The GELF community returns to New York City on September 19th for our biggest and best Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum yet! We’re looking forward to a full day of keynotes, panel discussions and workshops – and of course, GELF’s fabulous networking.
NEW This Year!!
The GELF team is also pleased to announce that we will organize a half-day workshop on China Ecommerce Wednesday September 18th from 12 to 5.30PM – learn more and register here about the China Ecommerce Workshop. GELF NYC ’19 will be a full-day on September 19th.
The GELF Community Keeps Growing
Building on the momentum from GELF LATAM and GELF LA ’19, leaders from online retailers and global brands will share data, insights and best practices about their global retail expansion strategies and tactics. International ecommerce experts will conduct workshops and host panel discussions detailing the latest dos and don’ts pertaining to cross-border and international ecommerce.
Building on the momentum from GELF LATAM and GELF LA ’19, leaders from online retailers and global brands will share data, insights and best practices about their global retail expansion strategies and tactics. International ecommerce experts will conduct workshops and host panel discussions detailing the latest dos and don’ts pertaining to cross-border and international ecommerce.
Join us on Thursday September 19th as we explore how digital innovation is disrupting and transforming the world of retail.
Interested in being a sponsor? Please contact sponsor@globalecommerce.co.
Throughout the day, GELF speakers will deliver a mix of strategic insights and tactical cross-border To Dos. Come prepared to spend the day discussing different market entry and growth models and learning how customer journeys differ country-to-country – and how these different journeys can impact your customer acquisition and engagement programs.
Learn how to prioritize the key operational aspects of your global commerce plan and how to organize your team to execute it successfully.
Together we’ll explore how:
Our morning and afternoon breakout sessions are back as is GELF’s Tech Talks. Our program offers internationally ambitious ecommerce leaders deep dives into how experts are tackling their top cross-border challenges and helps show you how to return to the office and make the case for investing in global retail growth.
Bring your experiences and questions. Leave with insights and answers.
Global ecommerce platforms are driving international sales growth for the world’s most iconic brands as well as for specialty retail and fast-growing digital native brands. Amazon, Alibaba and Walmart each offer unique ways to help their brand partners identify and execute on cross-border ecommerce opportunities in both emerged markets (China) and in emerging markets (India).
The GELF community is thrilled to welcome Walmart’s new SVP of cross-border ecommerce, Ben Hassing. For the past four years, Ben Hassing has led the ecommerce and technology divisions in China as Walmart moved aggressively into omni-channel with partners Tencent, JD.com, Dada and others.
As the “headwaters of retail innovation” China’s retail ecosystem continues to inspire retail transformation at home and abroad. In addition to providing an overview of Walmart’s cross-border ecommerce ambitions, Ben will share insights from his recent tenure in China. He will set the tone for the day by discussing lessons learned from serving Walmart’s Chinese consumers alongside Walmart’s brand and technology partners – and how these takeaways will help drive Walmart’s next stage of growth in markets around the world.
Join us to learn how US retailers can tap into emerging and proven international ecommerce best practices to grow their digital sales globally – and help lead their retail partners, associates and consumers into the next generation of global retail.
Keynote Speaker:
Ben Hassing, SVP, Cross Border Trade, Walmart
Following Ben’s lead, GELF’s executive leaders’ keynote panel will discuss how their companies are re-imagining how digital commerce can drive growth initiatives at home and abroad.
As communication platforms like WeChat join Amazon, Alibaba and Walmart as next gen global marketing, sales and wholesale distribution partners, retail brands are balancing the pros and cons of partnering with established international marketplaces and digital platforms as first party (1P) and/or third party (3P) sellers. At the same time, global ecommerce leaders are also working with emerging niche and vertical marketplaces disrupting traditional retail distribution globally as well.
One hot topic at GELF LA ’19 explored how global brands selling DTC are revisiting their global distribution agreements to clarify who has the right to sell what where when and how – and who owns operational and customer data from digital commerce.
Join our panel as they discuss how their teams are evolving their traditional wholesale operations to become more cutting-edge with digital in the lead. Learn how leading brands are not just selling into traditional wholesale and marketplace accounts, but striving to sell through and sell with established and new international trading partners.
Speakers:
China continues to be the #1 topic of interest at GELF gatherings. This September, GELF updates its 2017 China Ecommerce research study Catching the China Ecommerce Wave with new consumer data and additional insights from leaders within the GELF community.
Alibaba and JD.com often dominate the China Ecommerce conversation, but WeChat is the topic du jour. As WeChat’s commerce offerings emerge, we explore new opportunities in China for global retail brands.
Our panelists discuss how they are prioritizing known ecommerce opportunities in China vs. other fast-growing platform opportunities like Little Red Book and ByteDance’s TikTok content platform.
Come learn what’s next in China!
Speakers:
Are you ready to ramp up your China ecommerce growth now that your international ecommerce operations are growing nicely in Western markets? Is it past time to take your 1.0 China Ecommerce Strategy to the next level? This breakout session is for you!
