Retail & Omnichannel Track

DAY MC
Florian Akinbiyi, Tech Expert, Communication Coach & MC

Commerce & Growth Track

DAY MC
Nimi Mehta, TV, Radio Presenter & MC

When two worlds collide, new patterns emerge. What happens when you take history’s most recognised global retailer and the most innovative e-commerce fashion juggernaut, and create a partnership together? Quite a lot actually. Harrods & Farfetch require little introduction, but what most might not know is how they work in tandem. The session will look at how they blend the physical with the digital. Beyond this, they will discuss views on the future of the store, the importance of experiences, continual innovation and sustainability. If you think you’ve heard it all from the rest, please join this conversation with the very best. Creating an iconic moment, bringing together the globally recognised and respected Michael Ward with adored innovator Kerem Atasoy. Enjoy.

FIRESIDE CHAT

Michael Ward, CEO & Managing Director, HARRODS

Kerem Atasoy, VP, Commercial – FARFETCH

MODERATOR

Lauren O’Connell, Beauty Editor, COSMOPOLITAN MIDDLE EAST MAGAZINE

Profound insights from the mother of entrepreneurs Jeff Hoffman. He defines everything you need to know about the best way to strike a balance between thinking big and being focused. Not getting so caught up in the day-to-day that you take your eyes off the big picture. Be ambitious, have a solid product and deliver real value. Presenting in the UAE for the first time, Jeff helped to set Priceline Group on its way to becoming the empire it is today from its inception. Since then he has become a Hollywood film producer, Grammy Award winning jazz album producer, executive producer of an Emmy Award winning television show, bestselling author and founder of multiple organisations.

PRESENTATION

Jeff Hoffman, Global Entrepreneur, PRICELINE GROUP & BOOKING.COM

The world of payments continues to evolve – this session will help evaluate where we are and where we are heading. There have been major shifts in consumer payments behavior, the role of payments and keeping up with the latest trends. Internet of Things in payments, offering different solutions (instore and digital), the shift from cash to digital, security concerns and raising awareness are all topics on every enterprise’s agenda. How should retailers prepare? What is the role of marketplaces and different platforms? How do you remain relevant?

PRESENTATION

Racha Sibai, Head of Ecosystems and Strategic Partnerships, TAP PAYMENTS

In today’s world where every buyer has a plethora of choices to buy from, it has become imperative to focus more on retention of a customer than acquisition. Marketers have to make sure that they create some habit-forming loops from the very first interaction of a potential customer with their asset, and this is where Omnichannel Personalisation plays a major role. As per the latest study, 98% of buyers leave without buying. In this session, we will share tips and tricks to help you keep your customers hooked for life.

PRESENTATION

Saurabh Bhardwaj, Regional VP GCC, NETCORE CLOUD

With Covid-19 ripping up the retail rulebook, shopper experience & technology will play a key role in the next decade to determine who wins to become truly customer centric. Seamless omnichannel, digital and in-store technology, will help to connect with consumers in new ways. With much emphasis on fun, experience only stores let alone the innovations in automation, robotics, supply chain, mobile & data needed behind it. Join this panel of masterminds to help transform your company’s underlying functions and structures to achieve your goals.

PANEL

Ramit Harisinghani, General Manager – MENA, B8TA

Ria Chauhan, General Manager – Watsons, AL FUTTAIM

Elisa Bruno​, General Manager, LEVEL SHOES

Michael Chalhoub, President Strategy, Growth, Innovation & Investment and Joint-Ventures, CHALHOUB GROUP

MODERATOR

Sabir Khodabux, Digital Director, MOTIVATE MEDIA GROUP

The age of savvy consumers has forced companies to reconsider what they do (& say!), even if that means admitting that they haven’t been able to go 100% sustainable yet. However with the continuously rising awareness of sustainability worldwide, many organizations have to become more innovative to succeed. Autotech, foodtech, healthtech, fashiontech…learn why sustainability is the dominant impetus for innovation across the globe and how can you use sustainability to increase profit.

PANEL

Rob Beswick, Managing Director UAE, VIRGIN MOBILE

Dina Epifanova, Global Head of Sustainability, IFFCO GROUP

Sandeep Kohli, VP Marketing of Beauty & Persona Care, UNILEVER

Seham El Behissy, General Manager of Product & Connected Services – Middle East, RENAULT

MODERATOR

Ritu Kant Ojha, Editor-in-Chief, WIYLD MEDIA

E-commerce & Technology Track

Media & Innovation Track

How do you break through in an industry vertical where competition is so great? Create a community who loves what you do, listen and become one of them. Gymshark hit unicorn status not so long ago and has been building out a global presence ever since. From starting out in a garage in the UK less than ten years ago to becoming globally recognised for marketing innovation, Noel Mack will hold nothing back (parents you have been warned) as he takes off the gloves and presents how Gymshark is embedding the e-commerce brand in culture. From social media marketing to the importance of lateral thinking, if you’re in e-commerce, marketing or brand strategy, do not miss this. A regional first talk from a top branding mind.

