B2B Chicago 2024
May 06 - 08, 2024
Chicago Marriott Downtown
Wednesday, May 8, 2024: Day 3
Theme: Redefining B2B: Leaving Legacy Technology In The Dust & Transforming To Keep Customers Coming Back For More
8:00 am - 8:30 am
B2B Breakfast
8:30 am - 8:35 am
Welcome Remarks
Ryan Kulp -
Program Director,
B2B Online
8:35 am - 8:45 am
Chairman’s Remarks
Jason Greenwood -
eCommerce Specialist,
THE ECOMMERCE EDGE
8:45 am - 9:10 am
Fireside Chat: Elevating Customer-Centricity: Navigating B2B eCommerce Transformation at H.B. Fuller
Kimberlee Sinclair -
VP, Digital Customer Experience,
H.B. Fuller
Virginia McCoy -
Marketing Communications Manager,
H.B. Fuller
In today's dynamic business landscape, putting the customer first is not just a buzzword but a necessity for sustained success. This interactive fireside chat will focus on H.B. Fuller's journey of prioritizing CX. Kimberlee Sinclair and Virginia McCoy will explore how the company is managing a comprehensive digital transformation effort to enhance global digital marketing, empower sales teams, revolutionize e-commerce, and embrace virtual customer support. Join us to discover the strategies, challenges, and key takeaways from this transformational journey.
- Prioritizing customer-centric approaches to leverage high tech to enable high touch and stay ahead of the competition
- Ignoring shiny objects, and focusing on the customer
- Explore strategies to effectively reach and engage customers in the digital space
- Equipping the salesforce with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in a digital-first environment
9:10 am - 9:50 am
Interactive Live Polling Panel: Aligning Marketing Strategies with Business Goals in B2B Ecommerce
Chris Dargis -
VP, Marketing & Ecommerce,
Office Depot
Liliana Torres -
Global Head of Marketing – Service Division,
ABB Electrification Business
Alka Vallabh -
Head of Americas Marketing,
Lonza
Ronald Gaines -
Sr. Manager MarTech and Data,
Sunbelt Rentals
Michelle Fields -
Fractional Chief Marketing Officer,
Rules of Marketing
In today's rapidly evolving B2B ecommerce landscape, effective collaboration between marketing, sales and other departments is essential to maximize success. This panel discussion explores the critical aspects of designing and implementing marketing campaigns that align with your organization's overall strategy. We'll look into the challenges of achieving consistency with the CEO's vision, optimizing budgets, and simplifying the often complex relationship between sales and marketing.
- Aligning Marketing with Business Objectives
- Vision and Strategy in Marketing Campaigns
- Moving from fragmented budgeting within marketing and sales to a more strategic, unified approach.
9:50 am - 10:10 am
Presentation: Navigating B2B Commerce Innovation to Prevent Disruption
Evan Klein -
CEO,
Zaelab
With the Commerce industry constantly evolving, it can be hard to know exactly what to focus on to stay ahead of the competition. From macro factors at play to sharing a contrarian point of view on what B2B even is, we’ll discuss the 7 most critical aspects of B2B commerce you should prioritize today.
10:10 am - 11:00 am
Debate: Forget About Working With ChatGPT, Can We Even Work With Each Other To Deliver For Today's B2B Buyer??
Andy Hoar -
Co-Founder,
Master B2B
Brian Beck -
Co-Founder,
Master B2B
Gireesh Sahukar -
VP Digital,
Dawn Foods
Alexandra Lloyd -
eCommerce Strategy Manager,
Altec
Sean Donovan -
Digital Channel Manager,
MSA Safety
Stacy Hanks -
VP, Global Digital Commerce,
SureWerx
All of the stereotypes you've heard about Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z are wrong...except when they're spot on. We're bringing together practitioners from multiple generations to discuss how one another's relative strengths and weaknesses, working styles, and expectations impact the company's ability to deliver consistent and compelling B2B eCommerce experiences. Expect this panel to trade powerful insights and barbs!
11:00 am - 11:40 am
Cheers To You & Networking Break and Final Visit to Exhibit Hall
Get ready to bid adieu in style at our Cheers To You & Networking Break, the ultimate grand finale bash in the Exhibit Hall! Grab a drink, share a laugh, and make those final connections in a vibe that's all about fun and celebration. Cheers to wrapping up the conference with a bang!
