Let me tell you about Sarah, an eCommerce manager I met at a London conference last year. She'd just spent three days at what turned out to be completely the wrong event for her business. "I sat through presentations about enterprise solutions when we're still figuring out basic email marketing," she told me over coffee. "Total waste of time and budget."
Sound familiar? With hundreds of eCommerce events happening globally each year, picking the right ones can feel like throwing darts blindfolded. But here's the thing: when you nail your event strategy, the ROI is incredible. The right conference can spark that one idea that transforms your business, connect you with the perfect solution provider, or give you the headspace to tackle that big-picture strategy you've finally been putting off.
Recently, Chloe Thomas shared brilliant insights about making the most of eCommerce events on the eCommerce MasterPlan podcast, and her framework completely changed how I think about event selection. Combined with what we've learned from helping retailers navigate the events landscape, this guide will help you make wise choices that actually move your business forward.
Should I Start With Business Goals or Event Listings?
Chloe nailed this in her podcast: "There is no one event going on this year that all of you should attend. It just doesn't exist because it will be a waste of time for some of you. It will be amazing for others."
This is where most people go wrong: they start by browsing event listings. That's backwards. Before you even look at what's available, you need crystal clarity on what your business needs right now.
As Chloe advises, ask yourself:
- What do you want to learn about in 2025?
- What is your business focused on this year?
- What are your team's learning objectives?
Your answers determine everything else. If you're migrating to a new platform, that Meet Magento conference suddenly becomes essential. Struggling with customer retention? An event focused on email marketing and loyalty programs jumps to the top of your list.
I learned this lesson myself after wasting a week at three different "must-attend" conferences that taught me nothing relevant to my actual challenges. Now every event has to earn its spot on my calendar.
What Types of eCommerce Events Should I Consider?
Not all events are created equal. Chloe breaks down the events landscape into distinct categories, and understanding these distinctions changed everything for how I approach event planning.
Are Big Trade Shows Worth Attending?
These are your IRXs, your Shoptalk conferences, your massive exhibition halls. As Chloe describes them: "Those massive ones that happen in the aircraft hangar locations, where there are usually conference tracks where there's some kind of content being shared by people. There are loads and loads and loads of exhibitor stands."
What Chloe loves about these events is their ability to provide headspace. "You're out the office. You're being bombarded with ideas, and I find a lot of the time when I go to them, half the ideas I come across have got very little to do with anything I actually learned. It was just having that headspace to come up with the ideas."
Last year at IRX, I went to learn about payment solutions, but ended up completely reimagining our customer service approach after a random conversation at the coffee stand. That's the magic of big shows.
Go to these when you need:
- Broad market intelligence and trend spotting
- To evaluate multiple vendors quickly
- That burst of inspiration and energy
- To see what your competitors are up to
Should I Attend My Platform's Conference?
Chloe is particularly passionate about these: "If there's one being run by one of your core software tools, attend it. Because there is something magical that happens when everyone in the room has that point of commonality, when everyone's using that same piece of tech."
She mentions explicitly Meet Magento UK and dotdigital's Email Marketing Summit as standout examples. The conference content has been curated specifically for people using that technology, which means no wasted time on irrelevant sessions.
I once resolved a six-month integration headache in a fifteen-minute conversation over coffee at our eCommerce platform's annual conference. Everyone there understood our exact setup, so the advice was immediately actionable.
When Should I Choose Specialized Conferences?
Want to become genuinely expert at affiliate marketing? Find an affiliate-specific conference. As Chloe explains, "If your objective is to get deep into one of those topics, going to an event all about it, where you're gonna be hanging out with people who care all about it, where all the sessions are all about it, and the exhibitors are all about that topic, can be a great investment of your time."
These focused events skip the basics and dive straight into advanced tactics. No "What is SEO?" presentations when everyone's there to discuss algorithm updates.
Are Virtual Events Worth My Time?
The pandemic forced us all online, and the virtual event landscape has exploded. But Chloe warns about the challenge: "Committing to them is much, much harder. Promising yourself you're gonna watch the replay probably isn't going to work. You need to schedule that in the diary."
Her practical advice? "If you're going to do the replay, block a time in your diary to watch it, to make you actually do it. It's like reading a business book and never reading it. It doesn't count."
How Can I Make Virtual Events Actually Work?
Chloe has some brilliant tactical advice for virtual events. She suggests watching webinars during lunch: "I go to the table in the kitchen. I watch on my phone or tablet, and I do it while I'm having lunch. That takes me away from my to-do list, it takes me away from my emails."
And here's permission to be ruthless: "If you're watching a session and it's not what you're expecting or it's not useful, no one's gonna know if you leave. The speaker can't see you walk out the room, so just stop."
The beauty of virtual events, as Chloe points out, is how easily you can share the insights gained from them with your team. Last month, I found a brilliant session on conversion optimization and immediately shared it with our UX designer. Try doing that with an in-person conference ticket!
How Many Days Should I Spend at Events Each Year?
According to Chloe, you should be thinking about "How many days of the year do you want to spend getting out of the office, getting inspired, and getting that headspace to come up with the big picture things?"