PRESENTATION

Noel Mack, Chief Brand Officer, GYMSHARK

It is very easy to notice how many larger household brands are losing market share to more nimble competitors, but why? Spending exuberant amounts of marketing for a campaign to reach a micro demographic seems correct, right? According to Vice Media’s Mark Adams….wrong. Think about your interests. Think passion. Think of inspiration. These are networks of communities and tribes who can give a brand real growth if tackled correctly. If you have never seen this mad genius present, now’s your time and leave the room a new person buzzing with a future media playbook with impact.

PRESENTATION

Mark Adams, Senior Vice President & Head of Innovation, VICE MEDIA

As digital transformation accelerates, the marketplace plays a central role in the development of e-commerce. The challenge now is to successfully seize this opportunity. Discover Octopia’s “marketplace of convenience” concept and the key elements to create and develop a successful marketplace that brings comfort and convenience to consumers, sellers and operators alike.

PRESENTATION

Paul Garcia, Head of Sales, OCTOPIA

Audiences leave digital breadcrumbs across the internet, which are filled with valuable, forward-looking insights. We will unpack the role of media intelligence in digital transformation as it is crucial to invest in digital tools to help organizations thrive in the Information age.

PRESENTATION

Laila Mousa, Account Director India & Middle East, MELTWATER

MENA’s e-commerce market is expanding above the global average rate. Mobile commerce is becoming incredibly important with regional shoppers being some of the most tech savvy across the globe. Whilst marketplace convenience continues to rapidly rise in popularity. All of this, whilst companies have had to navigate the rise of online shoppers to enable their platforms to grow & deliver, with many changes along the way since Covid began. From cross border customers to keeping them satisfied with delivery times and innovations in platform display to multi-payment options, this session dives headfirst into the problems and solutions to future online success.

PANEL

Michelle Hirst, Director of Ecommerce – MENA, L’OREAL

Sonya Jose, Head E-Commerce & Marketing, ACE HARDWARE

Sander Maertens, Head of Middle East, ADYEN

Noel Mack, Chief Brand Officer, GYMSHARK

MODERATOR

Karma Dolma Gurung, Social Media Communications, NYU ABU DHABI

UK commercial EV innovator Arrival is changing the game for transportation. Creating truly sustainable and equitable mobility solutions for cities. Zero-emission transport for both people and goods to make air clean for people living in urban areas around the world. Not only that, by building vehicles in the cities they will serve using unique Microfactories, Arrival’s approach benefits communities by providing local jobs and paying local taxes and using local supply chains as far as possible. Not your run of a mill model! From recyclable composite materials to the vehicles becoming fully autonomous ready like Roborace, join Arrivals President and Strategy guru Avinash for a talk you won’t forget in a hurry. 

PRESENTATION

Avinash Rugoobur, President, ARRIVAL

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1.05 PM

Running micro targeted & hyper localised brands – a lesson for both the ‘big’ or the ‘small’

PRESENTATION 

Ivana Bruic, Co-Founder, STORM CYCLING

1.15 PM

It’s now or never: the online imperative – the future of innovation

VIRTUAL TALK

Adrien Nussenbaum, Co-Founder & CEO, MIRAKL

Technology startups begin small but they can make ripples in economies in just a matter of years and change how we live. Mike Butcher MBE has been writing and following innovative companies for decades, so much so he was awarded an MBE by the Queen of England for his dedicated technology journalism. As the Editor at Large of TechCrunch, Mike has seen a lot of SMEs succeed, but also fail. In his vision of the future, Mike talks through the key pillars and patterns he sees which help technology startups to disrupt the world. And here’s a hint: The climate.

PRESENTATION

Mike Butcher MBE, Editor at Large, TECH CRUNCH

Since taking the helm from his digital leader days, Andy Lighfoot has taken luxury beauty retailer SPACE NK from strength to strength. Now with over 76 stores, an impressive e-commerce platform offering ‘beauty advisors’ and an expertly crafted edit its taken more than money and tech to get it moving in the right direction. The cultural transformation taken place has had a profound effect on the rise of the retailer from messaging to campaigns and getting staff to buy into the ethos of the brand to listening to customers. Never be afraid to take a step back in order to move forward.

PRESENTATION

Andy Lightfoot, CEO, SPACE NK

As the world of eCommerce and digital technology continues to evolve at pace, the demands from consumers for a mobile-first, seamless experience across every touchpoint evolves too. How do you make sure that your technology and your organization is able to quickly adapt to change and take advantage of emerging trends and behaviours? selfologi CEO, Rob Pye, explores the world of composable commerce, what it is, the benefits it can have for your business and why you should consider adopting a composable approach to future proof your business and accelerate growth.

PRESENTATION

Rob Pye, CEO, SELFOLOGI

If your brand missed out on MySpace or wasn’t instant enough for Instagram, you may feel like you lost some incredible business opportunities in the last 20 years. You are not alone. The good news is, online content is going through a great reset, triggered by cryptocurrencies, NFT’s, Web3, blockchains and retribalisation. And with new tools, come new opportunities, regardless of what you’ve achieved thus far. Raj Kotecha is CEO of Creative Content Agency and has produced content projects alongside Gary Vaynerchuk, Fatman Scoop, The Sugarhill Gang and others. He’ll share three approaches you can deploy right now based on initiatives currently being rolled out across their clients and in-house brands. The game’s not over. This session will feature live Q&A.

