E-Commerce Events in September 2012
Would you like to escape your daily grind and recharge your e-commerce batteries before the holiday shopping season kicks in to full gear?
September offers two e-commerce trade shows that might be just what the doctor ordered.
If you are using (or are interested in) the IBM Smarter Commerce platform, you should consider attending the Smarter Commerce Global Summit 2012. It is September 5-7 in Orlando at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. This is the second year of the show, in this new business user focused format. The first year (in San Diego) was surprisingly good given that it was put together somewhat hastily, and so I have high hopes for this event, now that IBM has had a year to plan it. Guy Kawasaki will serve as the host and give one of the keynotes. I’m particularly looking forward to hearing Dan Heath’s Keynote. Dan and his brother are the authors of Made to Stick, and Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
. Both books are great reads about becoming aware of our innate psychology and using that awareness to achieve our goals. His keynote should be great.
The 2012 Shop.org Annual Summit is in Denver, September 10-12 in the Colorado Convention Center. This is one of my favorite e-commerce shows. The exhibit hall is just the right size (a good mix of useful exhibitors but not overwhelming), and the content is usually first rate. Shop.org always does a great job of making sure the breakout sessions are stacked with retailers sharing their real-world experiences (rather than vendors), and this year the Keynote will be Jamie Nordstrom, President of Nordstrom Direct, who does not do many of these events. If you’re a retailer, and you plan to attend, make sure you sign up for one of the “Doctor Is In: One-on-One Website Critiques”. It’s always great to get a third party perspective, and this year you can book an appointment with Tim Ash.
I’ll be at both events, so if your attending, let’s meet up! If you can’t make it, you can follow both events on Twitter. Shop.org is #shoporg12, and Smarter Commerce is #IBMSCGS.