In-person seller events are back. This post talks about two such events where you can meet some of the folks from Volo.
For the last 18 months or so, we’ve had to make do with virtual selling. That’s great for ecommerce sellers who sell online – in fact the coronavirus-driven restrictions have boosted ecommerce considerably, as is well documented. In the business-to-business environment, however, where face-to-face meetings were a central part of the sales and buying processes, this meant adapting to a world of video-conferencing and remotely collaborating with people on major strategic projects, people you might never have met.
Just as we’re starting really to get into the swing of things, loving the reduced commute and costs of running a business, the physical world is starting to open up again. This means that events – conferences, expos, general get-togethers – for so long the staple of the B2B marketing mix, and forced online for most of 2020 and the first half of 2021, have returned in either hybrid of physical form. Will people feel comfortable attending, exhibiting and presenting again – in other words mixing with a mass of humanity in one fairly small place? Only time will tell.
After all, it’s always been good to mix with your customers, your fellow sellers, or your fellow exhibitors, and reconnect with your industry and where it’s heading. Two events are looming on the near horizon, and Volo plans to be at them both.
On the 28th to 30th September eBay is hosting eBay Open UK 2021. eBay’s biggest seller event on the calendar was 100% virtual in 2020, and the 2021 version returns with two virtual days and culminates in a physical day in the Manchester Warehouse on the 30th. eBay is a key strategic partner for Volo, and fresh off the back of our two eBay awards we’re delighted to be a platinum sponsor of eBay Open, together with our ecommotors joint venture partner E-Motive. We’ll be leading two workshops, one on the 28th and one on the 30th and are looking forward to reconnecting with eBay community, our customers and partners. To register your interest in receiving an invitation to eBay Open, go here.
The Internet Retailing Expo, or IRX, almost squeezed in before the shutdown guillotined all physical gatherings. Scheduled for the 17th and 18th March 2020, the week after the Cheltenham festival and the Liverpool-Atlético Champions League Fixture (both of which went ahead and became notorious super-spreader events) IRX is confirmed for the 13th and 14th October at Birmingham’s NEC. Traditionally IRX anchored the Spring season and eCommerce Expo the Autumn, and with eComm Expo happening the same days as eBay Open, it will be interesting to see how IRX fares in this new time slot. Volo is taking a booth at IRX and a good number of our staff will be on hand to talk to visitors. You can register for IRX here.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding face-to-face events and meetings, we’re very excited to be back talking to our sellers and prospective customers without a screen and some nifty electronic handiwork in the way. We hope to see you at either or both of these events, it’s been far too long.
If you can’t make the events and would like to talk to us about your ecommerce goals, challenges and requirements, please get in touch here.
