Center, Tuesday, May 13 – Breakout Session 2, 1:30pm – 2:00pm
Scaling your eCommerce growth from zero to millions isn’t easy, but it can be done. With the objective of educating eCommerce executives and managers, this panel will reveal what strategies and technologies are best to achieve specific revenue marks for multi-year growth. Jon and Andy will detail what they’ve learned from using various tactics and tools. Topics include, Buy Online and Pick-Up In-Store, CDN and Site Performance, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Online Gifting and more.
- Jon Provisor – Co-Owner and CIO, Guidance
- Andy Solomon – COO, Sole Society
Transforming your Physical Store into a Next Generation Fulfillment Juggernaut, Radiohead Track, Festival Hall 3, Tuesday, May 13 – Breakout Session 4, 4:15pm– 5:15pm
Today’s smart retailers are leveraging physical stores to provide a competitive advantage for driving online sales. Join Garry Wheelhouse, Chief Digital Officer of Harvey Norman, and Carl Hartmann, CEO of Temando, for an in-depth look at how decentralized fulfillment models, coupled with the right technology, can enable shipping programs such as Ship from Store, Click and Collect, and Same Day Delivery and become a lever for growth.
- Gary Wheelhouse – Chief Digital Officer, Harvey Norman
- Carl Hartmann – CEO and Managing Director, Temando
5. Visit nChannel
Well, it is our blog anyway. 🙂 Along with many other sponsoring companies are bringing talented teams eager to meet and talk with you. So if you have questions, want to share ideas, or would like to hear more about how to grow your business and simplify multichannel, stop in at the Marketplace and say hello or send us a tweet! You can follow nChannel on Twitter throughout the conference at @nChannelCloud and Magento @Magento. We’ll see you at Magento Imagine 2014!
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