Landmark line-up to inspire convenience retailers
The organisers of the Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit have revealed a sensational selection of hugely inspirational and motivational speakers for a landmark event taking place this September
A stunning collection of some of the world’s most respected retail minds is set to inspire Ireland’s blossoming convenience retail industry at a landmark event taking place in September.
The Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit will be by far the biggest event for the sector this year, featuring an incredible line-up of top industry figures.
Experts from digital retail, Ireland’s economic upper echelons, US and Canadian food-to-go, global trend-analysis, sport and business motivation, and domestic retail, have been brought together for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Over 500 delegates are expected to attend, including the nation’s top convenience retailers, owners, CEOs, directors, managers, and senior members from retail teams from within neighbourhood, convenience, food-to-go, delis, cafes, symbol groups, off-sales, supermarkets, wholesalers, and forecourt retailing.
The theme of Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit, which takes place on 6 September at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road in Dublin will be ‘The Future of Convenience’.
And all those in attendance will be able to gather insights, inspiration and innovations needed for the challenges posed by convenience retail’s exciting future.
It will involve retailing masterclasses, exploration of the latest technologies, new-to-market products and services, an investigation of forthcoming trends, and an exploration of what lies ahead for the industry.
The industry needs to know what the market will look like ten years from now, and this conference will provide the answers.
Speaking about the conference was Bill Penton, Managing Director of the event’s organising team, Penton Exhibitions Limited.
He said: “There are a number of incredibly exciting speakers drawn from the highest level of international retailing.
“These are global experts, with huge amounts of experience and expertise – it’s a dream team of retail minds and I’m sure everyone in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s retail industry will be very impressed with the quality of the line-up. It’s really not to be missed.”
The Summit has won the supported of a range of organisations and companies, including RGDATA and Retail NI.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Grocery Benevolent Fund is on-board as the event’s charity sponsor.
Commenting on the event, RGData’s Director General Tara Buckley said: “RGDATA was delighted to be involved in last year’s Summit and are looking forward to this year’s event. It is a great opportunity to meet leading experts in our sector and get ideas to develop your shop and boost sales.”
Also commenting was Glyn Roberts from Retail NI. He said: “Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit comes at an important time for the industry. The scale of this event is sure to have an important and positive impact on the future of convenience retail in Northern Ireland and the Republic. We’re delighted to support this incredible summit, and look forward to learning valuable lessons from such an impressive range of speakers.”
Due to the scale of the 2017 Summit, the organising team has also established a dedicated online and social media presence for the event, featuring a full breakdown of each of the speakers, and the latest updates as the industry looks forward to the 6 September Summit.
There are three key strands to the event: A world-class conference featuring inspirational figures, a specialist trade exhibition, and the 12th annual Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer Awards.
Conference line-up
Inspirational figures from each of the key areas of convenience retail have been drawn together to provide an all-encompassing view of The Future of Convenience in Ireland.
The day’s first speaker will be Scott Hartman. Scott is president and CEO of Rutter’s, operating 66 convenience stores throughout Pennsylvania, USA. A multiple US business hall of famer, Scott is a multi-award winning retailer, and an international authority on retail and its future, having spoken at the world-renowned Nacs 2016 event, and at the Association of Convenience Stores conference in the UK.
The second speaker is the incredible Ted Zittell, one of the most influential business and brand consultants in the world. The Canadian consumer and retail expert’s speciality is identifying future trends and turning those into opportunities for modern brands.
He has worked with some of the world’s biggest firms, including Tesco, Kroger, Sainsbury’s and Wawa Convenience, and is sure to provide unmatched insight into the Future of Convenience.
Following the North American flavoured morning, the action will turn closer to home with a presentation by the CEO of Maxol, Brian Donaldson.
Since earning the top job in 2016, Brian has galvanised the company with a refreshed, meticulously researched, and evidence-based approach, and will be providing commentary on the company’s innovations and outlook on the future.
Next up will be one of the most talked-about presentations of the day.
Jamil Qureshi’s work with premiership football teams, the European Ryder Cup team, F1, and myriad blue chip companies have thrust him into the spotlight as one of the world’s leading motivational coaches.
His record of helping the world’s top achievers become number one in their chosen field will be lost on no one, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from a world-class motivator.
Speaking about world-class achievements, Emmanuel Dollé is recognised globally as a digital expert extraordinaire. His experience at the upper echelons of Google and Facebook will be used to give convenience retailers take-away tools to boost their business’s digital presence as the sector inevitably hurtles toward an online future.
Also speaking at the event is one of the most influential business minds in the country – Danny McCoy. The outspoken Ibec CEO has an unparalleled overview of Ireland’s economic and political future and will be able to shed light on how the country’s outlook will shape the retail landscape.
The organisers are also delighted to confirm Matthew Corrin, founder and CEO of global healthy fast-food concept Freshii, will be concluding the conference event.
A recipient of multiple major awards and accolades, Matthew has gone from business star to a North American household name, spearheading a revolution in healthy fast-food that is changing the market across the globe.
The host of the event, meanwhile is Ivan Yates. Newstalk presenter, columnist, and political pundit, Ivan is renowned for his unique and forthright style, robust views, and compelling delivery. A household name with top rated shows, Ivan will be using his knack for searching questions and entertaining presentation to host the Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit 2017.
To book a place at the Summit call Dublin 00353 (0)1 6392960 or Belfast 0044 28 90 457 457, and visit www.convenienceretailersummit.com for more details. Follow the latest news from the event at Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit on Facebook.