Her recommendation? "I think it should be at least once in the spring, at least once in the autumn, if not a little bit more than that, maybe 4 or 5 days across the year."
How Far Ahead Should I Plan My Event Calendar?
Don't try to plan your entire year in January. The eCommerce landscape changes too quickly. Instead, Chloe suggests keeping some budget back: "Maybe a six-monthly plan is better than trying to do a full yearly plan."
I've found this particularly true. Last year, a game-changing AI conference popped up in September that didn't even exist when I was planning in January.
What's the Real Time Cost of Attending Events?
Be honest about how many days you can actually be away from the business. Factor in recovery time, too. A three-day conference actually costs you five days when you include travel and catching up.
One founder I know blocks the Monday after every conference as "implementation day" - no meetings, just turning insights into action.
How Do I Get Maximum Value From Each Event?
Chloe's framework for getting the most from events has transformed how I approach them:
What Should I Do Before the Event?
- Work out what's actually happening at the event.
- Check for any "unconference" events (the dinners, parties, and meetups happening around the main event)
- Plan which sessions to attend with backup options
- Organize meetings in advance
As Chloe puts it: "Get out the agenda. Which sessions do you definitely 100% want to attend? What are your backup sessions if that one's not that great and you wanna sneak out the back?"
What's the Best Approach During the Event?
Chloe's top tip: "Make sure you leave some time for the random stuff to happen, some time just to be wandering around and seeing what happens."
She also strongly advocates for handwritten notes: "Science says if you're doing that, you absorb it better than if you're trying to type it."
And crucially: "Don't take the laptop with you. One, it's really heavy, so you don't wanna be carrying it around. And two, commit to being at the event for the time you are at the event."
I switched to handwritten notes last year, and the difference was remarkable. Not only did I remember more, but I was also less tempted to check emails during sessions.
What Should I Do After Returning?
Block your first day back for processing. Share key learnings with your team immediately. Implement one thing within the first week.
A retailer I know has "Conference Debrief Fridays," where anyone who attended an event that week presents three key takeaways to the team. It multiplies the value of every ticket.
What's the True Cost of Attending eCommerce Events?
Chloe reminds us to think about both money and time: "How much money can you afford to spend on attending events? Some of them are free... But you will need to eat on the day."
She emphasizes: "These are worth investing in if you pick the right ones, so don't just go, 'oh, we haven't got any money for events.' I think that's an error."
Build a proper events budget that includes:
- Registration fees
- Travel and accommodation
- Meals and entertainment
- Coverage for your absence
- Follow-up implementation costs
One "free" event in London cost me £400, once you add the cost of trains, hotel, and meals. Still worth it, but hardly free!
How Can I Make Event Attendance More Sustainable?
Chloe is passionate about minimizing the environmental impact of attending events. Her approach starts with a simple question: "Do I really need to go?"
Her sustainable event tips include:
- Use trains, not planes
- Stay in eco hotels (she mentions Premier Inn is doing great work here)
- Take refillable water bottles and travel mugs
- Avoid the swag unless you'll actually use it
- Offset the carbon you do use (she suggests about £10 to offset a 3-night UK conference trip)
As Chloe says: "That's by far and away the most sustainable thing you can do" – not attending conferences you shouldn't be at in the first place.
I've started combining multiple London meetings around single events, turning what would be three trips into one. Better for the planet, better for my schedule.
Where Can I Find the Right eCommerce Events?
So, where do you actually find these events? Start with your tech stack. Every platform you use probably hosts or sponsors events. Check their websites and email newsletters.
We maintain a comprehensive events calendar at eCommercetech.io, covering both virtual and in-person events globally. Industry publications, Slack channels, and LinkedIn groups are also valuable resources for discovering events.
Don't forget about local meetups and smaller gatherings. That informal eCommerce breakfast in your city might provide more value than a massive conference. Some of my best business relationships started at a monthly merchant meetup in a local coffee shop.
What Are My Next Steps?
Chloe's advice boils down to this: stop attending everything, start attending the right things. The best eCommerce event for your business isn't necessarily the biggest or the one everyone's talking about. It's the one that directly addresses your current challenges and opportunities.
Create your event strategy for the next quarter:
1. Define your top three business objectives
2. Identify the type of event that best serves each objective
3. Research specific events that match
4. Budget time and money realistically
5. Book your first event and commit fully
As Chloe emphasizes throughout her podcast, when you're strategic about event selection and fully commit to the ones you choose, the results can transform your business.
Ready to Find Your Perfect Events?
The eCommerce events landscape is rich with opportunities. Your job isn't to attend them all, but to choose wisely, prepare thoroughly, and implement relentlessly.
Whether that means diving deep at specialized conferences, getting inspired at major trade shows, or learning from your laptop through virtual events, make every event count. Start with your objectives, let them guide everything else, and remember Chloe's golden rule: there's no one perfect event for everyone, but there's an ideal event for what your business needs at this moment.
Explore our events calendar and begin developing your strategic events plan today. And if you've discovered an amazing event we should know about, please let us know. We're always updating our listings to help you find the perfect match.
