The Real Strategy Behind Retail Events with Elizabeth Robillard

Summary

Coffee N° 5 with Lara Schmoisman: Episode Summary

Title: The Real Strategy Behind Retail Events with Elizabeth Robillard
Host: Lara Schmoisman
Guest: Elizabeth Robillard
Release Date: June 10, 2025

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In this engaging episode of Coffee N° 5, host Lara Schmoisman delves into the intricate strategies behind successful retail events with Elizabeth Robillard, a key figure at Etail. As a market research and events company, Etail plays a pivotal role in shaping industry conversations and trends through meticulously planned events. This summary captures the essence of their discussion, highlighting critical insights and actionable strategies for business growth in the competitive retail landscape.

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1. Introduction to Elizabeth Robillard and Her Role at Etail

The episode begins with Lara welcoming Elizabeth Robillard, who holds a significant position at Etail. Elizabeth elaborates on her responsibilities, emphasizing the dual nature of Etail as both a market research and events company.

Elizabeth Robillard [01:18]: "We are both a market research company and an events company. We do research with folks in different industries and use that data to set the agenda for our events."

Elizabeth explains that her team conducts extensive research, often involving 60 to 80 calls with industry professionals, to identify current challenges, opportunities, and emerging trends. This research directly informs the topics and content of Etail’s programs, ensuring that events are both relevant and valuable to attendees.

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2. Strategic Event Planning Amid Market Volatility

Lara raises a pertinent question about the challenges of planning events years in advance, especially in volatile markets influenced by factors like tariffs.

Lara Schmoisman [02:44]: "How do you mitigate the risk of market changes affecting the relevance of your event content?"

Elizabeth acknowledges the difficulty but shares a strategic approach:

Elizabeth Robillard [03:24]: "We take a 30,000-foot view to ensure our keynote topics have evergreen takeaways, even if the specifics are timely."

She uses the example of planning for Palm Springs 2026 amidst current uncertainties, focusing on long-term lessons and adaptable strategies that remain pertinent regardless of immediate market shifts.

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3. Post-COVID Adaptations and Technological Investments

The conversation shifts to the impact of COVID-19 on event planning and business strategies. Elizabeth notes that the pandemic forced businesses to rethink their operations, leading to a focus on resilience and adaptability.

Elizabeth Robillard [05:25]: "People are rethinking how they exist and what their businesses look like during times of volatility."

Additionally, she discusses the recent influx of investments in new technologies and the subsequent need for businesses to audit and streamline these technologies in response to economic downturns.

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4. Balancing Content and Technology in Events

Lara probes into how Etail balances its dual focus on content and technology, especially when selecting technology providers for event panels.

Lara Schmoisman [06:13]: "How do you choose certain technology to be part of your panels or not?"

Elizabeth emphasizes a content-first approach:

Elizabeth Robillard [06:31]: "Our goal is always to put the content first. We ensure that solution providers align with our content themes and can genuinely contribute to the discussion."

This strategy ensures that the technology showcased is not only relevant but also enhances the overall value of the event.

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5. Differentiating Events Across Locations

The duo explores the nuances of organizing events in various locations like Boston, Palm Springs, and London. Elizabeth explains that each event undergoes its own research cycle, tailored to the specific regional audience.

Elizabeth Robillard [07:41]: "The Boston show tends to feel a little bit more academic and data-focused, while Palm Springs is more buzzy and brand-driven."

The proximity to institutions like Harvard and MIT gives the Boston event a more technical edge, whereas Palm Springs attracts a vibrant, brand-centric crowd. This localized customization ensures that each event resonates deeply with its attendees.

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6. Navigating a Subdivided Global Market

Lara brings up concerns about increasing global subdivision due to tariffs and logistical challenges, questioning its impact on retail events.

Lara Schmoisman [08:59]: "Do you see or perceive this [global subdivision] as a challenge for the events?"

Elizabeth concurs, highlighting that any significant changes in retail operations inevitably affect event dynamics.

Elizabeth Robillard [09:18]: "Conferences can be a challenging industry to work in during times of change, but our goal is to provide a space where retailers can find answers and network."

