On June 12-14, thousands of retailers will gather in Chicago for Connections to explore emerging trends and obtain practical guidance on how to market, sell, and serve their shoppers.

Salesforce Connections, dubbed the “consumer engagement event of the year,” is where retail professionals can learn all about new trends, tricks, and tips for winning the hearts, minds, and wallets of today's discerning consumer. Over the course of the event, retailers will discover tried-and-true strategies and hear success stories covering the gamut of digital transformation — spanning social media, mobile marketing, email marketing, personalization, journey automation, predictive intelligence, agile development, digital commerce, omnichannel operations, and more. 

Connections will feature the very best of retail’s movers, shakers, and sandwich makers (Yes! We’ll be sharing inspirational consumer engagement stories from restaurant and food service operators as well!). Top 10 retailer brands? Check. Up and coming disruptors? Check. Attendees can expect to hear from inspiring Trailblazers like The Home Depot, The RealReal, and more.

Since Connections will offer a wide range of content, from introductory sessions to advanced, hands-on workshops, it's easy for an attendee to get lost in all the programming the conference has to offer. Don't worry! To make the most of your experience, we've collected our top five sessions and activities that retailers should attend during Connections. Here they are: 

1. Retail Supersession: No More Doom and Gloom. It’s Time for Shoptimism!

Shoptimism: The New Retail Therapy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The race to the bottom is over — and that’s a good thing! Retailers now have a choice. Shoppers have shared their preferences and, while a low price is nice, it’s not a dealbreaker. In today’s world, the experience is everything.

Now, retailers are working to “crack the code” of shopper loyalty with experience engineering. The good news? All of this is possible with the right tools, technologies, and frame of mind. In this session, Shelley Bransten, Senior Vice President of Salesforce Solutions for Retail & Consumer Goods, along with special retail guests including executives from rapidly growing retail brand Rituals Cosmetics, will discuss how technology, people, and process intersect to make the future of retail “shoptimistic.”

2. State of the Art Solution Demonstrations: See Shoptimism in Action

Customer Success EXPO

The Connections Campground, the heart of the Connections EXPO, will feature numerous demonstrations across marketing, commerce, and service to help retailers visualize what’s ahead for this industry.

For example, attendees can experience how to:

• Connect Every Shopper Experience: Seamless experiences are in style. See how Integration Cloud and Einstein Data Discovery work together to help retailers make data-driven decisions and connect experiences across multiple platforms and apps.
• Find New Shoppers Faster: Learn how to attract new audiences and maximize return on ad spend (ROAS) using the power of data science.
• Personalize Shopper Marketing: Build lasting shopping relationships by delivering the right content at the right time in the right channel.
• Deliver Any Channel Service: Shoppers seek service everywhere, whether via apps, chat, or voice. Learn how to meet shoppers on their preferred service channels to give shopper satisfaction a much-needed lift.

In addition to reviewing live retail demos, attendees are invited to take a walk through the adidas Customer Experience, where they can explore how the fastest sports company in the world delivers premium, connected, and personalized experiences to its customers.

3. Breakout Session: Get Hands On: Digitize the Store Experience for Shopper Delight

Long Live the Store: How Technology Enhances the Shopper Experience

Hear from amazing brand leaders about how they are rethinking the in-store experience by bringing technology to the forefront of the shopping experience. In this session, retailers will discuss trends and topics like equipping associates with mobile devices, creating a 360-degree view of each shopper, and providing a unified commerce experience in and out of the store.

4. Breakout Session: Connect to Shoppers in a Whole New Way

Shopper-First Retail: The Consumer-Centric Keys to Unlocking Retail Success

Understanding today’s shopper is the first step in re-engineering the customer experience. Get the latest research from the Salesforce consumer insights team and learn what’s hot in the world of retail customer experience. From AI to mobile, get the primary consumer data you need to help win back the hearts, minds, and wallets of today’s shoppers.

5. Supersession: Be the Brand Your Customers Love

Meeting B2B2C Demand for Personalized, Seamless Experiences

The pace of change for consumer brand operators continues to accelerate, with digitally fluent audiences expecting more relevant, connected experiences across their buying journey. However, only one-third of brands say they actually deliver personalized engagement. Hear from toy maker Melissa & Doug on how they personalize content-rich experiences to change the way the world thinks about play, while also driving brand affinity across channels in their mission to help families "take back childhood."

We can't wait for you to expand your mind and deepen your knowledge at Connections '18! Join us for three days of learning, inspiration, and fun. Register now and see you June 12-14 in Chicago!

For more information on Salesforce solutions for retail, visit salesforce.com/retail.