When curating this year’s agenda, we were extremely intentional in selecting retail leaders who have been instrumental in helping their organizations shape the customer experience and who are passionate about retail innovation. At the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, we lean heavily into the quality of sessions (not quantity) to ensure you have access to the right people and the opportunity to collaborate with ease.
With this year’s theme focused on the Evolved Customer Journey, industry leaders will discuss how they are adapting processes and embracing new technologies to ensure their brand experiences are unified and driven by customer needs, behaviors and expectations. Conversations will be tailored to three distinct conference tracks — Content, Community and Commerce — so we can dig deep into specific tactics and takeaways.
Plus, I am excited to unveil a new general session track called: “The C-Suite Corner,” which will feature panel discussions on topics such as: sustainability progress in retail, international expansion, workplace culture, the future of store design and experience, investments for growth and more! If you plan to register for a Conference Pass or an All-Access Pass, you’ll want to highlight these in your schedule ASAP so you don’t miss your chance to hear from a variety of C-level leaders. Fun fact: more than 50% of our 2024 speakers are new to RICE with the majority being VP-level and above, so you can be sure to hear fresh perspectives and insights.
Before I share more details about the exciting speaker lineup, check out the agenda-at-a-glance below to familiarize yourself with our newly revamped schedule. Note: On Wednesday, June 5, the conference agenda begins with our track breakouts and the expo hall opening in the afternoon. On Thursday, June 6, we’ll begin with the morning expo hall sessions and have the conference breakouts commence in the afternoon. You won’t want to miss the afternoon conference sessions on Thursday, so please keep this in mind when finalizing your travel plans! (If you skip to the bottom of this blog, you’ll see all the speaker details. 😉)
AGENDA-AT-A-GLANCE
Now, let’s dive into who you can expect to hear from throughout the main 2 days of the conference program, June 5 and 6!
Wednesday, June 5
Content Track
This track is full of impactful retail leaders across marketing, advertising and more! Sessions will include insights from digital, marketing and content leaders on the channels and tactics that are driving creative storytelling methods and business outcomes. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Rebecca Minkoff, Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer, Rebecca Minkoff; Co-founder, Female Founder Collective
- Liz Primm, VP of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, Babylist
- Joe Cano, Chief Marketing & Merchandising Officer, Zappos.com
- Travis Colvin, General Manager, New Vertical Ads, Uber
- Bryan Rotunno, US Head of Sales, CPG, Retail, Health/Wellness, QSR and Travel, Spotify
- Jeff Jan, EVP, Strategy & Growth, The Out of Home Advertising Association of America
- Melissa Minkow, Director, Retail Strategy, CI&T
- Sam Gould, Senior Director of Growth: Member Engagement, IPSY
- And more to be announced soon!
Community Track
This track will include discussions on how brands can build and cultivate communities in physical environments and emerging digital spaces, as well as new requirements for unified commerce experiences. This is where leaders will explore the intersection of these spaces and how brick-and-mortar stores are evolving to meet the needs of digitally savvy consumers. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Heather Bennett, EVP, Marketing and Ecommerce, Michaels
- Brendon Garner, Co-founder, CPO, KIKI
- Monica Royer, CEO and Founder, Monica + Andy
- Jack Stratten, Head of Trends, Insider Trends
- Ian Scott, Director, Ian Scott Consulting Ltd.
- And more to be announced soon!
Commerce Track
This track will dive into the evolution of commerce and how new channels and platforms are creating new revenue opportunities. You’ll hear from organizations that are redefining commerce experiences and embedding shopping into authentic, personalized moments. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Carrie Sweeney, VP of Retail, Pinterest
- Bob Ma, Principal, Investment Manager, WIND Ventures
- Pano Anthos, Managing Director, XRC Ventures
- Melanie Babcock, VP, Retail Media+ and Monetization, Home Depot
- Claire Wyatt, VP, Business Strategy & Marketing Science, Alberstons Media Collective
- Parbinder Dhariwal, VP, General Manager, CVS Media Exchange
- Jeffrey Bustos, VP, Measurement & Addressability Data, IAB
- David Blumenfeld, Co-founder, NextRivet
- Kyle Spencer, Co-founder, NextRivet
- And more to be announced soon!
C-Suite Corner
NEW this year, we have “The C-Suite Corner,” a programming element that will feature retail executive discussions on some of the most critical macro-level topics in the retail industry. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Kevin Tulip, President, Primark US
- John Hadeed, Vice President, People & Culture, Primark US
- Naazli Sado, Vice President, HR, Comms, & Business Innovation Acceleration, P&G Ventures
- Andrew Smith, Co-founder and Managing Partner, ThinkUncommon
- Clinton Suh, Head of Ecommerce NA, On
- Chris Baker, Founder, Totem Media
- Louisa Schneider, Founder & CEO, Rowan
- Ben Mand, CEO, Harmless Harvest
- Lindsay Dahl, Chief Impact Officer, Ritual
- Angela Gearhart, Executive Director, Connected Customer Experience, AAG Consulting
- Mardi Najafi, VP, Retail Strategy & Design, Figure3
- Mike Munchoff, Creative Director, ChangeUp
- James Farnell, Retail Practice Leader, Little
- And more to be announced soon!
Thursday, June 6
Content Track
Session content will consist of discussion on the practical uses of AI, contextual commerce from Reddit’s perspective and the future of the marketing team and how to level up your internal teams for better cost, efficiency, speed and authenticity. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Dan Murphy, SVP Marketing, Liquid Death
- Dennis Maxwell, Senior Director, Performance Marketing, Zenni Optical
- Bob Ferdman, Retail Industry Lead, Reddit
- Laylah Funk, Senior Copywriter & Creative Strategist, Adore Me
- And more to be announced soon!
Community Track
Session content will consist of discussions on how to build community-driven experiences that also align with new consumer behaviors and expectations, next-gen loyalty and how to champion the customer from a global perspective. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Sara Del Fabbro, Deputy COO, Ingka Group (IKEA)
- Alicia Esposito, VP of Content, Retail TouchPoints
- Louisa Schneider, Founder & CEO, Rowan
- Dan Hodges, CEO, Retail Store Tours
- And more to be announced soon!
Commerce Track
Session content will focus on investments in technology to create differentiated digital commerce experiences, from discovery to transaction. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Geronimo Chala, Chief Client Officer, Rebag
- Kelly Cahill, VP of Marketing, Shop Premium Outlets
- And more to be announced soon!
C-Suite Corner
Session content will touch on retail fundamentals, how C-level executives are tackling new business realities and market dynamics, as well as how brands are prioritizing growth by investing in emerging digital tech, evolving omnichannel imperatives, supply chain operations and more. Speakers you can expect to learn from include:
- Amy Jain, Co-Founder + CEO, BaubleBar
- Nick Bodkins, Founder & President, Boisson
- Justin Tichy, COO, Petco
- Nicole Silberstein, Senior Editor, Retail TouchPoints
- Charlene Charles, Head of Operations, Dollar General Media Network
- Sara Ahmed Holman, Chief Commercial Officer, Bobbie
- And more to be announced soon!
Review the full agenda to see more details! We look forward to welcoming you to Chicago this June to hear from these industry changemakers – along with many others. Be sure to register for your pass ASAP, Super Early Bird rates end TODAY, Thursday, Feb. 22!