Join Citcon’s COO Wei Jiang and global ecommerce leaders as we introduce Selling into China: The Definitive Guide to Cross-Border E-Commerce.
Citcon’s playbook spells out eight key steps for taking your cross-border ecommerce journey into China to the next level of success.
China isn’t a fit for everyone; step one is making sure that China is right for you and your products. Consider for instance that Tmalls’ sales of beauty products jumped over 60% last year!
Learn the latest about Taobao, Tmall, JD and Kaola as well as the latest commerce sensation WeChat. Make sure you’re ready for China ecommerce success by adopting the latest mobile strategies and by offering Chinese shoppers at home and abroad the innovative payment systems and logistics/delivery options they cannot live without.
Interested in connecting with new Chinese consumers by better understanding the Chinese digital marketing landscape? Gain insights and best practices from case studies about successful marketing and social media programs fueling ecommerce growth in China.
Change is a constant in China; learn what it takes to succeed when it comes to rules, regulations, customs and cultural dynamics in China.
Speaker:
Wei Jiang, COO of Citcon
Our second China Ecommerce breakout session answers the two extremely important questions when it comes to China Ecommerce expansion strategies –
“Is your brand ready for China?”
“Is China ready for you?”
Join ExportNow’s Frank Lavin as he leads an expert market/brand analysis that explores which brands perform best in China.
Speaker:
Frank Lavin, Chairman & CEO of ExportNow
What does an internationally renowned brand – one that has been investing diligently in growing its cross-border ecommerce operations – do when its cross-border ecommerce solution provider suddenly goes out of business? How does it continue to provide its international customers a smooth online shopping experience while transforming this unexpected change in plans into an opportunity to grow international conversions and revenues?
Matthew Schiff, Marc Jacobs’ VP of Ecommerce, looks back on the company’s international growth in markets around the world in recent years – and recounts how the smooth migration to a new cross-border platform was completed in just three months; enabling the brand to provide its international customers with a seamless online shopping experience consistent with the brand’s name and reputation.
GELF’s cross-border customer experience fireside session explores how Marc Jacobs’ international strategy has evolved in recent years – and how the company has grown successfully via a blend of cross-border ecommerce strategies in Western markets and an extensive network of retail stores throughout Asia including a dedicated operation in Japan.
Discover how enabling shoppers to transact in their local currency, providing them with a tax and duties calculation at checkout, supporting a variety of alternative payment methods and offering competitive shipping options has helped the brand to increase international sales and improve customer satisfaction.
Matthew will explain how working with Global-e’s team enables Marc Jacobs to improve its performance in international markets by optimizing their online offering, tailoring it to the brand’s business strategy, including its local in-store pricing strategy, in key markets worldwide such as Canada, Australia, Germany, France and the UK.
Speakers:
Capturing demand is one thing; fulfilling the order is a whole another adventure – especially in today’s dynamic global regulatory environment.
Compelling order and post-order experiences complete the engagement cycle – at home and abroad. But too often, this cycle breaks down for cross-border shoppers due to unexpected fees, tariffs and taxes that are due once an online order ends up on at an international shopper’s home or business.
Another persistent cross-border hurdle is the high cost of international shipping and the long order delivery times. The resulting customer experience-related cross-border challenges often boil down to the tough work of making sure sought-after products comply with the latest regulations and are correctly classified for import and export.
GELF’s executive panel shares insights about how retail brands are improving international conversion rates by embracing automation and innovations that leverage machine learning and AI to ease cross-border compliance-related hurdles.
Learn more about how the latest software and process advancements can address tax reform initiatives, the dynamic state of border tariffs, and the increased scrutiny of imports and exports as the global ecommerce growth drives an ever-increasing volume of cross-border sales and deliveries to shoppers around the world.
Speaker:
GELF’s new international marketplaces strategy breakout session builds upon the theme of global ecommerce disrupting traditional distribution channels, with a focus on online marketplaces as “digital-first” distribution partners for many brands.
Today the strategic role of international marketplaces is under greater scrutiny in most organizations. This session will compare and contrast Wahl Clipper’s Latam marketplace approach to European marketplace strategies, including topics such as 1) brand and price control, 2) managing unauthorized sellers and 3) team structures required to manage a growing portfolio of marketplaces.
Learn from experts about brand control strategies for online marketplaces via Selective Distribution in Europe, and how parallel imports need to be closely monitored in Latam markets, as brand owners try to work closely with marketplace operators to protect their company’s brand(s).
Speakers:
Cross-border ecommerce strategies are no longer limited to “US-outbound” exports. We see a growing number of retail brands based outside the US seeking to connect with U.S. consumers eager to discover new brands and distinct styles that aren’t always accessible in traditional retail channels at home.
Join us as GELF welcomes a panel of global retail leaders who will share global ecommerce experiences and perspectives.
Join this panel as they share sometimes-painful lessons learned from the early days of global ecommerce. Take away unique perspectives about how to “learn and grow” internationally – and how expanding into new global markets offers important insights about optimizing the online shopping experience here in the U.S.
Speakers:
From 12.30 to 1PM in Forum B, GELF will have two lunchtime roundtables focused on China Ecommerce and hosted by Frank Lavin of ExportNow and Wei Jiang of Citcon
As borderless shopping grows, the number of choices (and voices) grows in lockstep. 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.
Our afternoon keynote tackles the cross-border delivery experience – and explores how growing expectations for transparent and speedy delivery by shoppers around the world commands that global ecommerce leaders prioritize, plan and execute global delivery strategies.
Speaker:
Our afternoon program continues GELF’s focus on how retail brands are improving topline revenue and margins by optimizing business models and operations. Learn how ecommerce leaders are getting closer to international consumers by staging inventory to more quickly fulfill orders from cross-border, marketplace and in-region ecommerce sites.
Our panelists share POVs about creating centralized and local (and/or brand) team structures – and the key role that shared services can play as they grow globally. We also explore streamlining distribution and fulfilment of orders, the growing role of local product staging and how leaders are managing complexity with incumbent and digital-first distribution partners.
Join us as global ecommerce leaders also discuss how to create global growth synergies by integrating technology stacks and databases.
Speakers:
Navigating and ramping cross-border operations is incredibly complex, from site localization to local taxes. But there is no rest for the weary. Consider that in 2018, fraud prevention jumped from the #9 to #1 concern for cross border merchants.
GELF welcomes back Indy Guha from Signifyd for a data-rich exploration of how global ecommerce leaders are improving the cross-border customer experience from the first “touch.” Indy will be sharing data and best practices on finding the right balance of fear and opportunity.
Learn more about why retailers routinely over-correct for that fear, resulting in significant missed revenue. Take-away a fresh perspective about how fine-tuning cross-border operations can more immediately impact the top line!
Speaker:
Indy Guha, SVP, Marketing and Alliances, Signifyd
Our May 2019 GELF LATAM ’19 was a big success as the GELF community shared insights on digital commerce opportunities and strategies south of the border.
Join our panelists as they share POVs on why LATAM is quickly emerging the “next big bet” for internationally ambitious ecommerce leaders. Learn more about why top retail brands are prioritizing investments in the key markets in Latin America – Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Colombia – and how their strategies and tactics differ.
Speakers:
GELF’s Tech Talks tackle head-on the top cross-border ecommerce pain points creating friction for today’s international sellers. Whether its headaches from account takeovers emanating from the dark web or complex regulations creating costs and complexities, Job #1 is alleviating the pain.
Join our speakers for a fast-paced walk on the wild side of cross-border ecommerce as they show us how to navigate the pitfalls ahead.
Speakers:
Offering local payment options at the right time is the right way to kickstart an engaging cross-border shopping experience.
Join the Worldpay team as they present new research about global regulations coming online and insights into cross-border payment best practices.
If you are an executive at an online retailer or brand selling direct to consumer and would like to share your cross-border and international ecommerce experiences, please email us at speak@globalecommerce.co! Although GELF speakers are primarily retailers and brand executives, we are able to include select leaders from our sponsor partners in the program as well. If interested in sponsoring GELF NYC '19, please contact sponsor@globalecommerce.co
SVP, Cross Border Trade, Walmart
Director of Operations - Ecommerce, PVH Corp.
Digital Sales & Emerging Channels, New Balance
VP, Ecommerce, Marc Jacobs
Brand Partnerships, Chinese Laundry
Senior Marketing Manager, Global Paid Media, Arrow Electronics
Senior Director of Direct to Consumer and Digital, MZ WALLACE
Global VP, Marketplace, ABInBev
Sr Dir of Global eComm & Retail, Burton Snowboards
VP, Global Digital + Technology, Biossance
Presidente Latin America & Global Manager, Wahl Clipper
Founder & CEO, KAS New York
SVP, Ecommerce, The Collected Group
Executive Director, Digital, ReVive Skincare
CDO/CTO, Fekkai/Bastide Beauty
Chief Digital Officer, Sanctuary Clothing
SVP, Global Trade, Avalara
Global Trade, Avalara
Co-Founder & President, Sunrise International
President & COO, Citcon
Chairman & CEO, Export Now
Global CEO, Practicology (a Pattern company)
SVP, Marketing and Alliances, Signifyd
CEO, North America, Global-e
Chief Commercial Officer, eShopWorld
Director of Global Sales, Corra
VP, Global Product, Metapack
Trust & Safety Architect, Sift
VP, Digital and eCommerce Logistics, Parxl/Singapore Airlines
President & CEO, SkyPostal
Co-Founder, GELF
Co-Founder, GELF
Co-Founder, GELF
