Expanded E-Tail Conference Firms Up Plans
The agenda of eTail 2005 (www.etail2005.com), set for Aug. 1–4 in Philadelphia, has just been announced by New York– and London-based Worldwide Business Research, the sponsor of the show. Organizers will launch some noteworthy conference innovations that hold the promise of creating a uniquely practical and educational experience for retailers seeking to develop and master their online presence.
Significantly, apparel retailing will be the largest represented consumer category. There will be an impressive array of presentations by experts from Lands’ End, Jones Apparel Group, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo.com, Kenneth Cole, Coldwater Creek, Lillian Vernon and Neiman Marcus Direct, among other retailers.
While the previous conference, held in Palm Springs, Calif., last February, emphasized brand building and e-mail marketing as overall themes, multi-themed “tracks” will be introduced in Philadelphia. Attendees will choose from “Multi-Channel Integration,” “Customer (Online) Experience,” “Web Analytics,” “Growth Strategies” and “Holiday Strategy 2005” as in-depth panel discussion topics.
Other elements that will be introduced to retailers are “pre-event surveys,” two of which will be held on Aug. 1, the day prior to the conference’s formal opening. Upon registering, retailers will complete a brief survey outlining the key issues they want to solve. At the beginning of the day, these objectives will be written on boards throughout the room. Attendees will be seated at a table with six to eight other retailers, while professional facilitators and retail clients rotate every 30 minutes from table to table, ensuring exposure to a variety of perspectives.
“Search Day,” the first of the two surveys, will emphasize the growing importance of search-engine technology in creating online success stories. The session’s overall goal is to impart a deeper understanding of how search technology affects the bottom line.
“Web Analytics Day” will explore tools that have become the essential sources for decision makers in all aspects of online retailing. The goal of this session is to help retailers increase sales conversion rates.
The conference formally gets underway on Aug. 2 with an address by Mindy Meads, president and chief executive officer of Lands’ End and executive vice president of Lands’ End’s parent company, Sears Holdings Corp. Meads will speak on the subject of “Leadership Excellence in Apparel Retail: Consistently Driving Value and Quality Throughout Your Organization.”
And the Award Goes to hellip;
It’s award season for the World Wide Web, and the winners for both the Webby Awards and the WebAward Competition have just been announced. The apparel industry has earned some noteworthy honors.
Called the “Oscars of the Internet” by The New York Times, the Webby (www.webbyawards.com) is the leading international award honoring excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality. The ninth annual Webby Awards received more than 4,300 entries from all 50 states and more than 40 countries.
The Webbys named high-end retailer and international fashion designer Alexander McQueen’s site, www.alexandermcqueen.com, as the Best Fashion Web site of 2005. The Macromedia Flash–based interactive site takes the user on a sensual journey through the current collection of women’s and men’s accessories and apparel. Subtle animation and refined graphic details make this an Internet trip very much worth taking.
The Web Marketing Association’s WebAward Competition (www.webaward.org), founded in 1997, recognizes the best Internet promotional/marketing sites. The organization is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, public relations and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of advertising, marketing and promotions used to attract visitors to Web sites.
Indeed, Forrester Research of Cambridge, Mass., estimates that online advertising will be a $42 billion per year industry worldwide in 2005. Online advertising grew at a 93 percent annual rate from 1998 to 2000 and is predicted to grow nearly 30 percent through 2005.
In the apparel category, this year’s winners are:
bull; Ann Taylor for Best Retail Microsite/Landing Page. The site, www.iamanntaylor.sbigroup.com, artfully presents 50 fashionable women in celebration of the company’s 50th year of business.
bull; JCPenney for Best Retail E-Mail Message Campaign. The site, www.jcpenney.com, recently launched a highly effective “Signs of Spring” e-mail campaign.
bull; Adidas’ “A3 Ultraride” (www.adidas.com) for Best Retail Online Ad (even though viewer registration is required before one can view the ad).
bull; Jordan Brand (Nike) AJXX “Will You Be The One?” for Outstanding Achievement in Internet Advertising for a Microsite/Landing Page. The site, www.nike.com/jumpman23/jordanxx/index.jsp, presents a very cool Flash presentation of “the world’s most advanced basketball shoe.”