Track A: Strategies To Enhance Digital Experiences
11:40 am - 11:50 am Track Chair RemarksTrack A: Strategies To Enhance Digital Experiences
11:50 am - 12:20 pm Panel: Unraveling B2B's Digital Enigma: Demystifying The Marketplace Model (3P V 1P) Rima Westermeyer - Marketplace Strategy & Business Development Manager, Schneider Electric Sal Shaikh - Vice President, Digital, Covetrus Jessica Christenson - VP Sales and Marketing, NovaFori Brandon Gracey - Director, Enterprise Sales, Shopify Billy Hanes - VP of eCommerce, Hanes Supply IncIn the ever-evolving landscape of eCommerce, a transformational shift is underway. Changes in consumer purchasing behavior are cascading into the B2B realm, prompting businesses to adapt. Simultaneously, disruptive technologies and novel business paradigms threaten to reshape entire industries. Navigating this dynamic terrain, manufacturers and distributors must orchestrate a strategic digital symphony to stay in the competitive spotlight.
- Discovering Varied Strategies: Pondering the Prospects and Pitfalls in Manufacturers' and Distributors' Digital Advancements
- Unveiling the Marketplace Mirage: Illuminating the Path to Crafting an Expandable Digital Enterprise, Enlarging Customer Outreach, and Gleaning Invaluable Customer Insights
- The Blueprint for Marketplace Mastery: Crafting Irresistible Digital Offerings and Forging an Expedition into Uncharted Customer Understanding
Track A: Strategies To Enhance Digital Experiences
12:20 pm - 12:40 pm Fireside chat: Expanding Digital Enablement of Omnichannel Experiences Jeff Sleik - Senior Web Manager, IEWC Jeff Pratt - Commerce Practice Director, VerndaleJoin Jeff Sleik, Senior Web Manager at IEWC, and Jeff Pratt, Commerce Practice Director at Verndale, for an insightful session on 'Expanding Digital Enablement of Omnichannel Experiences.' IEWC is committed to revolutionizing the digital customer experience by ensuring every interaction is fluid and effortless, regardless of the channel or platform used. This session will provide insights into IEWC's innovative digital marketing and online strategy that leverages historical data and refined self-service options to enhance customer engagement, boost brand visibility, and improve retention rates. Learn about IEWC's path to digital enablement and their commitment to providing customers with a consistent and high-quality digital experience, which is supported by:
- Advanced self-service options
- Integrated system functions
- Robust digital capabilities
- In-depth customer and product insights
Explore how IEWC has transformed its approach to digital enablement, fostering stronger customer relationships, and improving the efficiency of internal marketing, sales, and support functions.
Track A: Strategies To Enhance Digital Experiences
12:40 pm - 1:00 pm Fireside Chat: Digital Transformation for B2B Manufacturers, Practical Lessons Learned during Silca’s Journey Alex Feiglstorf - CTO & Co-Founder, Storyblok
Track B: Optimizing Your B2B Website for Sales and Customer Success
11:40 am - 11:50 am Track Chair Remarks Jason Greenwood - eCommerce Specialist, THE ECOMMERCE EDGETrack B: Optimizing Your B2B Website for Sales and Customer Success
11:50 am - 12:20 pm Panel: Optimizing Your Web Features For Accessibility: The Do’s & Don’ts To eCommerce Success Ana Bennett - VP Information Technology, Hisco Mark Frenette - B2B Digital Commerce Manager, The Hershey Company Michelle Fields - Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, Rules of MarketingThis panel explores the imperative of optimizing web features for accessibility in the context of eCommerce success. It highlights the importance of adhering to digital accessibility standards and programs as a means to not only benefit from a larger group of buyers but also to mitigate potential risks. Additionally, the abstract emphasizes the opportunities to enhance user experience (UX) while underlining the significance of following best practices and steering clear of common pitfalls in the pursuit of accessible eCommerce solutions.
- Digital Accessibility Standards and programs to start
- Benefits and opening to larger group of buyers
- Mitigating risk
- Opportunities to enhance UX
- Best Practices, and things to STAY AWAY FROM
Track B: Optimizing Your B2B Website for Sales and Customer Success
12:20 pm - 12:40 pm Beyond the Hype: Real World AI in B2B eCommerce, Tangible B2B growth powered by GenAI Samantha Goble - VP of Digital, XCentium Kautilya Prasad - VP, Sitecore Commerce and National Competency Lead, XCentium Josh Kinzer - VP of Sales – Commerce, SitecoreJoin B2B eCommerce leaders from XCentium and Sitecore to see real world use of AI in B2B. Understand how AI can help in reimagining the B2B shopping experience and alleviate common B2B pain points by connecting real time data to decisioning.
