ShopTalk Spring: Where Retail Gets Real
Getting Into the Swing of Things
The Spring 2024 edition of Shoptalk took place at Mandalay Bay on the South End of the Vegas Strip. The hotel is just an Uber away from Bali Hai Golf Club, which was Chris’s first stop for a friendly game of golf with members of Adobe, BigCommerce, and Shopware. Sharing carts with fellow members of the ecommerce industry made a fun start to the first day. The laughs continued that evening with the Shopware team for Happy Hour in Chinatown and a few games of craps. After that, fellow ATF team members Erin Hunt and Dannica Hutton joined in for the MACH Alliance Happy Hour where some great conversations around retail and tech happened.
Talking Shop in the Exhibit Hall
Because Shoptalk is such a huge event, its exhibit hall had a lot to offer and is where our team spent much of the show. Chris enjoyed seeing familiar faces and making new friends with exhibitors while exploring the space. Mandalay Bay was a hub of retail excitement, especially with keynote speeches from industry experts from PepsiCo, Lowes, Krispy Kreme, Ulta Beauty, Peloton, and many more. As a show frequented by so many key players in the industry, there was plenty to see and do in three days.
Speed Dating Success
A part of the show that stood out was the speed dating element. Shoptalk gave participants the opportunity to put together a list of attendees that they’d like to speak to and set up a 15-minute industry “date”. With 1,500 tables and even more participants, it was a refreshing and dynamic way to network. The informal vibe meant everyone was more relaxed and open to chatting. Chris had so much fun that he even met up with some of his industry dates later on in the day to keep the conversation going.
No Shortage of Opportunities to Connect
On the heels of St. Patrick’s Day, our team attended the “Hair of the Dog” Happy Hour hosted by Irish Titan, SmarterShips, Loyalty Lion, ShipperHQ, Bolt, Dataships, Review, and Rewind, which made it a very merry Monday. The merriment didn’t stop there, as Shopware and Paypal’s Cocktail Party was another event that had attendees mixing and mingling. Tuesday’s highlights included The Whiteout Beach Party with tunes provided by Ludacris and a Roaring 20 Happy Hour hosted by Dot Digital in a 20-below bar filled with amazing ice sculptures. Before heading home, Chris snuck in one more game of golf at Cascata with the Shopware team.
Ready for Round 3!
Filled with positive experiences and plenty of chances to engage with professionals from major retailers, startups, and tech firms, Shoptalk Spring 2024 gave our team plenty to write home about. From golf outings to theme parties, happy hours, and beach parties, This event was both professionally rewarding and a total blast. It was a nice balance of good times in Las Vegas and an awesome industry event full of insightful discussions, and opportunities to make connections and explore the latest innovations. We’re definitely looking forward to the next edition of Shoptalk! Hope to catch you there!