PRESENTATION
Raj Kotecha, CEO, CREATIVE CONTENT AGENCY

Honesty may bring challenges and can yield fantastic results for your brand, but does candor ever back fire? Greta has taught the world that most youth value authenticity over almost everything but is that enough? How can brands resonate through consumer engagement and personalise experiences so they trust you to keep coming back for more? With consumers more cash rich, with new hobbies both online or off & ready to spend in the post lockdown era, how can you better engage with previously shy or non-engaging subcultures? Learn how to resonate, keep things true and build more growth.

PANEL

Milou Steenvoorden, Global Senior Director Consumer Engagement, ADIDAS

Ekta Kamran, General Manager, ALDO

Venetia Archer, CEO & Founder, RUUBY

Ahmed Alaradi, Head of Acceptance MENA, TAP PAYMENTS

MODERATOR

Tala Hammash, Assistant Director – Admission & Strategy, NYU ABU DHABI

Leadership, mentoring, business growth, burnout, authenticity, numbers, culture & turning ideas into tangible assets. A talk amongst industry pioneers and those making waves in the industries they serve. A discussion to explore leading from the top in times of growth or uncertainty in fashion & beauty retail. Stand up and be counted for.

PANEL

Mona Kattan, Co-Founder & Global President, HUDA BEAUTY

Michael Ward, CEO & Managing Director, HARRODS

Grace Beverly, CEO & Founder, TALA & SHREDDY

Andy Lightfoot, CEO, SPACE NK

MODERATOR

Rani Francois-Marie Saad, Learning Coach – Strategy, Innovation & Digital Transformation, INSEAD

Fun. Excitement. Love. When your business is as experiential retail as it gets, MOIC has the highest but also simplest of goals. Bringing joy and connection to the world, and tapping into memories of ice cream enjoyment. But is that enough to keep customers coming back for more? A deep dive into creating connections in a fragmented world by linking loyal customers not to buy products, but to one another. Leave a strong enough mark on a customer’s experience, and the sales will look after themselves. Founder Manish Vora proving experiential retail and marketing is still very much alive.

PRESENTATION

Manish Vora, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM

When the pandemic hit, Zoom saw its users soar from 10 million to 300 million in just a few months. Intensive product development was required at scale to support everyone from schools to telehealth, with security its biggest priority in this new world. Work will never be the same again, and with each employee working remotely at some point of the week, getting the balance of a hybrid workforce is not an easy one. Should you allow employees to work from anywhere, if they are being productive? Join Zoom’s Garry Sorrentino as he depicts everything every employer or employee needs to know about hybrid work models and reveals some of the new technology he sees coming around the corner in the future of work.

PRESENTATION

Sam Tayan, Managing Director – MENA, ZOOM

The very personal story of how Exhale was the tool that helped heal Founder & CEO Nawal anxiety and depression. How she started, where she was, the story behind the name and the evolution of the brand and the impact it had on others. Merging art and storytelling to gain a brand of physical and mental comfort. They have collaborated with artists and organizations from around the world to bring the purchase for purpose initiative of the brand to life through changing perspectives and telling stories through art, collabs and clothing.

PRESENTATION

Nawal el Masri, Founder & CEO, EXHALE

VIRTUAL FIRESIDE CHAT

Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder & Executive Chairman, S4 CAPITAL GROUP

MODERATOR

Omar Christidis, CEO & Founder, ARABNET

With everyone on the move it is no surprise that our mobile devices have not only become indispensable in our ways of communication, but also pertinent for brands ways of connecting with consumers, marketing, and ecommerce strategies. More than 3.96 billion people use social media worldwide, and as this number grows so does the significance of social commerce marketing & the need to capture attention. With so many people at your fingertips, how can you drive better campaign based decisions using data and analytics whilst complimenting creativity? Join to find out!

PANEL

Rob Bullough, Director of Global Brand Marketing, ELECTRONIC ARTS

Rana Najjar,​ ​Head of Creative​, ​ANGHAMI

Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing & Communications, FORMULA 1

MODERATOR

Ali Itani, Region Head, Japan & France, ARAB NEWS

Covid has offered the opportunity for a “mega reset”, a huge opportunity for brands to reposition themselves in a more purposeful and meaningful way. Consumers today are expecting more and more from brands but is there too much of a good thing? DTC companies are making waves by stripping it back with small, micro targeted product ranges delivered straight to your door. Brands selling through traditional retailers need to offer a “wow-factor” so improved community engagement and brand consciousness can help them to up the game. In either case, giving a customer the chance to buy into a brand and seeing their feedback have a direct effect on the product helps them stay loyal. A conversation about the A-Z of brands and D2C ingredients to success.

PANEL

Cyrus Alavi, Founder & CEO, NUWATER

Maria Pavani, CEO, TRES MARIAS

George Hojeige, CEO, VIRTUZONE

MODERATOR

Ersoy Erkazanci, TV Presenter & Correspondent, BLOOMBERG