Grasp how a coherent AI strategy can make a true
impact on your business:
- Increased Sales - Use AI powered Assistants for guided shopping experience
- Customer Satisfaction - Improved return process with real time sentiment analysis
- Operational Efficiency - Simplified Promotion and Price Management with natural language processing
- Other B2B AI Use Cases - Frictionless B2B Shopping and Smart Inventory Management
- B2B AI Tools to empower decision makers - Microsoft Fabric
Track B: Optimizing Your B2B Website for Sales and Customer Success
12:40 pm - 1:00 pm Presentation: Why DTC Brands Need B2B eCommerce to Survive Jason Greenwood - eCommerce Specialist, THE ECOMMERCE EDGETrack C: AI In eComm The Future of AI in B2B
11:40 am - 11:50 am Track Chair Remarks Chris Brown - Head of AI, VASS
Track C: AI In eComm The Future of AI in B2B
11:50 am - 12:20 pm Panel: Getting a Grip on A.I.: How/Where To Use It Steven Nghe - Head of Marketing & Communications, Kloeckner Metals Corporation Scot Stein - Chief Information & Digital Officer, IEWC Darren Taylor - former SVP Marketing and Digital, Fleetpride Chris Brown - Head of AI, VASSArtificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world of B2B ecommerce. In this discussion, we will debunk some of the biggest myths about AI and speculate about its future in the B2B ecommerce landscape. We will also discuss some of the specific opportunities that AI can offer B2B ecommerce businesses, such as:
- Understanding what AI is & what it isn’t
- Personalized recommendations: AI can be used to recommend products and services to customers based on their individual needs and preferences.
- Automated customer service: AI can be used to automate customer service tasks, such as answering FAQs and resolving issues.
- Fraud detection: AI can be used to detect fraudulent transactions and protect businesses from financial losses.
- Pricing optimization: AI can be used to optimize prices for products and services based on demand and competition.
- Inventory management: AI can be used to manage inventory levels and ensure that businesses always have the products they need to meet customer demand.
Track C: AI In eComm The Future of AI in B2B
12:20 pm - 12:40 pm Fireside Chat: AI In eComm: The Future of AI in B2B Simon Angove - CEO, SyndigoAs the pace of commerce accelerates, organizations seek more efficient and productive outputs at every turn. Generative AI has quickly become an integral part of many business processes. Learn how Syndigo customers are leveraging AI to drive more effective unified commerce, their challenges, and their predictions for how AI and machine learning will continue to influence more of the shopper experience.
Track C: AI In eComm The Future of AI in B2B
12:40 pm - 1:00 pm Presentation: Leveraging the Power of AI & Human Intelligence For Digital Transformation In Organizations Justin Rinaldi - Director of Marketing and eCommerce, Safety Speed ManufacturingOrganizations are unleashing the combined power of human and machine intelligence, transitioning from AI-ready to AI-native processes. This evolution results in heightened efficiency, adaptable workflows, improved decision-making, and enhanced customer experiences, marking a strategic shift towards the seamless integration of artificial and human intelligence in organizational operations.
Private Tastings
11:40 am - 12:40 pm Private Tasting Experience - 1 HR (sign up required)Roll up your sleeves (or napkin) for a Networking Lunch that's not just about B2B eCommerce strategies but also about relishing every bite. Join the foodie and business crew, mix, mingle, and let the flavors of both delicious dishes and B2B chatter take center stage!
1:50 pm - 2:25 pm
Panel: Bridging the Gap: Unleashing Value by Integrating Online and Offline Channels in B2B eCommerce
Steven Javor -
Director eCommerce & Omnichannel NA,
Schneider Electric
Rudy Abitbol -
VP, eCommerce & Digital Marketing,
AMG Medical
Jason Greenwood -
eCommerce Specialist,
THE ECOMMERCE EDGE
In the dynamic world of B2B eCommerce, businesses are harnessing the power of seamless integration between their online and offline channels to unlock untapped value. Join our panel of industry experts as they share insights into the strategies, technologies, and innovations that are driving the convergence of digital and physical commerce. Discover how this integration enhances customer experiences, optimizes operations, and fuels growth in the B2B sector.
- Enhancing Customer Experiences: Explore omni-channel strategies that provide tailored, consistent interactions using data analytics and personalization.
- Optimizing Operations: Discover methods for merging online and offline channels to streamline operations, including inventory management and order fulfillment.
- Exploring Growth Opportunities: Hear real-world examples of how omni-channel integration opens new revenue streams and diversifies market reach.
2:25 pm - 3:00 pm
Panel: Lessons Learned Along The Way: An Honest Overview With B2B Leaders
Adrienne Hartman -
VP Digital Commerce,
J.J. Keller & Associates Inc
Justin Rinaldi -
Director of Marketing and eCommerce,
Safety Speed Manufacturing
Michelle Sweetwood -
Lead Director, B2B Brand and Content Strategy,
CVS Health
Jason Greenwood -
eCommerce Specialist,
THE ECOMMERCE EDGE
It’s always easy to share things that have worked well, but what about the times when things didn’t go according to plan? Our informal case studies will focus directly on that. Projects/initiatives that were launched that had setbacks along the way, and the VALUABLE lessons that were learned to help shape and steer our leaders in the right direction from those experiences. Each panelist will have a few minutes to speak on their challenges and allow the audience to ask questions along the way. We then turn it over to the audience to ask questions about the project, or their own challenges.
