What to Look Forward to at IRCE 2016
They say there are two seasons in Chicago- winter and construction. I’d like to add a third to that list. IRCE!
Even if you’ve only been in the eCommerce industry for a week, you’ve likely heard this famous acronym and even more likely, you read Internet Retailer every morning to catch up on breaking news. Known as the biggest conference specifically for eCommerce, Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibit (IRCE) is a world-class event that brings together top notch speakers and attendees (over 10,000!).
Always hosted in the city of Chicago, the event is home to the largest exhibit hall I’ve ever seen. This will be my third trip to IRCE so I think that puts me at the ‘Pro’ level. Here are some key highlights that our team is looking forward to:
- Le Creuset Nomination
This year, a Blue Acorn client is up for a prestigious IRCE award. Le Creuset, the makers of fine french cookware, has been selected as a finalist for Internet Retailer’s Excellence Award for Web Redesign of the Year.
“Our panel of judges has determined that Le Creuset is a strong contender for this Excellence Award given to a website that shows a major improvement in its appeal, functionality and customer friendliness and meets the future requirements of online retailing,” said the IRCE awards panel.
Le Creuset already collected some new hardware at Magento’s Imagine conference for the Best Web Design of the Year. If you swing by our booth (#1041) you can enter for a chance to win a full set of their cast iron cookware, valued at $910!
- Punch your way to success
I won’t name any names, but the IRCE cafeteria can be home to some real bullies. We’re talking cutting you in line, making fun of your glasses/website, and generally being uncouth. While I personally practice non-violence, it doesn’t hurt to know your way around the ring. Plus, boxing is great exercise! That’s why I’m looking forward to having a trainer and a punching bag in our booth this year.
The bag and gloves we’ll be using were purchased on Everlast’s new ecommerce site, which Blue Acorn designed and developed last fall. So stop by our booth (#1041) on Wednesday to practice your swing with a local Chicago trainer and learn from our team what makes their new site so unique. You’ll also get a chance to win the heavy bag to add to your in-home/in-office gym collection! And don’t worry, because we’ll ship it to you.
- Check out emerging technologies
Being one the largest shows, IRCE. means you have access to emerging technologies and established leaders all in one room. No where else can you walk through a single hall to find a new email service provider, negotiate better pricing for shipping or add on a new fancy tool to track social sharing.
Here’s a handy exhibit hall layout with our best-of-breed partners highlighted:
- See tweet-worthy speakers
Any large conference has a packed agenda with big time executives prepared to tout their successes. But this year’s agenda for IRCE seems to be especially diverse. From the VP of Commerce Services at Dell Computers to the eCommerce President at Steve Madden, we’re sure to get some awesome sounds bites. Personally, I’m excited to hear what John Yembrick, Social Media Manager at NASA, will discuss. Does anyone ship to the International Space Station yet?
One piece of advice if you’re a novice--get coffee before you get to the exhibit hall! The Starbucks at McCormick Place has a line that never ends.
We hope to see you there!
Blue Acorn Booth #1041
See full post on Blue Acorn's blog.