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The Best E-commerce Conferences and Events In 2020
Published: Sep 10, 2020
With many e-commerce events and retailer trade shows canceled due to COVID-19, we sourced some of the best e-commerce conferences you can still attend in 2020. Note: We’ll keep this list updated with new information.
COVID-19 has turned marketers’ lives upside down, with event marketing and B2B trade shows taking one of the hardest hits. At the beginning of March, we’ve seen numerous e-commerce conferences being canceled and trade show organizers pulling the plug after corporate partners and attendees backing out due to coronavirus uncertainty.
The “grim reaper” of e-commerce conferences took mercy on no one: we’ve seen global giants like Shoptalk, Shopify Unite, RetailX drop at the same rate as smaller niche events.
Nevertheless, a major trend has emerged. Businesses that were either planning to attend or host their own physical event decided to shift their focus online. In a matter of days, virtual events started popping up promising the same immersive experiences and networking capabilities of a face-to-face event…but from the comfort of your sofa!
According to Bizzabo, 57% of marketers had to pivot their events to virtual due to the impact of COVID-19 with a whopping 92% saying they plan to incorporate virtual events into their strategy going forward even though almost ¾ haven’t run virtual events in the past.
So while we can still expect physical events to return sometime in Q4 or the beginning of 2021, they’ll likely never be the same. And not only due to post-COVID-19 safety regulations, but also the fact that event budgets will be relocated or cut significantly.
So where to go if you still want to network with your peers, learn about eCommerce trends and strategies from leading retailers, or simply showcase your eCommerce brand? Here’s our – continuously updated – list of best e-commerce conferences and retail events to attend in 2020.
Best e-commerce conferences and retail events in 2020
Events in June
Southeast eCommerce Mini Summit [VIRTUAL]
June 16, 2020, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT
A day of networking, presentations, and panels from e-commerce industry leaders.
Selling With Conversational Commerce: The Unfair Advantage For Your Online Brand [VIRTUAL]
June 16, 2020, starting at 5:10 PM BST
A session on how to create engaging multi-channel messaging at scale, including chat campaigns, that boost conversion rates and improve ROAS and how to measure the impact on your brand growth.
Transformations: Change is hard – how do we own change and win? [VIRTUAL]
June 18, 2020, starting at 12:00 PM AEST
Organized by Trustpilot, this webinar will discuss transformation journeys faced by e-commerce brands right now. Panelists from Yieldify, Web Profits, Couriers Please, and Klarna.
eTail Canada Virtual Event [VIRTUAL]
June 18, 2020, 12:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST
The eTail Canada Virtual Event will give you tips, tricks, and lessons learned from the top minds in retail eCommerce and omnichannel.
eTail Virtual Event [VIRTUAL]
June 22-23, 2020, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
The eTail Virtual Event is an online free-to-attend summit, bringing together tops mind in e-commerce and omnichannel providing the latest insights with the convenience of an on-demand digital event.
#TrendsOfTomorrow Ep.1: Budget-friendly hacks for eCommerce growth [VIRTUAL]
June 24, 2020, 03:30 PM BST
#TrendsOfTomorrow is a new virtual event series by Yieldify. Each month, our industry experts will share their top recommendations on a key area of e-commerce, followed by open office hours where we’ll answer your burning questions.
Shoptalk Virtual: Resurgence of Retail: A New Era of Shoppers and Stores Emerges [VIRTUAL]
June 25, 2020, starting at 1:00 PM EDT
In this session, Shoptalk will conduct three 10-minute interviews with leaders at three different retailers to highlight how each of them has approached store reopenings and what they’ve learned about what does and doesn’t work as they strive to win over COVID-wary shoppers.
Signifyd FLOW Virtual Meetup [VIRTUAL]
June 25, 2020, 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM BST
Signifyd FLOW Virtual Happy Hour brings together like-minded thought leaders, local merchants, and members of the e-commerce community to collaborate and empower each other during this unprecedented time of COVID‑19.
Northeast eCommerce Mini Summit [VIRTUAL]
June 30, 2020, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT
A day of networking, presentations, and panels from e-commerce industry leaders.
Events in July
eTailing Summit 2020 [PHYSICAL TURNED VIRTUAL]
July 06, 2020
The summit continues to follow the award-winning structure that brings key e-commerce and digital managers from online retailers together with leading solution providers for focused one-to-one meetings via a pre-arranged itinerary of virtual business meetings.