She emphasizes the importance of events as hubs for learning and collaboration, especially when retailers face common challenges like tariffs.

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7. Retailer Dynamics and Competition at Etail Events

The discussion moves to the dynamics among retailers attending Etail events, particularly when multiple companies offer similar products or services.

Elizabeth Robillard [10:49]: "This industry is really into sharing and networking. There's not a lot of animosity or competition in that regard."

Elizabeth notes that the retail community at Etail events is collaborative, with a shared interest in advancing the industry. While occasional reluctance to share strategies may occur, the overall environment fosters mutual growth and support.

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8. Side Events and External Networking Opportunities

Lara addresses the prevalence of side events and parties surrounding Etail conferences, questioning how Etail perceives and manages these external gatherings.

Elizabeth Robillard [12:09]: "We're trying to work more with folks who are putting on outside events. As long as they partner with us, we think it's great."

Elizabeth appreciates the enthusiasm for additional networking opportunities, viewing them as extensions of the main event that enhance the overall attendee experience.

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9. Current Industry Trends: AI and Evolving Search Strategies

A significant portion of the conversation centers on the saturation of AI discussions within the retail industry and its practical applications.

Lara Schmoisman [13:08]: "Is AI over? I feel like we're not putting enough attention on other things."

Elizabeth acknowledges the fatigue but stresses the ongoing relevance of AI when approached with specific, tactical use cases.

Elizabeth Robillard [14:00]: "We're still in a nascent phase of AI with some great bite-sized use cases, but no overarching ecosystem-wide applications yet."

They also explore the evolution of search and discovery, noting that AI has transformed how consumers find products across various platforms.

Elizabeth Robillard [16:55]: "Discovery and search are a whole new world, especially with the explosion in AI capabilities."

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10. Challenges with AI Implementation and Data Governance

Lara shares an unpopular opinion that many brands struggle with effectively using AI due to inadequate training and data governance.

Lara Schmoisman [15:32]: "People don't know how to use prompts or educate AI, leading to ineffective implementations."

Elizabeth agrees, highlighting the necessity of clean, well-governed data as a foundation for successful AI applications.

Elizabeth Robillard [15:57]: "AI requires clean, well-housed data and robust data governance."

She emphasizes that without proper training and data management, AI tools cannot deliver their full potential.

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11. Integrating SEO Across Multiple Platforms

The conversation transitions to the complexities of SEO in a multi-platform ecosystem, where consistency and integration are crucial.

Lara Schmoisman [17:34]: "Brands are fragmenting their messaging by working with different companies for SEO, social media, and email, rather than having a unified strategy."

Elizabeth acknowledges the difficulty but underscores the importance of a cohesive approach to SEO that spans various channels.

Elizabeth Robillard [17:44]: "It's tough to control messaging across all touchpoints, but a unified SEO strategy is essential in today's interconnected landscape."

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12. Content Strategy for Diverse Audiences

Lara and Elizabeth discuss the challenges of creating consistent and relevant content for Etail’s varied audience, which includes both professionals and brands with different skill levels.

Elizabeth Robillard [21:53]: "We have to make sure that our content caters to everyone, from those just entering roles to seasoned experts."

Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of diverse content that addresses the specific needs and skill levels of all attendees, ensuring that each session provides value.

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13. Attendee Motivations and Experience at Etail Events

When asked about what attendees seek from Etail events, Elizabeth provides a comprehensive answer, highlighting multiple motivations.

Elizabeth Robillard [23:38]: "E. All of the above. People come for the content, to network, and for those magical moments where they find solutions unexpectedly."

She describes how attendees not only gain knowledge but also build valuable connections and experience serendipitous problem-solving interactions.

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14. Upcoming Etail Events and Initiatives

In the final segment, Elizabeth shares exciting updates about upcoming Etail events, particularly the rebranding of their awards ceremony.

Elizabeth Robillard [24:52]: "We are bringing back our awards as the Etail Visionary Awards at the House of Blues in Boston, with four different categories."

Additionally, she announces the introduction of local store tours, offering attendees firsthand insights into retail operations.

