All roads lead to GELF LA 2020! On February 13th, the Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum (GELF) community returns to West Hollywood for our 13th Forum. Make plans now to head to Los Angeles and join us at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) for another full day of cross-border and international ecommerce!
Fresh off another successful gathering in New York on September 19th 2019, we look forward to kicking off 2020 with our fifth GELF LA. We look forward to diving deeper into the state of global cross-border as we explore how marketplace platforms in China and other hot ecommerce markets continue to disrupt retail distribution practices.
GELF LA 2020 will bring together leaders from retailers and brands selling direct-to-consumer. Global consumer brands will join digital natives from the fashion and apparel world, health and beauty, consumer electronics and other leading verticals for a full day of education and sharing. Digital commerce innovators, cross-border ecommerce experts and global ecommerce thought leaders will debate what’s next for international retail expansion.
Get a jump on 2020 by joining the fast-growing GELF community as we learn together, meet new friends and network throughout the day at the Director’s Guild of America Theater, 7920 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046!
Are you a retail ecommerce leader interested in speaking at GELF LA 2020? If so please contact speak@globalecommerce.co
GELF is a retailer-only, sponsor-only event. If you are an ecommerce platform or marketplace operator, software company, agency, data aggregator, logistics provider or other global ecommerce solution provider interested in sponsoring and attending GELF, please contact sponsor@globalecommerce.co
As always, GELF speakers will deliver an energetic and engaging combination of global ecommerce strategy and cross-border tactics and best practices.
GELF succeeds when the community steps up and helps drive the conversation. Let us know what topics you’d like to include in the program.
You can count on the following topics being part of the show:
GELF combines breakout sessions and deep-dive workshops with our morning & afternoon keynotes and showcases. Our program offers retail professionals strategic insights and actionable take-aways about how ecommerce leaders are tackling their top cross-border challenges and how they are making the case for investing in global retail growth.
Networking starts during breakfast, extends into lunch and wraps up during our late afternoon reception. We’re working hard to align the program with what the GELF community wants, so raise your hand and get involved with our One-to-One@GELF LA meetings and our new Executive Meetups@ GELF 2020
Bring your experiences and questions. Leave with insights and answers.
We are pleased to announce the final program overview for GELF LA '2020 on February 13th, 2020. If you are a retail or brand executive interested in sharing your cross-border of international ecommerce experience, please contact us at speak@globalecommerce.co
The GELF producers welcome our West Coast audience and thank our sponsors!
We will explore how key global ecommerce trends frame the day’s program and introduce the 2020 GELF China research with new insights from US ecommerce executive and consumers in China.
Brands selling DTC on a global scale face many growth hurdles. Consistent global storytelling is one of the biggest, especially when relying on global distributors and other retail partners to tell their story to international customers.
Our first fireside explores how Boardriders, Fender and other global leaders are localizing and globalizing at the same time.
Learn from three global ecommerce leaders who are succeeding by using omnichannel data strategies, building loyalty programs, collaborating with global distributors and offering enhanced customer delivery experiences to connect with international consumers.
Gain insights into how their respective organizations are building global ecommerce sites in markets around the world and investing in innovative practices to sell through global partners instead of simply selling to these partners.
Speakers:
GELF LA 2020’s opening keynote session continues by exploring the rise of next-gen, digital-first global distributors.
Our second fireside features two executives who explain how global ecommerce is evolving from multichannel to multi-platform – and how digital opportunities in Europe and China are disrupting how brands distribute products globally.
Speakers for Fireside #2:
Curious about how Chinese consumers’ shopping journeys blend digital and physical touchpoints as they shop in China, across the US and around world? Want to know why today’s Chinese consumers will tell you a lot about how cross-border customers will shop tomorrow’s global marketplace?
Join us as GELF’s Global Growth Showcase welcomes leaders from one of the best-known brands in the world, a fast-growing upstart retail brand and Alibaba’s US operations to the stage. These leaders have both drawn heavily from their digital commerce experiences in Asia to lead their respective companies’ ecommerce marketplace strategies in China and beyond.
Jack Ma has described Alibaba as first-and-foremost a data company. We open the session by exploring how brands are building and leveraging data sets from Alibaba and other partners in China to design innovative programs that engage Chinese consumers.
We’ll discuss how advanced data practices are informing global ecommerce strategies, driving brands’ media segmentation and localized storytelling, and helping brands create new product concepts while lowering financial risks. Learn why avoiding “big data blind spots” may be the most provocative way to succeed in China during the decade ahead.
We’ll also profile the how the Alibaba ecosystem is helping local businesses and retail merchants in the US and North America reach new Chinese consumers at home and abroad. Gain insights on entering China via both Tmall Global and Tmall Classic.
Speakers:
Rising consumer spending power, an enthusiasm for online shopping, and increased international travel are compelling businesses to tap into new consumer markets – and especially into China.
China is in the midst of a transformation that presents an unprecedented opportunity for businesses in North America to connect with Chinese consumers at home and abroad.
We cordially invite you to attend Alibaba Business Workshop. Alibaba will introduce a complete suite of solutions for brands and retailers to engage with Chinese travellers pre-trip, during-trip, and post-trip.