Shoptalk Virtual: Changes in Consumer Behavior: Shoptalk Retail Framework for COVID-19 [VIRTUAL]
July 09, 2020, starting at 1:00 PM EDT
During this session, the Shoptalk team will provide an update to the Shoptalk Retail Framework for COVID-19 based on recent data and analysis related to changing consumer behavior. This update will look at how the new era in retail is being shaped by shoppers transformed by the COVID-19 experience.
B2B Online Virtual Event [VIRTUAL]
July 15-16, 2020, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
The B2B Online Virtual Event is an online free-to-attend forum, bringing together top minds in B2B manufacturing and distribution eCommerce and omnichannel providing the latest insights with the convenience of an on-demand digital event.
Events in August
eTail Asia 2020 [PHYSICAL]
August 04-06, 2020
eTail is designed to help e-commerce merchants increase the profits from their online business. Inspiring keynotes, over 30 hours of intimate discussion groups, disruptive strategies, peer to peer conversations, and connections with the top minds at Asia’s most successful retailers.
B2B Online Chicago 2020 [PHYSICAL]
August 05-06, 2020
The most disruptive digital, eCommerce, and omnichannel content. With 900+ B2B leaders exclusively in one place at one time, this is the only meeting place to shape the future of the industry.
iMedia Online Retail Summit: Australia [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: August 24-26, 2020
iMedia Online Retail Summit provides an intimate environment for senior online retail marketing executives to converge, debate, and discuss the major strategic issues they face in online retail. 2020 theme: Partnerships: great alone, better together.
#TrendsOfTomorrow: Personalization after COVID-19 [VIRTUAL]
August 26, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has drastically changed the landscape of eCommerce, with the industry jumping forward 10 years in a 90-day period. But what does that mean for innovation, particularly in the field of personalization? Join Yieldify on August 26th to learn more about the results of a personalization survey conducted with 400 eCommerce leaders.
MivaCon 2020 Digital Day [PHYSICAL TURNED VIRTUAL]
Rescheduled to August/September 2020
The MivaCon 2020 Digital Day is all about empowering independent sellers. Merchant attendees will receive exclusive insights from top e-commerce experts on what they need to stay competitive, relevant, and profitable.
Events in September
eTail Asia & ANZ Virtual Summit Week [VIRTUAL]
September 07-11, 2020
Accelerate your digital transformation with proven strategies from leading retailers, get your eCommerce, digital marketing, and e-delivery capabilities ready for COVID-19, and discover how the latest strategies, tools, and technologies are being leveraged.
One-to-One Monaco 2020 [PHYSICAL]
September 01-03, 2020
The theme chosen for the 2020 edition will allow participants to better understand the expectations of a more committed and responsible consumer, and the challenges of market players who are massively accelerating in this process.
Shoptalk 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: September 14-17, 2020,
Everyone who’s anyone is at Shoptalk. Over 8,000 individuals attend Shoptalk each year from almost 3,000 established retailers and brands, startups, tech companies, investors, real estate operators, media, Wall Street analyst firms, and more.
iMedia Online Retail Summit: New Zealand [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: September 14-16, 2020
iMedia Online Retail Summit provides an intimate environment for senior online retail marketing executives to converge, debate, and discuss the major strategic issues they face in online retail. 2020 theme: Partnerships: great alone, better together.
Paris Retail Week [PHYSICAL]
September 15-17, 2020
Paris Retail Week 2020 will bring together trade professionals at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in an ever more experiential format. Conferences, Workshops, Pitching, Awards, Innovation Tours, Store Tours, and announcements of new innovations will energize this event dedicated to sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices.
Savant eCommerce London [PHYSICAL]
September 16-17, 2020
Savant eCommerce London will explore both established and innovative approaches for you to efficiently drive profitability within your organization.
eCommerce Under the MiCROscope: Cart abandonment [VIRTUAL]
September 23, 2020
With planning for peak season underway, Yieldify’s CRO experts are back with a special focus on cart abandonment and how to stop it. In this short session, we’ll be dissecting a selection of real eCommerce website live to show us best practice (and missed opportunities) when it comes to getting from cart to conversion.
The Virtual B2B E-Commerce Summit [VIRTUAL]
September 24, 2020
Ready to get inspired by our virtual B2B summit for manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors? You will learn the latest and most practical information on how to succeed in e-commerce.
E-commerce Summit 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: September 28-29, 2020
The E-commerce Summit is an exclusive, invitation-only conference for retailers and brands. Focusing on the European market and the following three verticals: Fashion & Lifestyle, Home & Living, and Food & Care-, the top trending topics on E-commerce will be widely addressed.
Savant eCommerce Stockholm 2020 [PHYSICAL]
September 29-30, 2020
This year, Savant eCommerce Stockholm will explore the methods and strategies, both tried and new, for you to effectively drive profitability within your organisation.
eTail Virtual Event [VIRTUAL]
September 29-30, 2020
The eTail September Virtual Event is a 2-Day online, free-to-attend summit, bringing together tops mind in retail and providing the latest insights with the convenience of an on-demand digital event.
E-commerce Expo London 2020 [PHYSICAL]
September 30-October 01, 2020
E-commerce Expo is the UK’s largest event dedicated exclusively to the e-commerce industry. Focusing on customer acquisition, retention, and fulfillment, E-commerce Expo addresses the key areas to get your business growing.
Events in October
E-Commerce Day REMOTE [VIRTUAL]
October 01, 2020
Get educated, motivated, and inspired by over 50 E-commerce Expert Speakers, Including Merchant Keynote Rebecca Minkoff.
Bloomreach Connect Global Online Summit [VIRTUAL]
October 06, 2020
Meet the brightest minds from the worlds of tech and commerce. The 5th edition of this flagship event will bring a global speaker lineup and an immersive digital experience live from your home.
Savant Supply Chain Congress [PHYSICAL]
October 06-07, 2020
Savant Supply Chain is always at the forefront of developments in your sector. An energizing and high-level event like no other in the supply chain space, it brings together 130+ Heads of Supply Chain, Logistics and Planning from Europe’s most established and most innovative B2C supply chains.
Drapers Digital Festival 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: October 07, 2020
An immersive festival featuring essential content from industry leaders, live awards judging, competitions, fringe events, and a celebration of the industry’s digital triumphs.
eTail East 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: October 13-15, 2020
eTail is a three-day conference designed to help e-commerce merchants increase the profits from their business. Action-packed stories, disruptive strategies, strategic conversations, and connections with top minds at America’s most successful retailers.
eTail Australia 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: October 13-15, 2020
With over 250+ retail decision makers exclusively in one place at one time, this is THE meeting place to benchmark your business with the best and shape the future of your industry.
Online Retailer Sydney 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: October 19-20, 2020
This October, hundreds of stakeholders, large and small, will come together to access the latest trends, strategic insights, solutions, tech and connections that will make a positive difference to their business in 2020 and beyond.
iMedia Online Retail Summit: South East Asia [PHYSICAL]
Rescheduled: October 26-28, 2020
iMedia Online Retail Summit provides an intimate environment for senior online retail marketing executives to converge, debate, and discuss the major strategic issues they face in online retail in a closed forum. 2020 theme: Partnerships: great alone, better together.
PI Live London [PHYSICAL]
October 27-28, 2020
PI LIVE London in an annual gathering of the brightest minds in e-commerce, affiliate, and performance marketing. Our events are carefully curated and designed with both retailers and publishers in mind giving access to great content, leading technologies, and potential partners across two action-packed days.
Events in November
B2B Marketing Expo 2020 London [PHYSICAL]
November 10-11, 2020
Europe’s leading marketing event, connecting the most proactive marketing professionals with the tools, techniques, and innovations they need to be at the forefront of the ever-evolving world of marketing.
Events in December
Digital Travel US 2020 [PHYSICAL]
December 14-15, 2020
Digital Travel is the premier interactive conference for travel executives who are looking to reimagine the customer journey. Join the top minds from hotels, OTAs, airlines, transportation companies, and everything in-between, to share practical insight on how to enhance personalization and improve their online strategies for better cross-channel experiences.
Other events
OroVibe 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Postponed until further notice
eTail Canada 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Postponed until 2021
CommerceNext 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Postponed until 2021
Alibaba Ecosystem Expo [PHYSICAL]
Postponed until 2021
IRCE 2020 at RetailX [PHYSICAL]
Canceled
Shopify Unite 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Canceled
Magento Imagine 2020 [PHYSICAL]
Canceled