IRCE (Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition) is the biggest e‑commerce conference in the world. It takes place every year in Chicago at McCormick Place West, this year it was held June 5th through the 8th, and we were very excited to attend!
IRCE 2018 was a great opportunity to meet our business partners in one place and have face-to-face meetings with people we talk all year via email or on conference calls. This alone would be enough to make IRCE a must-attend event. But there is more, of course!
You could sense the dominance of topics surrounding Jet and Walmart, marketplaces that have experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Sellers are very much aware of the importance of going multi-channel, and Jet and Walmart have become essential marketplaces to those looking to diversify. There was also a lot of emphasis on 3PLs and warehousing. With increasingly hefty expectations from customers, fast shipping and affordable storage is more important now than ever. This is also a very exciting time for the shopper, with companies focusing time and resources to make the shopping experience simpler and more pleasant.
During IRCE, there are smaller satellite events organized by companies such as BigCommerce and ShipStation that allow attendees to meet other e-commerce enthusiasts in the morning or in the evening. One such event was Ecommerce Growth Summit organized by BigCommerce, which took place not far from the McCormick Place. During the event, BigCommerce announced its partnership with WordPress, and Jennifer Fleiss from Walmart and Jet talked about the innovative project JetBlack. There was a lot going on in the city during this time, so if you plan to visit Chicago next June, be sure to plan ahead and have a good list of events that are happening during this time.
It was great meeting our partners and customers at IRCE 2018 and we are looking forward to seeing you in Chicago next year!