Elizabeth Robillard [25:39]: "For the first time, we're including local store tours around Boston, allowing attendees to explore and learn from local retail successes."

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Conclusion

Lara wraps up the episode by thanking Elizabeth for her valuable insights, underscoring the importance of strategic event planning, adaptive content creation, and leveraging technology effectively. Listeners are encouraged to stay tuned for more expert discussions aimed at helping businesses thrive.

Lara Schmoisman [26:19]: "Catch you on the flip side. Ciao."

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Key Takeaways:

• Research-Driven Events: Comprehensive market research is essential for setting relevant event agendas.
• Adaptability: Planning must account for market volatility and unforeseen changes, ensuring content remains evergreen.
• Content Over Technology: Prioritizing content quality ensures technology serves to enhance, not overshadow, the main message.
• Localized Customization: Tailoring events to regional audiences increases relevance and engagement.
• Collaborative Industry Culture: A supportive and collaborative environment fosters mutual growth among retailers.
• AI and Search Evolution: While AI remains a hot topic, practical, specific applications and strong data governance are crucial for success.
• Unified SEO Strategy: Integrating SEO efforts across all platforms prevents message fragmentation and ensures consistency.
• Diverse Content for Diverse Audiences: Catering to varying skill levels and roles maximizes event value for all attendees.
• Comprehensive Attendee Experience: Balancing educational content with networking opportunities creates a holistic and enriching event experience.

This episode of Coffee N° 5 offers invaluable insights into the strategic planning and execution of successful retail events, emphasizing the importance of research, adaptability, and cohesive content strategies in fostering industry growth and innovation.

Transcript

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Foreign.

[Lara Schmoisman]

This is Coffee Number Five. I'm your host, Lara Schmoisman. Hi guys. Welcome back to Coffee Number Five. Are you ready for it? Because I know I am and I'm just so pumped up. I mean we had a pre recording that ah, I know that this one is gonna be fantastic. So I want to talk one of about my favorite topics that you know, that is content with intention. That I believe anything we do in marketing, everything we do in life needs to be with an intention. And also, as you all know, the search engines are changing too and the. And the search is by intention too. So let me welcome to Elizabeth Robillard. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Good. I'm very good. And I'm so happy that you're here because you have a very special role at etel and it's about creating that content and the content that is going to be getting people to talk and not only to talk at the event. You are the one who are helping set up trends of what people are going to be talking for a long, long time, which is fascinating.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. So my role, just to kind of give you a full picture of what I do, basically I work on our company, wbr just I'll step back even further. We're both a market research company and an events company. So basically we do research with folks in different industries. We'll take Etail for an example. The event that I work on. We will reach out to folks in the industry. So anyone who's a digital marketer, anyone who works in E commerce and just try to get a picture of what their current challenges are, what their opportunities are, what, what technology they're using, what they see as being trends that are coming down the pipeline in the next year or so. Basically we use that research, which is usually about 60 to 80 calls, and that ends up being the topics that you see on our programs, on the Etail program in particular for me. So I take everything that I hear and I turn it into topics on the program and basically sort of set the agenda for the events. We want to make sure that we're really getting to the heart of what everyone's talking about, what everyone's thinking about. And then we invite folks in the industry to come in and talk on those topics and really kind of get to the heart of that content. We really want to make sure that the event is built by the industry, for the industry. And when folks come to the event, they can really get those takeaways that they need.

[Lara Schmoisman]

And this is so challenging because it's so Time sensitive to too, because I know that you're doing a research like way in advance, like right now probably you're already planning for Palm Springs for next year. And, and they're doing the research and even talking about. And this, it happened in, in a conference that I was part of and that we. I was in a panel with a brand that they seems that they were doing really well. And by a couple months after that conference it showed that it wasn't doing really well anymore. So it happened. How do you mitigate that risk?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

That's a really great question. I can actually think of one perfect example that we're all living in right now in, in the world of retail. Of course, right now when I'm doing research for Palm Springs for 2026, I'm hearing a lot about tariffs and market volatility and what's kind of happening in that zone. Obviously we can't really know where we're gonna be in 2026 with all of this where things will shake out. What we do know is that there'll be a lot of lessons learned from this time period and a lot of things that people have been forced to do a lot of different ways. People will have sort of rethought about how to exist and what their businesses look like during these times of volatility. And that's Evergreen, right? That's always gonna be something that businesses need to think about. So we always kind of try to take a little bit more of that 30,000 foot view, especially for our keynote topics, really just to make sure that even if it is something timely, that it kind of has an ever present takeaway from it. So that's kind of a real life example that I'm dealing with right now.

