How These 4 Retail Media Leaders Make Conference Season Count

I'm heading to Cannes in two weeks for the first time, and I'll admit—if I still had a boss to convince about this expense, I'd be dreading that conversation right about now. (I get to let my accountant handle the sticker shock instead 😬)

But the reality is that this year, conference expenses will likely be under more scrutiny than ever before across our industry.

With budgets tightening and ROI expectations rising, I reached out to several of my brand-side and industry consultant friends to understand how they're maximizing their conference investments beyond traditional 'networking.' Learn how they turn conference badges into genuine business outcomes that justify every dollar spent.

Before we begin, if you'll be at Cannes, don't miss Retail Media Therapy Live: The Celebrity Deathmatch Edition!

In this offbeat and unfiltered session, retail media heavyweights Andrew Lipsman, Colin Lewis and I will go head-to-head in a fiery, round-by-round debate over the industry’s hottest topics. From the eternal battle of ROAS vs. Incrementality, to whether every retailer truly needs their own RMN, to asking if the Cannes rosé is really worth the ROI - nothing is off limits.

Register here.

Now, let's jump in!

Bring Your Finance Partner Along

Brian Dudzinski, independent Amazon consultant and formerly the Ecomm Lead for KIND Snacks, offers perhaps the most counterintuitive advice: bring your finance business partner to conferences.

"Conferences are a lot of fun, especially in this industry. A lot of sharing of ideas and when you go back to a team or you're looking to your boss to get these things approved, it's very impactful when you can come back afterwards and give a download of what you've experienced, the trends you've seen, the technology," Brian says.

His strategy extends beyond typical conference attendees. "I literally brought my finance business partner. They're intimately involved in the business, and for them to understand what's happening actually gets them motivated and like, 'Wow, this is really cool. And now I understand what you're saying about these types of things.' So that context helps."

Brian emphasizes going to conferences with specific problems you're looking to solve, rather than hoping to stumble upon solutions. This targeted approach, combined with bringing cross-functional partners who can witness the "magic of the space," creates internal advocates for future conference investments.

The Universe Conspiracy Theory

Brea Keating, Director of E-Commerce at Wilton, takes a more mystical but surprisingly effective approach to conference networking.

"To make the most out of conferences, I make a list of who I want to meet and why before I even go, and I promise you that the universe will make it happen. I don't know how it happens, but I always make a list of who I'm looking to meet at the shows and what types of people, what types of skills I might want to learn from or experiences that I might want to learn from. And it always happens," Brea says.

She shares a memorable example: "Four years ago, I put Carter Jensen's name on a list of people I wanted to meet at a conference and it didn't happen, and it was so funny the day after the conference he wrote me on LinkedIn and said, 'You were one of the people I wanted to meet at the conference.' I was like, 'You were one of the people I wanted to meet at the conference.'"

While they didn't connect at that specific event, their missed connection led to multiple productive calls throughout the year. Brea's key message: "Remember why you're going and it's not the free parties."

Spotting Tomorrow's Trends Today

Luiz Antunes, National Account Manager for E-Commerce at Organika Health Products, emphasizes conferences as early warning systems for industry shifts. Fresh from the Prosper Show in Vegas, Luiz discovered discussions around AI-powered product search that gave him a critical head start on understanding how this technology will reshape retail media strategies.

Rather than waiting for these trends to become mainstream, Luiz uses conferences to identify emerging opportunities while they're still developing. This forward-looking approach allows him to prepare his team and strategies ahead of the competition.

Like Brian Dudzinski, his approach includes bringing broader team members: "Last year, I tried to bring my team and marketing department to join [Amazon] Unboxed as well." He treats conference attendance as essential infrastructure, noting, "Our fiscal year goes from September to August. So in June we're going to start preparing the budget exercise. And definitely, I'm going to include those events in the budget. I take it as so important."

The Three-Point Conference Strategy

Danny Silverman, Growth Consultant at Silver Stream Strategic Consulting, offers a tactical framework for conference success:

"There's probably three things I would recommend for attending trade shows. Number one, make use of the app that they provide to make your schedule as well as networking. It's really important to have a plan and not just to go and figure out what you're gonna do on the fly, because you won't get the most out of the show."

His second point addresses a common conference frustration: "If you're saying, 'Hey, let's meet up there. I'll find you,' you probably won't, especially at the bigger shows like Shoptalk. So if you want to meet with someone, schedule a very specific time and place where you're gonna meet."

Finally, Danny emphasizes the importance of floor time: "Walk the floor. Yes, it's a gauntlet and there's salespeople, but it's the only way to really know what's happening in the industry and what's emerging. It will give you a really good insight into what's the next thing that's coming."

The Bottom Line

What emerges from these insights is that successful conference attendance requires the same strategic thinking we apply to retail media campaigns: clear objectives, targeted execution, and measurable outcomes. Whether you're headed to Cannes for the first time like me or navigating your fifth Shoptalk, the leaders who consistently secure conference budgets are those who treat these events as strategic investments rather than networking vacations.

Further reading from me on this and related topics:

• If you're interested in not just attending conferences but speaking at them, check out my previous post: Its conference season. Get yourself on the stage!
• And also check out my personally curated Retail Media Industry Events Database.