A hugely impressive and growing roster of speakers as well as a fascinating array of exhibitors make next month’s #ThinkSmart2 conference a must-attend event for all ambitious, progressive UK local retailers. Find out what the future of convenience retailing looks like. Attendence is free to retailers, so book your place now!
Chairman: Tom Fender
Director, Bolt Learning
Tom has over 25 years’ experience in the UK convenience and wholesale sector and is former co-owner of HIM shopper research consultancy. He returns as Chair having presided over #ThinkSmart1.
Tom has travelled the world, working with both regional and international retailers, wholesalers and suppliers to help improve their business. His travels have exposed him to many ways that technology is used in different countries to better service the shopper, improve customer experience and drive efficiencies.
He is passionate about the convenience sector and his role at Bolt has shifted his focus from the shopper to the people that serve them, and how technology can drive their performance.
Tom Hall
Retail Analytics Expert, IRI Worldwide
Tom Hall is a recognised global thought leader in the world of retail analytics and heads up the Retail Analytics and Consulting team at research and data giants IRI Worldwide.
Tom has worked across the globe in both developed and developing markets dedicated to helping retailers and manufacturers optimise their price, media, promotion and ranging strategies. He has a wealth of experience and has specialised in rolling out data analytics to new markets, working on convenience business optimisation across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
At the moment, Tom is driving the development of tailored business optimisation packages for the UK convenience sector following the launch by IRI of a new ‘supermarket-style’ analytics solution created specifically for the convenience sector. The solution offers local retailers the same insights the supermarkets have had access to for years.
Enda McShane
CEO, Velocity Worldwide
New York-based Irishman Enda McShane, CEO and founder of customer engagement gurus Velocity Worldwide, will by flying across the Atlantic to discuss the role that customer engagement can – and must – play in modern convenience retailing. A renowned tech visionary, he will also discuss some ground-breaking work that Velocity is undertaking on both sides of the Atlantic, including some next-generation huge scale projects in NFL stadiums across the US.
Gerry Hooper
CEO, Zapper UK
Gerry Hooper joined Zapper in 2014 with over 20 years’ experience and has brought all of that expertise to Zapper, one of the fastest growing businesses in the industry. Hooper’s presentation will offer a vision of the future where technology and data combine to enhance the customer experience, drive loyalty and improve footfall, revenues and profits.
Hooper has worked in many sectors including Payments, Food, Entertainment and Retail and has helped transform Zapper from a small tech start-up to a thriving commercial business.
Using his extensive experience, knowledge and tactical sales capability, Hooper has developed and successfully implemented Zapper’s strategic, fast-moving and scalable plans for a ubiquitous mobile payment and marketing insight solution aimed at different UK verticals.
Focusing on launching throughout retail convenience, Gerry’s enthusiasm and passion for Zapper ensure the senior team is aligned in their vision, goals and future business plans.
Paul Mercieca
Chairman, Hi Street Digital Media
Paul is best known as Founder Chairman of multi-award winning London integrated communications agency Mercieca which was founded in 1995. Mercieca was voted The Grocer’s best agency in a number of categories for 15 successive years as well as The Drum’s best integrated agency in 2015.
Integrated in-store digital screen business Hi Street Digital Media was launched by Paul at the beginning of 2017 after testing the concept in independent convenience stores across the UK. Following the year long test, not a single retailer opted to withddraw from using the screens and the concept was rolled out nationally.
Katie Jenkins
Head of Customer Proposition, Bolt Learning
Katie is responsible for developing the customer proposition at online training provider Bolt Learning. Bolt’s mission is to help retailers and wholesalers improve their business by leveraging technology to grow their people.
The company currently works with a wide and growing portfolio of key retailers and wholesalers like Brakes, JJ Foodservice, Parfetts and Lifestyle Express.
She has worked in UK convenience and wholesale for over 15 years. Her expertise spans from shopper research and in-store experience through to people development.
Bolt’s smarter training solutions offer an extensive range of online modules containing realistic scenarios, immersive stories and engaging graphics, combined with trainee and performance analytics, to inspire behavioural change, ensure compliance and drive productivity.
Stephen Burnett
MD and Founder, Retail Data Partnership
Twenty years in the independent retail sector has confirmed Stephen’s belief that independent retailers have a hugely important role to play in the UK, and need to use technology and their personal service to defend their livelihoods against ever-growing competition.
Stephen’s presentation will highlight just what can be achieved by leveraging the power of data to drive better, smarter decision-making in a convenience store.
The Retail Data Partnership is one of the largest suppliers of EPoS to the convenience retail sector in the UK. Its ShopMate EPoS system is designed to take the work out of running EPoS in-store, and to provide retailers with the key information they need to build the profits of their business.
Steve O’Neill
Group Marketing Director, PayPoint
Steve leads the development of PayPoint’s strategic marketing, consumer insight, media relations and brand agendas.
Prior to joining PayPoint, Steve gained extensive experience as a marketing leader in the financial services, telecoms and retail sectors, holding senior roles at HSBC, Carphone Warehouse, Orange and John Lewis. He is passionate about technology, retail and shopper behaviour.
PayPoint is a retail technology and payment services provider, present in over 29,000 convenience stores across the UK, with a further 10,000 in Romania. Its new PayPoint One platform, which combines EPoS, card payments and PayPoint services, is now live in over 7,000 UK stores.
#ThinkSmart2 exhibitors include:
- IRI Worldwide
- Velocity Worldwide
- Zapper
- M House Solutions
- Hi Street Digital Media
- Bolt Learning
- PayPoint
- The Retail Data Partnership
