Retail CIO Connect 2024
June 11 - 12, 2024
Sopwell House, St Albans
Day 1 Tuesday 11th June 2024
Registration
8:00 am - 8:45 am
Registration and Welcome Coffee
- Catch up with friendly faces before the event kicks off over a much-needed morning coffee
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Chairperson’s Opening Address
Trish Lynch -
UN Moderator,
MC/News Anchor
9:10 am - 9:30 am
OPENING KEYNOTE: EMBRACING AI: How we are harnessing the power of AI for smarter retail operations to drive enhanced customer experiences and operational efficiency
Tom Betts -
Group Data Director,
Kingfisher
- How can AI-driven analytics optimise inventory management and supply chain processes to reduce costs and improve overall operational efficiency?
- What specific AI applications can be implemented to personalise customer interactions, leading to higher conversion rates and increased customer loyalty?
- In what ways does AI-powered demand forecasting and trend analysis lead to more accurate inventory planning and reduced excess stock?
- What actionable strategies and tools can be adopted to seamlessly integrate AI into existing retail IT systems, ensuring a smooth transition towards smarter, data-driven operations?
9:30 am - 10:00 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: MAKING DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS: How can you aggregate and integrate data from multiple sources to better personalise marketing, streamline inventory management and enhance CX based on customer behaviours?
Ben Briden -
Head of Architecture,
Costa Coffee
Jade Jones -
Metadata & Data Quality Manager,
Sainsbury’s
Suraj Nagaraj -
Head of Product - Loyalty & Support,
Tesco
Varun Kakaria -
Global Head of Commercial Technology (Sales, RGM, Pharmacy and Medical),
Reckitt Benckiser
- How can efficient inventory management through data integration lead to reduced operational costs and improved product availability?
- How can you use data aggregation techniques to analyse customer behaviour and preferences and create highly targeted and effective marketing campaigns?
- How can you use data to drive store and omnichannel innovation?
- How can you implement an efficient and automated data integration system to overcome data silos and improve collaboration?
Varun Kakaria
Global Head of Commercial Technology (Sales, RGM, Pharmacy and Medical)Reckitt Benckiser
10:00 am - 10:20 am
ROADMAP: How data, analytics and AI can accelerate your composable digital transformation journey
Jonathan Summerfield -
CEO & Founder,
Xiatech
- Should you be considering the Amazon Go experience to create a more customer-centric experience?
- How can we implement AI to improve the checkout process for customers?
- How do advanced POS systems empower you to provide personalised services and customised promotions to your customers?
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Networking Bingo
Throw yourself into our popular networking session to meet as many people in the room as you can in 10 minutes. Grab a bingo card and a pen, search out the numbers you need, and the winner will be able to donate £100 to a charity of their choice.
Fuel up and network with your industry peers to make valuable new contacts whilst enjoying a revitalising refreshment. Don’t forget to take part in our LinkedIn and onsite competitions, which can be found near registration.
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: TECH MODERNISATION: How can composable commerce unlock your agility, flexibility and speed to market plus help you keep up with consumer demands?
Hannah Ayala -
Head of Technology, Data and Platforms,
New Look
Miren Pau -
Head of Technology,
The White Company
Andy Rayner -
Dev Ops Manager,
The Entertainer
12:15 pm - 12:35 pm
ELEVATING EXPERIENCE: How advanced POS systems can help simplify transactions, customise promotions and increase customer loyalty
•How can you boost security without sacrificing performance?
• How to protect point of sale data by migrating data to secure platforms and systems once its collected
• What strategies can you put in place to reduce the risk of a data breach and keep track of your legacy systems
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm
Private business meetings for you to benchmark solution providers
Network with your industry peers and make valuable new contacts during our lunch networking break in the buzzy lunchroom. This is your chance recharge for a packed afternoon of sessions and meetings with relevant hand-picked solution providers
2:40 pm - 3:20 pm
PRIORITISING SECURITY: How can you implement advanced risk management strategies and the latest security tools to safeguard customer trust and loyalty and protect brand reputation?
Sunil Patel -
Information Security Officer,
River Island
Chris Thompson -
Head of Digital Architect,
Bravissimo
John Mason -
Head of Technology Services and Operations,
The Works
- How to ensure a safe payment transaction for customers and increase speed of efficiency
- How to implement the right security measures and define what is most important for your brand
3:20 pm - 3:40 pm
CLIENT CASE STUDY: OPTIMISING YOUR CRM: How to use new no-code low-code technology to streamline complex operations, deploy applications faster and increase customer retention
- How can you adapt to changing market trends and customer needs?
- How can you customise SLA management tools and identify actionable customer analytics to build a system that is a one-stop-shop in delivering excellent customer experiences?
- How to become more time efficient in projects and increase conversion rates
Enjoy the final refuel of the day, before joining one of our beer & bubbles roundtables.
4:20 pm - 4:50 pm
Private business meetings for you to benchmark solution providers
4:50 pm - 5:10 pm
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION DEEP DIVE: An analysis of the European top 100 retailers digital leaders, digital followers and digital latecomers - how far does investment in digital infrastructure result in financial returns?
Richard Lim -
Chief Executive,
Retail Economics
5:10 pm - 5:50 pm
BEER & BUBBLES ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
Ross Pyres -
CTO,
SimplyCook
Chris Thompson -
Head of Digital Architect,
Bravissimo
Miren Pau -
Head of Technology,
The White Company
Pick a roundtable that you’d like to join, learn from the roundtable host whilst also deliberating on questions and points that you want to make to the discussion. This is a perfect way to gain vital first-hand knowledge of changes in the industry, whilst enjoying a bottle/glass of something alcoholic.
Roundtable 1: Led by OneStock
Roundtable 2: LOYALTY & RETENTION: How can the perfect loyalty programme help reduce churn and increase retention rates?
Ross Pyres, CTO, SimplyCook
Roundtable 3: CHANNEL INTEGRATION: How integrating your channels can enhance customer experience and create one single experience
Chris Thompson, Head of Digital Architect, Bravissimo
Roundtable 4: DATA INSIGHT: How can you build a data insights business case and what people, processes and technology should you invest in to become a data-driven business?
Miren Pau, Head of Technology, The White Company
Roundtable 5: CRM: How improved inventory forecasting in your CRM can identify and manage campaigns that target slow-moving product
Roundtable 6: CYBERSECURITY: How advanced cybersecurity measures can strengthen retail IT defences to improve data security and customer trust
Roundtable 7: SUSTAINABILITY: How can you balance sustainability pressure and net zero targets with cost to serve/produce?
5:50 pm - 5:55 pm
Chair’s Closing Remarks
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Sicilian Soiree Drinks Reception & BBQ
Unwind after a busy first day as you join your peers at the Sicilian Soirée drinks reception outside in the Sopwell garden terrace, you’ll kick the evening off with an aperitivo upon arrival and a spot of bocce ball on the lawn.
As the night progresses, you can look forward to some alfresco dining at dinner, while you take in the beautiful surroundings of the Georgian country house.