[Lara Schmoisman]

We went through Covid, but lessons that we learned through Covid that we can be prepared next time.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely.

[Lara Schmoisman]

I remember that prior Covid I used to lay out and I still do somehow for my clients strategy as a whole year or I know the certain promotions I want to have or we know like of course 4th of July you have certain things that they are there and you cannot change it. The rest is more like a playground. But I was planning way ahead of time and I realized that I cannot do this anymore because it's evolving. And I think also from COVID times to now, technologies and platform change a lot of. And so we don't know what platforms we're going to be using in three months. We need to be evolving with the ecosystem and I think it's been happening a lot faster.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Since then, I would totally agree with that. Another thing that's kind of coming up as also kind of a post Covid thing is the fact that there had been a lot of growth and a lot of investment. There had been some decent years for folks the past, you know, four or five years. And now we're sort of seeing a little bit of a, a downturn, I would say, or at least sort of uncertainty and people aren't sure how things are going to go. But there was such an explosion of investment in new technology during that time period and now people are kind of having to rethink, maybe audit what they've sort of put in place, streamline things a little bit. So yeah, that's, that's something that we're sort of seeing as well. There is new and new platforms are, are coming up every day still. There's, there's new vendors coming into new.

[Lara Schmoisman]

You guys also have this like duality that in one side you're doing content, but in the other side you are like a marketplace for technology. So how you can mix both of them or how do you choose certain technology to be part on your panels or not?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yeah, that's, that's a great question. I think our goal is always to put the content first and foremost. That's one of the things that we sort of, you know, really push ourselves towards. We want to make sure that our content is sort of the shining star of the event. So we are very particular about, you know, which kind of providers sort of mesh well with which content. We want to make sure that, you know, solution providers who are going to get on stage really are able to speak genuinely to the content that we have. So usually it's content first and sort of company second. So that's kind of how we make sure, you know, that we're getting the right players to talk about the right things.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Let me ask you a question because I've been in at ETEL and Palm Springs. I know that you have itel, Boston and London also. What's the difference from one coast to a different coast or even in the other side of the world in London, what's the difference of the events? Why you feel like need that you need to have different events or they have different focus on.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yeah, that's a great question. I'll start out by saying each event does get its own research cycle. So every time we're doing any event, whether it be Boston, whether it be Palm Springs, whether it be London, we also do an event in Toronto as well. Each one is getting Fresh new research done depending on the time of year that it's taking taking place. So each event will have a different bit of content that it's sort of working off of. I will say coast to coast, the two bi coastal events, very different in audience type. We get for the most part California folks and sort of west coast people that are coming to the Palm Spring show. And then the Boston show does lean pretty heavy. East coast, especially northeast as well. I'll say the Boston show tends to feel a little bit more.

[Lara Schmoisman]

A little.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Bit more academic, a little bit more data focused, a little bit more sort.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Of like words to me.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

I know. Well, it's funny, you know, we've got Harvard nearby, we've got MIT nearby, so it just kind of ends up feeling a little bit more technical at the Boston show. And then Palm Springs, obviously, very buzzy, very brand driven. You know, both have their benefits, but they do end up having a really different feel to them just sort of by, by the benefit of their location there.

[Lara Schmoisman]

There are some questions that I need to ask because now with the wall situation and the tariffs, I feel like the, the, the world is getting a little more subdivided than before when it's easier to send products from one country to another. Do you see or perceive this, that this will be a challenge for the events?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely, absolutely. It's definitely. Anytime there's any sort of change to the way retailers are having to do business, we definitely see an impact on the event. Conferences can be a challenging industry to work in. Covid was an interesting time for us as a live events business, but our goal is always really to make sure that we are there to be a place where retailers can come to get answers for those questions. There's so many questions that they have right now, especially about tariffs, especially about kind of what's going, going on and they want to be able to network with other retailers who are going through the same thing. Just kind of make sure that, you know, they can learn that they're not alone and kind of what, what people are doing, everyone's doing something a little bit different.