Attendees will gain a better understanding of today’s Chinese consumers beyond their home markets, and ways to tap into new markets through Alibaba’s powerful ecosystem of solutions.
The morning workshop introduces how Alibaba and Alipay leverage these expansive digital platforms to bring more Chinese tourists to city destinations in the U.S. and to enhance their travel experience via a mix of digital solutions.
Workshop Leaders:
GELF’s globalization breakout track focuses on international marketplaces and explores how global ecommerce is helping to disrupt traditional distribution channels.
Global marketplace platforms are solidifying their place as the preferred “digital-first” distribution partner for many brands investing in their direct-to-consumer initiatives.
As a result, the strategic role of international marketplaces is under greater scrutiny in many organizations that have traditionally sold primarily through wholesale and retail partners.
Join our panel as we explore the pros and cons of working with international marketplace operators. Learn what it takes to evolve from selling to global wholesale partners to selling with these global distribution partners.
Speakers:
For many, China is the biggest and most alluring ecommerce market in the universe. But China isn’t the only booming ecommerce opportunity in Asia; Japan and South Korea both offer significant revenue opportunities today.
Our Asia Ecommerce Opportunities session explores where the best opportunities lie for ecommerce investments in 2020 – and why leaders like Manduka are succeeding in China, Japan, South Korea and beyond.
Learn how today’s shopping journeys differ among Chinese, Korea and Japanese shoppers and which ecommerce platforms and payment options they favor. Gain insights and best practices about working with WeChat, Little Red Book, and Rakuten as well as successful marketing and social media programs fueling ecommerce growth in the key markets of Asia.
Speakers:
One of the realities of cross-border ecommerce is that conversion rates lag domestic rates. What turns off shoppers from buying cross-border after struggling to find a specific product or brand? One leading culprit is the uncertainty regarding the tariffs, taxes and fees that might be added to the product price. Another issue is high shipping costs and vague or non-existent policies such as whether customers can easily return cross-border purchases.
In this session, Jacob Rokeach, VP Growth & Ecommerce at Anine Bing, explores the brand’s focus on global online sales and their new strategy to overcome friction before and after checkout.
Join us to hear how leaders can grow international conversions by more effectively communicating the total landed cost of an order, what it takes to plan and execute all-inclusive cross-border pricing strategies that are flexible and adjusted per market, how to lower international shipping costs and the math behind offering free international returns. Matthew Merrilees, CEO North America at Global-e, will discuss the importance of big-data analysis as a tool to support brands’ global strategy and optimize cross-border offerings.
Speakers:
GELF is pleased to welcome Paul Waddy, the CEO of The Horse, a popular watch and leather goods brand based in Australia. Unlike many US-based brands with seemingly untapped opportunities in their domestic market, Australian direct-to-consumer brands must do international ecommerce well in order to grow.
Learn how The Horse has grown by improving the cross-border shopping experience, especially the order and post-order shopping experience. We’ll discuss how The Horse has continued to delivery above and beyond the expectation of its customers even as Amazon has entered the Australian market. Discover why Australian consumers continue to be an attractive market for US brands to pursue and how to win their loyalty by taking the friction out of cross-border ecommerce – and by acting like you’re a local!
The Seko team will also provide research and analysis about why the new decade promises to shake up the dynamic world of global logistics. Learn more about international shipping-related curveballs to watch for as new regulations kick in that that will impact international shipping in 2020 and beyond.
Join us to find out how expecations among global shoppers for faster and cheaper shipping, 24/7 transparency and frictionless returns will impact cross-border operations and your global growth strategies.
Speakers:
Customers are becoming more demanding of delivery options when shopping online, and are expecting an excellent post purchase experience that includes an easy returns process and fast refunds.
As borderless shopping grows, the number of choices (and voices) grows in lockstep. Brands serving a global consumer base are faced with an increasingly urgent need to remove points of friction from the cross-border / international ecommerce shopping experience while taking the market nuances into account.
Building long-term customer loyalty by consistently delivering on consumer expectations is central to guaranteeing the best possible shopping experience; be it at home or abroad. Brands and retailers have the opportunity to lower costs, while also increasing online sales and driving customer loyalty.
Our afternoon keynote explores how leading global brands and retailers that work with Metapack (Adidas, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, etc.) are enhancing the discovery, order and post-order experience to connect with shoppers globally and gain their loyalty.
Speaker:
Boardriders Group is comprised of 8 different brands, with a range of ecommerce footprints across the US, Canada, LATAM and South America.
Our fireside chat will explore the range of tactics in managing that portfolio, and tailoring go-to-market strategies across D2C, wholesale and marketplaces.
We will also explore how forward thinking brands are taking the lead by prioritizing the customer experience and managing operational data sets and investing in digital, customer-centric innovation.
Learn about the leadership practices of “Fearless Commerce” leaders as they pursue cross-border ecommerce opportunities – and how their global-first mentality that can help your entire global distribution ecosystem grow and prosper.
