IRX and EDX to unveil the future of the retail nation

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UK's biggest multichannel and fulfilment events return to Birmingham in April

SAVE THE DATE: IRX and EDX – Where the multichannel industry meets

The NEC Birmingham, 5th and 6th April 2017

InternetRetailing Expo (IRX), co-located with eDelivery Expo (EDX), Europe's only dedicated multichannel retail and delivery event, announces its 7th FREE-to-attend edition, taking place on the 5th and 6th of April.

Over 5000 visitors will have the opportunity to discuss the latest key ecommerce, mobile, marketplaces and fulfilment trends; interact with the new technologies that will be hitting the market in 2017 and connect with the who's who in the multichannel industry through exclusive networking events at the show.

Once again this year, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham will become the meeting place for the retail community with more than 90 key influencers and members of the IRUK TOP500, the 500 most significant retailers in the UK and Europe taking to the stages.

From digital payments to customer experience and cross-border expansion to mobile growth, the Expos will focus on the industry's most pressing issues and concerns and how overcoming these will be essential to driving multichannel retail performance and excellence.

This year IRX and EDX will continue its rich and varied peer-led educational programme, with over 100 hours of structured content led by key decision makers and C-level executives.

Trailblazers from brands such as Sainsbury's, LEGO, Harrods, John Lewis, M&S, Alibaba Group, Ocado, Schuh, Vodafone, Specsavers, Volkswagen, GAME and Made.com will preside over the 8 free-to-attend conference tracks. There, they will analyse what 2017 will bring for ecommerce and multichannel, particularly in the wake of Brexit and the resulting shift in the commercial and political landscape, and share their own experience and best practices to capitalise on change and opportunity.

Attendees to the events will also be able to participate in 20 workshops for hands-on, practical, training and address their own personal ecommerce doubts and questions in exclusive one-on-one 30 minute clinics, both delivered by leading companies and retailers in the industry.

For those particularly interested in the last mile of omnichannel retail, the eDelivery Expo (EDX), will have its own two dedicated conference tracks - The Final Mile and Operational Excellence - looking in depth at the delivery and distribution side of Internet Retailing and, ultimately, how to fulfil the future of the retail nation. Service and solution providers will also showcase the latest technology in packaging, parcels, stock management, warehousing, logistics end-to-end, and many more areas to help retailers improve their operations performance at the show.

A key aspect of this year's edition will be the focus on interactiveness and immersion. The show will unveil exclusive demos of cutting-edge technology to be showcased by 300 leading solution providers such as Ingenico ePayments, Monetate, Klarna and SLI Systems.

New for 2017, will be the Omnichannel Theatre where industry experts will aid brands in dealing with the struggle of supporting consumers across numerous channels and delivering consistent and relevant customer experience. Furthermore, visitors can continue their journey across the show floor taking in the latest innovations, initiatives and technology within the Innovation Pavilion and Digital Payments Theatre.

In addition, the show will have special networking events and dedicated spaces within the Expos where leading retailers, entrepreneurs and suppliers will gather, connect and conduct meetings in a professional but relaxed atmosphere. Two of them are the Top500 Lounge and the IMRG Lounge, where the UK's Online Retail Association will be sharing their insights and statistics on the UK market and the performance of the multichannel industry there.

Ahead of the show, Sam North, Portfolio Director, said:

"IRX and EDX has established as the must-attend event in the multichannel calendar. Not only because they bring together the most ambitious retailers and the leading suppliers, but because they provide a platform for attendees and multichannel retail innovators to connect, interact, experience and learn, all under one roof. We're looking forward to host record numbers of visitors this year, all wanting to learn how best to sell online.

eCommerce is one of the few industries which has seen sustained growth in double-digits in 2016 and it is expected for that acceleration in online sales growth will continue in 2017. For the industry to continue progressing, innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing is key, and this is the success behind our Expos."

To learn more about the InternetRetailing and eDelivery Expo and to register for free, visit www.internetretailingexpo.com and www.edeliveryexpo.com