[Lara Schmoisman]

I want to clarify that when you say retailers, we're not only talking about the Walmart of the world, we're talking about D2C and anyone who sells online.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. So we're about, that's, that's a good point. We're about 50, 50 retailer and brand. So yeah, both are part of the mix.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Yes. So you have a lot of companies that they're coming and they're doing basically the same thing. Or they have the same offer. How do you feel? Because also, there's a networking, like you mentioned, how do you feel, like, how companies get along or how is the competition there?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

That's a really, really interesting question. Usually we don't get a ton of. We don't have a ton of drama with that. You'd think you would, but with, you know, we've had maybe one or two I can think of in my head in the past, retailers who maybe didn't want to sit with a competitor retailer on a panel or, you know, someone who was a little bit shy, didn't sort of want to spill their. Their secrets. But I would say this group is really interested in general and just kind of bringing the industry forward. You know, a rising tide raises all boats. So I feel like, you know, this industry is one that is really into sharing networking. That's a huge part of the event. And there's not really any, you know, animosity or a huge amount of competition that comes from anybody in that regard. It is kind of special in that way because it's not the case in every industry.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Something else I need to ask because I was even told, well, you really don't need to go to itel. There are a lot of events that they happen around itel.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yeah.

[Lara Schmoisman]

And I kind of disagree because one of the reasons I go is because of the content.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yeah.

[Lara Schmoisman]

So what is this culture of having events on the side of the events and how the event planners feel about this?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

That's a great question. It's sort of new for us to experience some of those events outside of the event. I know exactly what you're talking about. I think in our world, we're trying to welcome that a little bit more. We're trying to work a little bit more with the folks who are kind of putting on some of those outside events. You know, we love it when people are enthusiastic about meeting with our audience, and we want our attendees to be able to have the best experience possible. So if someone's having a fantastic party and our attendees are able to go amazing, we're never going to fight that. But as long as folks are willing to work with us and kind of, you know, partner with us a little bit more, we think that's great. So we're super open to that. And we kind of love, you know, we had a lot of great media partners at the Palm Springs event that threw some fantastic parties. I know we're going to have some at the Boston show, too. So that's kind of a new world for us, we're kind of, you know, figuring out our way through it. But it's exciting and we love that people have that, that enthusiasm for the show.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Well, now this is a question that everyone to hear. What's the trends that are you seeing? And after you're talking with all these people, I know that we're still early in your research, but can you share something that you see with us? Is AI over? Because honestly, I just feel like we talk about this and I'm a little over AI and I think we're not putting enough attention in other things.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a great point. You know, one question I always ask people outside of, you know, kind of my typical what your challenges, what your opportunities are, is what's something that you're kind of tired of hearing? And overwhelmingly everyone was talking about AI when I asked that question during research, but sort of knowing that it is still something everyone needs to know about. I think we're always laser focused at etail at making sure that, you know, when we're talking about AI, it's through a really specific tactical.

[Lara Schmoisman]

But also you guys were one of the first ones trying to encourage and talking about AI when people weren't even talking about that yet. And it was like they weren't sure even going to those sessions. And it was. And then suddenly everything became AI. So we think that, you think we learned something about it, that people weren't in the trend and now everyone is trying to be ahead of the trend.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

I, I do, I do. I think it's, it's interesting. It would still. We hear about it so much, but we're still kind of in a nascent phase of it. There's not a lot of, you know, hugely amazing use cases that are across an entire ecosystem, yet there's some really great bite sized use cases of it.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Can I give you a very unpopular opinion about this?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Please?

[Lara Schmoisman]

Okay. I really think that there is a challenge in the usage of AI. People don't know how to use prompts, how to create or educate AI. And what I'm seeing is that a lot of people want to try the platforms and then they blame the platforms for not working when there is No, I don't think that people have been trained how to use AI. We've been using it for a long time, at least me in, in my team and that my AI is a whip in. Yeah, I have it so trained. But it takes a lot of work to train AI.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

It does, it does. And it requires, you know, we've Been talking about this since the beginning. It requires clean, well housed data. And I think the other thing that we don't talk about is there's even a step that you have to do before you get to the AI, which is data governance. And I think that's coming up more and more because people are like, oh yes, we do have to focus on this. Which is.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Telling. I mean I see it from the brand sides and they want, oh, this doesn't feel like my brand. No, because you're not teaching who your brand is. But a lot of people don't even know who the brand is, what their brand voice is. The brand's voice is all over the place. And they don't educate who their consumer is either.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely, yes, that's, that's definitely something. So yeah, AI is coming up a ton, but hopefully, you know, we're trying to again make sure that it's very use case based. I would say the other thing that's coming up a lot, this is gonna be huge. And you and I talked about this a little bit earlier is just, you know, talking about discovery, talking about search. It's a whole new world of search and where people are finding you. And for so long, you know, we've been doing a search summit at etail for 15, 20 years. And it was, you know, kind of a ho hum topic for a while cause there wasn't anything incredibly new or different. But in the past last two years things have, have exploded.

[Lara Schmoisman]

It's. Well and a lot because of AI too.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely.

[Lara Schmoisman]

But yeah, it's the search. I don't think that the brands or consumers are understanding how complicated it is. And you can. I see. And I want your take on this from the content side because I seen a lot of brands making the mistake of working with different companies to do SEO, to work with social media, to work with their email, when from my point of view, they are fractionating the messaging instead of putting it all together with the same SEO strategy.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yeah, it's. And it's tough. No, I can understand doing that because it is everything, every channel, everything you have to do. It's so daunting having to think about all of those different things and controlling your messaging at all those different touch points, points and being everywhere. Search engine optimization being everywhere for everybody. I don't envy the world of brand right now.

[Lara Schmoisman]

I don't know, maybe that's because of my, how my brain works or what I'm super passionate about. But for me is like looking at the big picture and you need to go all in the big picture. You cannot Frank, recommend anymore. Like you used to, like, you have your strategy for Instagram and you have your strategy for Amazon. Now everything is interconnected because even Amazon can work with TikTok.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yep, yep.

[Lara Schmoisman]

And. And we were talking about this earlier today, that it takes a lot of training.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

It does.

[Lara Schmoisman]

And I think that there is a learning curve that many companies, they're not giving the chance to themselves to understand. They just go into the platform. They don't understand the foundation of why they're doing things.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely. And traditionally, it seems like SEO and search teams have been pretty, like, siloed and segmented from the rest of the business, which I guess made sense, but now it's making less and less sense given how connected everything is becoming.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Absolutely. Now in the agency at the Darl, we have our SEO team. All our strategies comes straight from SEO. And it's kind of reverse engineer. We know who your audience is, what they're looking for, and then we create content specifically for them and what their search hours and their search, they are not anymore just in Google. They're everywhere. And it's by intention.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

They're everywhere, but at the same time, they are still on Google. So you have to still be with the traditional search, but also keep track of all the other options as well.

[Lara Schmoisman]

So again, I want to say this. Not necessarily the same person will look in the same way in the same plot in different platforms.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, yes, every customer is completely different. They're going to want different things and they're going to have a completely different journey and a completely different.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Even the same. Even the same consumer or customer, they're gonna go on Instagram and do a search in a different way that they will do it in Google.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yep.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Because it's how they consume the media.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

And they might do it different every time. You know what I mean? They might have one thing that they know that they really want that they go straight for. They might have something that they're kind of hemming and hawing about. But not every customer is gonna have the same funnel. And for every purchase, the funnel is gonna be completely different. You know, it's. It's crazy.

[Lara Schmoisman]

It is a little. Well, I love it, so I cannot complain about it, but I get it. I have to be a little crazy to love it. But anyway, so let's go back to content, because content to me is king, but consistency is queen, and we know who rules the house. So how important to you is to go over. Because you have a very unique audience, your Audience are professionals and your audience are brands. How do you create content for these two different kind of audience that they come to you, but at the same time, you know that people, they need repetition, they need to understand. And when we're talking about complex topics, what you bring in, your talks are not simple answers or simple math. And there is also marketing and platform is a lot of trial and error. And see what works for one brand might not work for another brand. So how do you create that consistency and talking about similar topic or the same topic without being again, the same?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

That's, that's a very, very good question. And I'll tell you, it's very difficult. It's hard, you know, especially year after year, you know, really trying to keep up with what's new, what's different, trying to keep things balanced. You're totally right that we have, you know, not just D2C and you know, retailers as well, but also just every kind of possible retailer you can think of and across that whole customer life cycle as well. So we've got those folks that are really focused on search, we've got those folks that are really focused on social, and we've got those people that are really focused on merchandising and ux. Completely different jobs that are all kind of connected. But we have to make sure that we have a little bit of content for everybody. And at every different kind of skill level, there will be some that are kind of just coming into roles or are incredibly proficient or some people who are masters who have been doing this for 20, 25 years. So again, it all really comes back to that research and making sure that the people that we're speaking to represent the people that are going to be in the audience so that we can have that balance of topics and, you know, really make sure that we're kind of uncovering everything that, that matters to everybody. Again, a little bit of a daunting, a daunting job, but that's, that's our, that's our burden, I guess when you.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Have, I mean, let's talk about the people that they come to the event that they pay their ticket because they're interested in the. Do you feel that they come in, A, with an agenda to learn something new, B, to meet someone else? 3 or C, surprise me. Or D, trying to find magic?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

I would say all of the above. I would say E, all of the above. I think, you know, folks definitely are coming for the content. They want to sit, they want to learn. Definitely a lot of folks that, that do that who come, you know, plot have plotted out what sessions they're going to go to because it makes sense with what they're thinking about at the moment. There's definitely folks who are just coming to network. You know, Etail's a great place to talk with other folks, meet other folks in the industry. And yeah, there is a little bit of magic there too, though, because I think, you know, it's magical when you sit down with someone at lunch and you're going through some problem. You know, your email deliverability is bad. And you sit down next to someone and they're like, oh, actually I just tried this. Have you tried that? Like, that's magic to me, the fact that you just randomly sat down next to somebody who happens to have a solution to your problem. So I think the people who have been to Etail and have kind of experienced a little bit of that before might come back for the magic of the just kind of random encounter where you kind of get some information that you need. So I'd say a little bit of everything.

[Lara Schmoisman]

So what people can expect of going to Ital Boston, whatever in the next few months or years.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Absolutely.

[Lara Schmoisman]

So I know that in Boston you guys are having something special that is coming back.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

We are. Great, Great reminder. Great plug. So we for the Boston show are bringing back, kind of rebranded our awards. We used to do awards for Etail and we have brought them back. They are now the Etail Visionary Awards. So we're a award ceremony at the House of Blues in Boston, which is going to be super fun. But we've got, yeah, we've got four different categories. We're currently accepting nominations for, for those different categories and our advisory board is going to be picking the winners.

[Lara Schmoisman]

What are those categories?

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Oh, gosh. Off the top of my head.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Go to the website that I'm sure is going to be there.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

I, I've got too many things on my brain today. But yes, we do have a page on the website that has the, the four categories for, for this year's Visionary Awards, but they're going to be great. And we also, for the first time are running local store tours. So we're going to a couple of different retail locations around Boston, which has a great, couple of great big, you know, shopping areas. So we're going to be checking out some, some local stores on a tour on the first day, which is super fun.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun. Okay, well, Elizabeth, thank you so much for being with us today and this was a great chat.

[Elizabeth Robillard]

Yeah, thank you, Lara. It was my pleasure.

[Lara Schmoisman]

And to you guys. I will see you next week with more coffee. Number five. Find everything you need at larashmoismoisman.com or in the episode notes right below. Don't forget to subscribe. Was so good to have you here today. See you next time. Catch you on the flip side. Ciao, Ciao.