Speakers:
At GELF LA ’19, the demand was clear for more conversation about, and understanding of, how leaders are increasing and measuring the effectiveness of the marketing and advertising programs on Amazon (and other marketplaces) both at home and abroad.
Our Innovation Showcase brings together global ecommerce leaders to discuss how brands and their retail partners are making the “marketplace math” add up – whether they are selling 1P or 3P or via hybrid models. They discuss why the real ROI on marketplace marketing and advertising budgets can be hard to calculate – and new approaches and organizational changes they’re testing.
Learn how leading brands are driving more collaborative international sales growth by sharing marketing strategies and tactics internally and with wholesale distribution partners.
Speakers:
Rising consumer spending power, an enthusiasm for online shopping, and increased international travel are compelling businesses to tap into new consumer markets – and especially into China.
China is in the midst of a transformation that presents an unprecedented opportunity for businesses in North America to connect with Chinese consumers at home and abroad.
We cordially invite you to attend The Alibaba Business Workshops (Afternoon). Alibaba will introduce a complete suite of solutions for brands and retailers to engage with Chinese travellers pre-trip, during-trip, and post-trip.
Attendees will gain a better understanding of today’s Chinese consumers beyond their home markets, and ways to tap into new markets through Alibaba’s powerful ecosystem of solutions.
The afternoon workshop introduces Alibaba’s cross-border ecommerce solution (& case study)
Workshop Leader:
GELF LATAM launched in May of 2019 and was a resounding success. Although trade tensions between the UK and Europe and the US and China are stabilizing, many brands are still turning their attention to ecommerce opportunities in the key markets in Latin and South America – Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
Is LATAM your next big global ecommerce bet? Should it be?
Mexico is attracting more and more attention from global ecommerce leaders who find that solving payment, shipping and delivery constraints opens opportunities to serve a very attractive customer base.
Meanwhile Brazil’s comeback continues and opportunities in Colombia, Argentina and Chile beckon.
Learn why LATAM ecommerce may offer your company its next big bet!
Speakers:
GELF’s Tech Talks tackle head-on the cross-border pain points creating friction for global online sellers.
Whether the friction stems from accepting local or cross-border payments so shoppers can pay however they prefer or overcoming complex cross-border trade regulations creating costs and complexities, Job #1 is alleviating the pain.
Join our speakers as they share how their clients are successfully navigating cross-border pitfalls that face retailers and brands extending their digital reach globally. GELF’s Tech Talks wraps up with a fireside conversation.
Speakers:
Our second regional growth strategies breakout looks to the North and explores opportunities and challenges facing retail brands pursuing ecommerce growth with the US’s #1 trading partner.
GELF LA 2020 registration data confirms what the GELF community has told us for years; Canada is the #1 market for which ecommerce leaders are building cross-border strategies.
Speaker:
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands typically lead traditional retailers by a significant margin when it comes to percentage of revenue coming from shoppers outside their home countries. However, even the most successful DTC brands can benefit significantly from localization best practices, including payment optimization, omnichannel capabilities, and efficiencies in global fulfillment and shipping.
Innovative watch brand Vincero will join crossborder solution provider eShopWorld to discuss the challenges and growth opportunities for digitally native brands in the global landscape, and what traditional retailers can learn from them.
Speakers:
The GELF community has spoken and we’re listening. New this year to GELF LA, our Executive Meetups are small group discussions about high priority topics from 4.30 to 5PM (and beyond if you’d like!)
The idea is allow digital commerce executives to meet others who have common interests and face similar challenges. Based on information gathered during the GELF LA 2020 registration process, the topics below offer you a chance to talk shop with other execs whose global ecommerce operations – or aspirations – are at a similar state of maturity.
Please plan to join one of the Executive Meetups listed below to network and share knowledge on specific topics. Each small group discussion will be facilitated by a table leader or two.
Chief Digital Officer, Boardriders
COO, PSEB Group (PacSun/Eddie Bauer)
GM/VP, International, Barneys (formerly)
VP, E-Commerce, Fender
VP, E-Commerce, Active Ride Shop
Head of Americas, Chrono24 Inc.
Head of the Americas, Tmall Global & Kaola, Alibaba Group
General Manager, eCommerce, International and Group of Companies Sales, Canada Post
Managing Partner, Global Commerce Advisors
VP of eCommerce, True Religion
CEO, The Horse
Global VP, Marketplace, ABInBev
VP, Digital, This Saves Lives
GM, APAC, Manduka
Sr. Manager 3rd Party Etail & Distributors, Crocs
VP, eCommerce, The Americas, Boardriders
Co-Founder, Vincero
CMO, Newton Baby
VP, Growth & E-commerce, Anine Bing
Brand Partnership, Chinese Laundry (formerly)
Director of International Sales & Business Development, Spy Optic
Head of Marketing, CITCON
Commercial Manager International Marketplace Americas, Linio
General Manager, Global Sales, Metapack
Chief International Officer, Pattern
VP, Enterprise Marketing, Signifyd
CEO, North America, US, Global-e
Director, Enterprise Sales, Rapyd
President & CEO at SkyPostal
Enterprise Sales, West, Flow
Co-Founder, Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum
Co-Founder, Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum
Co-Founder, Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum
