Navigating the Shifting Tides of Digital Commerce: Recapping CRC’s 2023 eCommerce Summit in San Diego
By jborthwickAmidst the backdrop of the stunning San Diego Bayfront, the evening sun dipped below the horizon, casting a glow over the city’s skyline. It’s a mild 70 degrees, and palm trees outline the surrounding promenade – a refreshing sight for those of us from the Midwest. At the heart of this setting, digital commerce leaders exchanged ideas and shared success stories during an intimate cocktail reception. It was the evening before Cleveland Research Company’s 2023 eCommerce Summit, our 11th annual industry event.
In the ever-changing world of retail, staying ahead of the curve is essential. That’s why Cleveland Research Company’s eCommerce Summit converged for two days in San Diego, helping shape the future of online retail. Plus, name a better location for business travel!
Founded in 2006, Cleveland Research Company (CRC) is an independent research firm providing market intelligence to help companies achieve a competitive advantage. CRC’s eCommerce Council supports professionals at branded manufacturers drive faster, more profitable growth. This is executed through our syndicated research, one-on-one analyst engagement, peer share groups called roundtables and curated events.
Since 2012, we’ve hosted the eCommerce Summit, which features proprietary research insights, best practice sharing and peer networking opportunities.
We invited all 540 registrants to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, just steps away from San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter and Petco Park. Typical guests include digital commerce professionals from key retailers and brands, including those who partner with us for continuous research insights.
The 2023 Summit kicked off on Wednesday, September 6 during a welcome cocktail reception sponsored by Gray Falkon. We offered small bites and sips at the Hilton’s promenade plaza overlooking the water. Whether we were reuniting with old friends or forging new connections with industry peers, every interaction left us enriched. There’s no better feeling than meeting face-to-face two years in a row, especially after the pandemic.
The main event began on Thursday, September 7. We eased into the day with eggs, bacon, fruit, pastries and coffee, of course. And, how about lowering the noise and igniting excitement with a hype video featuring our very own eCommerce team?
At 8:00 am sharp, it was time for the keynote presentation. CRC’s Executive Director of eCommerce, Nick Fischietto, presented our annual state of the industry address: Having Success in an Evolving Omnichannel Environment.
After the keynote, the Summit boasted 16 additional sessions across Amazon, omnichannel retailers, digital media, consumer trends and more.
Our partners at Flywheel Digital, Stackline, Harvest Group, Menasha Packaging and The Mars Agency all delivered guest speaker presentations, sharing action items based on their own expertise as service providers.
CRC also led two panel discussions with branded manufacturers. The first discussion focused on modernizing and optimizing your company’s supply chain with executives from Mondelez, Hallmark and Kimberly-Clark.
Our second panel discussion about content creation and digital shelf management, featuring leadership from Colgate-Palmolive, Rust-Oleum, SC Johnson and the Hillman Group. You can view the full agenda for yourself here.
Whether it was a CRC deep dive, guest speaker session, or panel discussion, this year’s event was all about solutions, not sales pitches. That’s how you get more than 445 industry leaders across 170 companies to show up in San Diego. Value people and content – our secret to success.
Don’t believe us? Hear from one attendee who wrote CRC after the event:
“The quality and integrity of the presenters and topics. The knowledge and application of the
2023 eCommerce Summit Attendee (eCommerce Professional at Omnichannel Retailer)
work they do is exceptional and timely. This was truly educational and not just a glorified sales
pitch as some conferences present. Thank you for the high standards you strive to achieve;
everyone knocked it out of the park.”
Our goal is to be a sanctuary for brands to connect and learn. We know we’re doing our job if we’re being a valuable resource to the eCommerce community – helping you better navigate modern commerce along the way.
As the sun set on day two, we hosted a closing happy hour after an immersive nine-hour day. This allowed people to truly relax and reflect upon their time in San Diego.
Attendees left inspired, equipped with new strategies, and ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this dynamic industry. Cheers to innovation!
We hope you’ll join us next year.
See you in 2024…
If you’d like to receive a sample eCommerce report or learn more about Cleveland Research Company, please reach out to us at info@cleveland-research.com.
2023 eCommerce Summit Photo Gallery
