VIP Retail Luncheon Review

Our 2^nd VIP event of the year was held in Manchester earlier this week and featured an eclectic mix of topics from Social Media to Lifestyle Photography. For those that couldn’t attend there will be highlights of the event appearing on our YouTube channel shortly and hopefully this brief review will give an insight into what you missed out on.

The afternoon was kicked off with David Smith from IMRG giving some eye opening facts and figures on the ecommerce industry as it stands today and highlighting the pace of growth we should expect in the coming years. An ever eloquent speaker, David set the scene with great clarity for the rest of the afternoons speakers. To emphasise the pace of change even further, our invitees were then treated to a talk from Alex and Rachel of Meltwater Buzz on listening tools for social media. The pair highlighted the need to listen first before jumping into the social media ocean, to lower the risk of drowning! The mBuzz presentation also gave some insight into the advantages of paying for listening tools as opposed to using the many free (but elementary) tools that are on offer.

After enjoying a lunch of double-decker sandwiches, mini burgers and chocolate shots (non-alcoholic!), we all reclined in the company of Prodoto, educating us on the importance of good imagery. Will and Andy’s very visual presentation was a fascinating journey into the world behind the final image that appears on a website. For those of us that haven’t worked in fashion it was educational, for those that have and do it was a valuable reminder that a good base is needed to build a successful brand online. The key take-away from the talk was that your imagery reflects on your brand and compromise should not be an option. Following on from the mechanics of a good photo, Mike from WMpS showed how to get the most out of your imagery and engage consumers on your website. Filled with facts and figures, his presentation emphasised the importance of aligning your website proposition with that of your store, catalogue and other offline brand presence.

The day was once again received well by all that attended, and we look forward to hearing feedback on how to make our future events even more valuable and enjoyable for retailers and industry experts alike. If you’d like any information on our future events or to request an event near you, feel free to contact us.