Digital Summit 2024

THE BRIEF

Retail Week clients Ancoris, EXL and Upp wanted to showcase their business expertise to a diverse audience of retailers working in digital, ecommerce, IT and technology. Lead generation and having the opportunity to network with retailers in a face-to-face, informal environment were also primary drivers of the partnership.

THE SOLUTION

Taking place on February 7, 2024, Retail Week’s Digital Summit welcomed 40 senior retailers to a free masterclass in central London, comprising six content sessions across a breadth of topics and two dynamic networking breaks.

The Digital Summit was an opportunity for retailers and industry experts to come together to collaborate, connect and share the latest thinking around digital innovation and technology.  

The event was supported by our three sponsor partners, who were all seamlessly integrated into the agenda to speak alongside leading retailers from Frasers Group, Kingfisher, H&M Group, John Lewis Partnership, Gousto, the Co-op, Kurt Geiger and Mars.  

Sponsors networked with retail decision-makers across brands including Tesco, Pets at Home, Mars, Ann Summers, Harrods, M&S, Dunelm, Sainsbury’s and more.

Job titles in attendance included chief technology officer, vice-president of digital and ecommerce, digital director, director for retail IT, group head of digital trading, head of digital brand partnerships, head of online and omnichannel CX, to name just a few. 

Ancoris, EXL and Upp not only benefited from speaking opportunities within panel sessions on the agenda, but they also generated valuable brand awareness, aligning them with key topics of interest for retailers, and made connections with retailers throughout the morning.  

Campaign marketing included: 

• Dedicated event portal with partner branding 
• Two teaser articles featured on Retail-Week.com and morning briefing newsletters 
• Social content across Twitter (100,000+ followers) and LinkedIn 
• Bespoke social cards created for sponsors and speakers to showcase their inclusion  
• Native advertising on Retail-Week.com 
• An eight-week marketing campaign to our 35,000-strong database of retail professionals 

Feedback from attendees was incredibly positive. Senior retailers commented on how the event “got them really thinking” and described it as “very worthwhile”, with one noting how “everyone was eager to learn – I think you [Retail Week host] and the team added so much added value to the industry”. 

Sponsors commented that they “made some good connections” and “gained great insight into what retailers are thinking about and prioritising”. They also highlighted the benefits of the event content for partners in helping to align them with retailers’ current challenges and needs.  

Retail speakers, including Frasers Group, the Co-op and Kurt Geiger, organically promoted the event beforehand and celebrated it afterwards on social media.