One of the world‘s biggest ecommerce and retail events is coming to Europe for the first time, with Denmark slated to host ShopTalk Europe in October.
The inaugural pan-European event will be held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen on October 9-11, and is expected to bring together more than 2000 attendees and 250 speakers.
Danish ecommerce association, Foreningen for Dansk Internet Handel (FDIH) is supporting the launch of Shoptalk Europe.
FDIH‘s support of Shoptalk Europe means its own industry event Total Retail will cease to operate and FDIH members will instead be invited to attend Shoptalk Europe.
Shoptalk launched in the US in 2016 and is widely credited for creating a modern US retail and ecommerce dialogue and building a new community of retail and ecommerce innovators.
Its 2016 event attracted more the 3100 attendees, including 1000-plus executives, 400 CEOs and over 100 investors.
FDIH chief executive Niels Ralund said he was pleased with the new European partnership and event as it means they could move the conversation from a national to pan-European and global level.
“During a highly transformative period of dramatic change, Shoptalk Europe will bring significant benefits to our 800-plus association members, uniting leaders and innovators across European countries in a way that will serve as a catalyst for the entire European retail and ecommerce ecosystem,” he said.
Shoptalk‘s leadership team, led by Anil D Aggarwal and Katy Fryatt, previously created a successful, large-scale pan-European dialogue and community through Money20/20 Europe – the largest consumer payments and fintech event in Europe.
At its inaugural event in Copenhagen in April last year, Money20/20 Europe attracted nearly 4000 attendees and is on track to bring more than 6000 attendees to its 2017 event.
“New technologies, trends and business models are rapidly transforming the way people discover, shop and buy all of their physical goods, from grocery to fashion and everything in between,” said Aggarwal, the founder and chief executive of ShopTalk.
“Shoptalk Europe was created as the event to facilitate a much-needed pan-European dialogue focused on this innovation in retail and ecommerce and to build a global community of industry leaders and innovators.”
ShopTalk‘s next US event will be held in March at the Aria in Las Vegas and is on track to grow to more than 5000 attendees in just its second year.
“To date, it‘s been easy to assume that differences in culture, language, laws and regulations across Europe limit the value of a pan-European dialogue,” said Fryatt, who is ShopTalk Europe‘ managing director.
“However, these differences pale in comparison to the similarities that both the eSjhstablishment and start-ups face in preparing for the next generation of retail and ecommerce in Europe.
“As a highly partner-centric organization, we‘re thrilled to be working with FDIH, and value their support in ensuring the participation of the Scandinavian retail and ecommerce community in Shoptalk Europe.”
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