7 Tips to Help You Get the Most Out of IRCE 2018

One thing you can always expect from IRCE, it will be BUSY. With 130 conference sessions and more than 600 solution vendors, IRCE is the place to go to get an overview of the ecommerce industry and catch up with current trends. With so much going on, it also means it can be overwhelming. It’s important to do your research and set your priorities before you go. Here are some tips to help you focus on maximizing your time at IRCE:

1. Make it personal – Personalization is hot for both B2C and B2B. Find out how to Drive Loyalty by Getting Personal in Wednesday’s Marketing Track. On Thursday, catch Personalization 2.0: Making the Move to Individualization. Gartner projects that B2B companies with effective online personalization will capture far more sales than those without it. Learn more in Personalization: How to Win More Market Share, part of Friday’s B2B Workshop.
2. Track technology trends – Tuesday’s E-Commerce Technology Workshop covers digital retail technologies to have on your roadmap and radar. On Thursday, the Managing Technology Track covers how to make website performance bullet-proof, how to get the most practical use out of analytics and what to prioritize when replatforming a back office. If you’re new, start with the basics: New Recruit Book Camp is on Tuesday.
3. Up your game – IRCE is a great opportunity to get face time with experts to go over your business and your ecommerce goals. Be efficient by pre-booking an appointment for a complimentary strategy session with one of Miva’s Solutions Architects. With Miva’s native functionality, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to create the fully featured ecommerce operation of your dreams.
4. Build your brand – New to IRCE 2018, Thursday’s Brand Building Track showcases innovative strategies and techniques being used by new, fast growing online retailers. Expect to see a lot on social media, but also the pros (and cons) of pop-up stores, how to build credibility, and new uses of video.
5. Get inspired – A successful online store helps customers find what they’re looking for, get items in their carts, and get them checked out swiftly. Friday’s Design and Usability Workshop gives pointers on designing sites for desktop and mobile devices. Sessions present new ideas for product browsing and tips for increasing conversions, as well as several talks on measurement of effective website layouts.
6. Address the elephant in the room – Confront your fear of the A word. Tuesday’s Amazon and Me Workshop begins with predictions of what to expect from the ecommerce behemoth over the next five years, then moves on to sessions with specific advice and tips on taking advantage of recent enhancements for Marketplace Sellers, getting your first reviews, expanding globally and – importantly – avoiding the dreaded Terms of Service violations. You’ll see Amazon sessions in other tracks, too.
7. Get advice from the big brands – IRCE 2018’s speaker list includes top executives from some of the biggest brands in the industry, including Walmart, Shutterfly, Houzz, Coca-Cola, HelloFresh, Snapchat, Crate & Barrel, Warby Parker, Nordstrom, Lego, Grubhub, Facebook, Bed Bath & Beyond and Pinterest. Special guest Seth Godin, author of “What to Do When It’s Your Turn”, will urge you to make change happen – without waiting for permission.

And… Don’t forget to make a new friend or 20. Socializing is on the agenda from 4 – 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday when all IRCE attendees are invited for free beer, wine, and soft drinks at the exhibit hall. Sound exhausting? Stop by the Miva booth #1507 on Wednesday and Thursday when Miva will have the espresso machine brewing up free drinks all day.

We’re looking forward to catching up with many of our partners at the show, including:

• • Avalara
  • Bronto
  • FedEx
  • Mailchimp
  • PayPal
  • SearchSpring
  • ShipStation
  • Square
  • UPS

See you there!