Chicago,IL - hybris, an SAP company, announced the full schedule and speaker lineup for the Game Plan B2B E-Commerce Forum, being held in Chicago, IL from Oct. 8 – 9, 2013.
Game Plan is an open forum where manufacturing, wholesaling and distribution executives gain insight from thought leaders and industry peers about their experiences in developing e-commerce strategies for customer demands. Companies presenting at the Game Plan forum include Airgas, American Tire Distributors, Herman Miller, Johnstone Supply, MSA, OpenText™, Purchasing Power and Stanley Black and Decker.
The lineup of speakers includes:
- Ram Charan, world-renowned business advisor and author of more than 15 books, including “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” and his most recent book, “Global Tilt: Leading Your Business Through the Great Economic Power Shift.” He has spent the past 35 years working with CEOs and executives at top companies executing B2B growth. At Game Plan, Charan will provide a framework to help executives craft an effective e-commerce strategy for their businesses.
- Andy Hoar, senior eBusiness analyst at Forrester Research, one of the most widely known experts in B2B e-commerce. At Game Plan, Hoar will premiere his latest research, the most comprehensive study on B2B e-commerce to date.
- Steven Johnson, best-selling author on innovation, will share insights from his latest book, “Where Good Ideas Come From,” specifically pertaining to how innovation takes hold in an organization. The book discusses the slow and gradual process of innovation and was named one of the best books of 2013 by The Economist.
- Steve Max, eBusiness marketing director at Airgas, has more than 15 years of digital marketing and e-commerce experience and is engaged in the design and implementation of Airgas’ new digital platform. His presentation will explore the many steps that a large B2B organization should take as it re-invents its eBusiness.
Additional speakers include Bob Barr, senior vice president at Acquity Group; Brian Walker, senior vice president, strategy at hybris; Jack Keough, contributing editor at Industrial Distribution Magazine; John Rossman, managing director at Alvarez & Marsa; Kevin Cochrane, chief marketing officer at OpenText; and Mark Jeffries, international communications consultant.
“Game Plan is the first and only event of its kind where wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors and industry thought leaders have the opportunity to collaborate and discuss the impact e-commerce will have on their business model, customer service strategy, operational processes and organizational structure,” said Brian Walker, senior vice president, strategy, at hybris. “Following two days of keynote addresses, expert panels and networking, the attendees are expected to leave the forum with effective strategies in hand to capitalize on the massive impact e-commerce will have on the B2B sector.”
Forrester’s “State of B2B E-Commerce” Global Study
On Oct. 9, Forrester Research will release the results of the most comprehensive global study to date focused on how e-commerce will transform the B2B marketplace. The study will address the following questions that have previously been unanswered in the industry:
- Which industries will be most impacted by B2B e-commerce and how?
- How will the relationships change between retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers?
- What changes should companies anticipate e.g. how will business models change?
- What plans should be put in place now to respond to the trend?
“hybris research has shown that while 88 percent of B2B purchasers would prefer to shop via e-commerce, most manufacturers, distributors and other B2B suppliers still have very limited or non-existent e-commerce websites,” said Walker. “This comprehensive Forrester study addresses the challenges B2B suppliers have faced with developing e-commerce strategies and help take their businesses to the next level and meet customer expectations.”
The Game Plan B2B E-Commerce Forum also offers the opportunity for B2B manufacturers, distributors and other industries to network and exchange ideas about current and upcoming e-commerce trends. hybris, along with co-founders Acquity Group, Crown Partners, OpenText and SAP, have founded a new global series of forums for wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors and other B2B suppliers. Sponsors of the event also include industry publications Industrial Distribution, Manufacturing Business Technology and Manufacturing.net.
To learn more about the extensive list of speakers and register for the hybris Game Plan B2B E-Commerce Forum, please visit the Game Plan website.
Information about featured speakers, partners and other Game Plan news will also be shared on Twitter from now until the forum at #B2BGamePlan.
