Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Retail Conferences
A worthwhile conference trip requires the same strategic thinking we apply to retail media campaigns.
Conference season is upon us again, and with budgets tighter than ever, the pressure to justify every conference dollar has never been higher. While it's easy to see conferences as networking opportunities or learning experiences, the most successful retail media professionals approach them with strategic precision.
I reached out to several brand-side leaders to understand how they maximize their conference investments beyond "just" networking.
Don't Skip the Networking Events
Kelsey Knight, Chief Commercial Officer at toy brand Slumberkins, emphasizes the often-overlooked value of those exhausting but crucial networking moments. Speaking to me live from eTail East a few weeks ago, Kelsey has a clear message about conference priorities.
"Don't skip the networking events," Kelsey says. "I feel like it's a really easy thing to skip the 20 minute networking refreshers or the dinners or the happy hours because you're exhausted and you have work to do. But that's actually where I've made the most connections that have paid off down the line."
Her track record proves this approach works. The agencies that Slumberkins currently works with? Kelsey met them at previous eTail events. And two brand partnerships in the last 12 months both came from connections made at industry conferences. "Having a game plan to attend those networking events and make the most of them has been really important for me," she says.
Kelsey also advocates for spending time allowing yourself to be 'sold to' on the exhibition floor: "Know the solutions that you're looking for, the partners that you're looking for, prioritize that and seek them out because that is where you'll get a faster read on the software or the services that will be most beneficial to you. And it just really jumpstarts that evaluation process."
Select Few, Maximize Each
Neha Malik, Head of Connected Commerce at Mizkan America (parent company of brands including Ragú, Bertolli, and Holland House), takes a more selective but intensive approach to conference attendance.
"We select very few throughout the year, so we try and make the most of each one of them," Neha says. Her team's strategy focuses on timing conferences with specific business needs. She points to the Digital Shelf Summit hosted by Salsify as a perfect example: "We were right in the midst of determining how do we go back to basics and how do we fix digital shelf optimization through AI, and that particular one was really helpful because there were a lot of agencies presenting exactly how to look at the enhancements, how to make the changes."
Neha's team also uses conferences for comprehensive relationship building: "To be able to meet with our existing agency partners, which there's quite a few within our tech stack or otherwise, to see that we know everything that they bring from the capability perspective. What are the retailers doing? What are some of the other brands doing?"
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Go Deeper with Workshops
Chris Lowrey, Brand Director at Our Home (parent of Pop Secret, Good Health, and Popchips), has discovered that the real value lies beyond the main floor and keynote sessions.
"One thing that I have started encouraging folks to do is sign up for workshops," Chris says. "It's a great way to go deeper on a specific topic, and more importantly, you're able to network in a much more meaningful way than just chatting over cocktails."
The workshop approach creates lasting connections through shared learning experiences. "You walk away with the shared learning experience with the folks that are at the workshop or sitting at your table, which makes it so much easier to continue the conversation later," Chris says. "I've built connections in workshops that turn into long-term partnerships because we have this really interesting common ground to build on."
Don't Leave it to Chance
Danny Silverman, Growth Consultant at Silver Stream Strategic Consulting, offers a tactical framework that addresses the most common conference pitfalls.
"There's probably three things I would recommend for attending trade shows," Danny says. "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 universal 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, like Kelsey from Slumberkins, Danny emphasizes the importance of floor time despite its challenges: "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
A worthwhile conference trip requires the same strategic thinking we apply to retail media campaigns: clear objectives, targeted execution, and measurable outcomes. The leaders who consistently secure conference budgets are those who treat these events as strategic investments rather than networking vacations, building genuine business relationships that drive results long after the conference badges are filed away.
PS – Speaking of events, I'm hosting an informal meetup for retail media professionals in Atlanta on October 1st. RSVP here! If you can't make this particular date and want to be kept in the loop about future events, reply to this email and let me know that you want to be added to the list.
