PARIS – May 18, 2017 – SymphonyAI — the combination of Symphony GOLD and Symphony EYC — announced additional information on its Xcelerate Retail Forums in the US and France. The sister events will take place on 12 – 14 September 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada and 9 – 11 October in Paris, France.
This year’s Forums will focus on the requirement of retailers and Consumer Package Goods (CPG) manufacturers to develop nimble, customer-centric strategies to exceed the demands of today’s consumers. In addition, both Forums will address what the recent news of Amazon’s acquisition announcement has set in motion in the grocery industry — and most importantly — how organizations can “fight back” against Amazon and other unknown future disrupters. The Xcelerate Forums will include sessions that discuss the future of and strategies for better customer-centric retailing and fighting back against Amazon by:
- Illustrating how the acquisition of Whole Foods disrupts the grocery industry and the entire consumer purchase lifecycle, impacting the entire organization.
- Sharing insights from CPG experts on why they must adopt the mindset of a technology company, and how technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) can make this happen.
- Examining how companies are winning by innovating and adapting to deliver convenience and grow market share.
- Giving attendees hands-on experiences with the latest innovations — such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence — helping retailers and CPGs meet customer demands.
“Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods has been billed as ‘the deal that forever changed retail.’ Retailers (and their CPG manufacturers) cannot survive or succeed solely through better merchandising in stores or better marketing in e-commerce, they must provide seamless personalized customer experiences and better execution of customer-centric retailing across all channels,” said Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, Chairman and CEO, Symphony Technology Group. “To win in an Amazon world, retailers and brands need to fight back with different strategies and new solutions, taking advantage of the latest innovation and technology, including artificial intelligence. That is the theme of the Xcelerate Retail Forum.”
A forum specifically designed for senior executives of retailers and consumer packaged goods manufacturers, Xcelerate Retail Forum 2017 will host some of the world’s most recognized corporate leaders, analysts, innovators, and disruptors.
Since the lineup of speakers was announced in May, the agenda has been enhanced with the additional presenters including:
- Sahir Anand, Managing VP, Research and Strategy, EKN Research
- Amy Hahn, SVP Marketing, Ahold USA
- Stojan Pašalić, Senior Operational Logistics Support Specialist, Atlantic Grupa
- Tom Rose, Head of International Operations, Spar International
Additional Resources:
Visit the Xcelerate site
Read Competing with Amazon in Grocery Just Got a ‘Whole’ Lot Tougher
Read interviews with Xcelerate speakers:
- Evan Anthony, Evan Anthony, Chairman, EDA Consulting; Former Marketing Executive, –The Kroger Company. Evan Anthony: Meet the speakers for Xcelerate Retail Forum 2017.
- John Armstrong, Head of IT, Central England Co-operative. Automation in grocery, convenience and the Xcelerate Retail Forum 2017.
- Interview with Lora Cecere, Founder, Supply Chain Insights. Changes in supply chain, the next “big thing” and the Xcelerate Retail Forum 2017.
- Kenny Endermuhle, Senior Manager of Retail Innovation Strategy, Nestle Purina. Virtual and physical realities and the Xcelerate Retail Forum 2017.
- Gary Hardy, Chief Operating Officer, Retail, Big C Supercenter. A shift to modern trade and convenience in SE Asia (and other changes).
- John Lucot, Former President and COO, Giant Eagle. Serve employees to serve the customer. Use data to serve both.
- John Rossman, a partner with professional services firm, Alvarez and Marsal; Former Director of Enterprise Services, Amazon. Amazon, customer centricity, and fearless reinvention to win today.
- Kevin Stafford, VP of Marketing, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. Service, price, convenience – it’s all about customer centricity.
- John Williams, Head of IT, Director – Category Management, Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Category Management insights, aisle optimization – BIG results.
- Ed Wong, SVP Supply Chain and CIO, Smart and Final. Smart and Final CIO on supply chain trends and Xcelerate Retail Forum.
About SymphonyAI
SymphonyAI is the leading global provider of Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision platforms, solutions and customer-centric insights that drive validated growth for retailers and CPG manufacturers, from customer intelligence to personalized marketing, and merchandising and category management, to supply chain and retail operations. SymphonyAI is innovating rapidly to drive faster, more profitable decisions through AI, machine learning and voice technologies. We are trusted by over 1200 organizations including 15 of the world’s 25 largest grocery retailers, thousands of retail brands, and hundreds of national and regional chains worldwide to help solve their toughest business problems, through AI-powered customer intelligence and retail solutions. SymphonyAI was formed from the combination of Symphony GOLD, renamed Retail Solutions Division, and Symphony EYC, now the Customer Intelligence Division. More at www.symphonyretailai.com. Follow us on Twitter: @symphonyretail.
Media Contact
Adrienne Newcomb
Ketner Group Communications (for SymphonyAI)
adrienne@ketnergroup.com
512-794-8876
