Rebecca Gibson |
More than 5,000 retail industry players are expected to discuss the latest e-commerce, mobile, marketplace and order fulfilment trends at the InternetRetailing Expo (IRX) in Birmingham, UK this April.
Held from 5-6 April at the NEC, Europe’s only dedicated multichannel retail and delivery event will cover topics such as digital payments, customer experience, mobile growth and cross-border expansion.
IRX will feature sessions and discussions led by more than 90 key from the 500 most significant retailers in the UK and Europe. As part of this, executives from brands such as Sainsbury’s, LEGO, Harrods, John Lewis, M&S, Alibaba Group and Vodafone will host eight free-to-attend conference tracks. They will analyse what 2017 will bring for e-commerce and multichannel, particularly in the wake of Brexit and the resulting shift in the commercial and political landscape.
Attendees will also be able to participate in 20 workshops for hands-on training, or arrange exclusive one-on-one 30 minute clinics with leading companies and retailers.
As usual, IRX will be co-located with eDelivery Expo (EDX). The expo will have its own two dedicated conference tracks – The Final Mile and Operational Excellence – which will explore the delivery and distribution side of internet retailing. Service and solution providers will also showcase the latest technologies from 300 providers that are heloping retailers to improve their packaging, parcels, stock management, warehouse and logistics operations.
New for 2017 will be the Omnichannel Theatre where industry experts will help brands understand how to reconcile their numerous customer channels and deliver a consistent experience. There will also be an Innovation Pavilion, a Digital Payments Theatre, and dedicated meeting spaces for attendees to network.
“IRX and EDX has established as the must-attend event in the multichannel calendar. Not only because they bring together the most ambitious retailers and the leading suppliers, but because they provide a platform for attendees and multichannel retail innovators to connect, interact, experience and learn, all under one roof,” said Sam North, portfolio director for the event. “We’re looking forward to host record numbers of visitors this year, all wanting to learn how best to sell online. E-commerce is one of the few industries which has seen sustained growth in double digits in 2016 and it is expected for that acceleration in online sales growth will continue in 2017.”