IRCE 2018 Recap: ShipStation University Chicago, Ecommerce Speakeasy, and Partners!
It’s been said that IRCE is a year’s worth of new opportunities and partnerships in a single week. This year was no different. In four days, the ShipStation team hosted seven events. Yes, you read that right: seven events! Check out our quick video recap of our time in Chicago:
Although I didn’t get a Chicago dog last week or see the Cubs win, I did enjoy returning to the beautiful Windy City. IRCE was once again held at The McCormick Place West, and the conference featured over 600 top solution and technology vendors. The place was huge! I wish I owned a Fitbit just so I could’ve seen how many miles I walked each day.
“IRCE is the Super Bowl of ecommerce! It’s the most anticipated yearly event where hundreds of companies and thousands of attendees come together for four days to share best practices, new technology, and creative ideas to champion moving ecommerce forward.”
– Charla Session-Reed, Director of Partner Marketing and Events at ShipStation
Here’s a rundown of everything the ShipStation team did during the week of IRCE.
ShipStation University
Before IRCE’s official kick off on Tuesday, the team hosted ShipStation University impressive Chez Chicago. What is ShipStation University? Well, it’s our free, quarterly educational conference for all ShipStation users. The hands-on training event is designed to help both our novice and long-time users learn how to better organize, process, and ship their orders. ShipStation University not only allows us to show new users the best ways to navigate the solution but also give veteran users a refresher on the software.
We’re proud to say this was our best attended ShipStation University to date! Merchants from across the country attended to learn about efficient shipping and creating an overall greater fulfillment experience. Huge thanks to our sponsors, Magento and FedEx, for making the event such a success!
Sears Vendor Summit
Also on Monday, Dalton Kane, ShipStation’s Engagement and Marketing Design Director, spoke at the inaugural Sears Vendor Direct Summit. The one-day event for key Sears and Kmart dropshippers was sponsored by Logicbroker, Ingram Micro, and ShipStation.
“Logicbroker put on an awesome event,” said Dalton. “It was great to hear from both Sears and vendors alike on how they are ‘transforming in the age of retail renaissance’. I was glad to speak about how online sellers can engage new channels like Reddit to leverage highly collaborative and well-segmented cohorts of online buyers.”
Thanks @ShipStation for offering advice to Sears vendors on how to engage new channels. pic.twitter.com/ySwLAIiQ0W
— Logicbroker (@logicbroker) June 4, 2018
Krish Iyer, Director of Strategic Alliances at ShipStation, presented at the summit, as well. Krish was also one of the presenters at the New Recruit Boot Camp track during IRCE’s pre-conference workshops.
“The speaking engagement went well! It is always better to hear from a merchant and know about their issues. Hearing from them is the most authentic source of information. In this case, Sweatblock, the number one selling antiperspirant brand on Amazon, gave their first-hand perspective as an SMB ecommerce brand looking for fulfillment.”
– Krish Iyer, Director of Strategic Alliances at ShipStation
IRCE
The main event! IRCE officially kicked off on Tuesday, June 5. The welcome reception was like no other I’ve ever seen.
The ShipStation booth was a huge hit with an eye-catching new layout. Our team performed demos, had powwows, and interacted with attendees — all in our brand new, super cool booth, designed by our very own Austin Faggard.
The ShipStation booth is bigger and better every year!
— Mark Brinton (@markabrinton) June 7, 2018
“IRCE 2018 was ShipStation’s best year yet for the events team!” said Courtney Johnson, ShipStation’s Events Manager. “Not only were we able to engage with our partners and existing users, we were able to meet many new prospects and show them exactly what ShipStation is all about.
Best part of IRCE – serious sellers with top quality vendors all around. Solid booth @ShipStation!
— John Kipe (@j_kipe) June 7, 2018
“It was great to see the classic claw game was a huge hit amongst all visitors to the booth! We had many folks who returned day after day for another chance of winning ShipStation swag and swag contributed by our partners.”
ShipStation has a badass claw machine!
— Quentin Montalto (@Quentalto) June 7, 2018
BigCommerce Growth Summit
On Tuesday, ShipStation was part of the BigCommerce Growth Summit with a great community of merchants and partners. We got a glimpse of retail future with Jenny Fleiss, co-founder of Rent the Runway, talking about a new personal shopping venture she is heading up at Walmart called Jetblack. Imagine texting “I need a gift for Father’s Day” and getting personalized recommendations you can order with a simple text response. The future is now indeed!
After the Growth Summit, ShipStation, along with partners in crime Americaneagle.com, BigCommerce, Brightpearl, and Jasper, welcomed hundreds to the Ecommerce Speakeasy, an industry networking happy hour that was the talk of the town. For a speakeasy, it sure seemed to be the worst-kept secret!
The Ecommerce Speakeasy
Not only did we have a successful trade show, but, with the help of our awesome partners, we also threw one of the best IRCE after-parties. Planning an event is tough, but the most nerve-racking thought is: will people show up? Fortunately, the ShipStation Ecommerce Speakeasy exceeded our expectations as the room was filled to capacity!
From the awesome venue, blackjack tables, signature cocktails, and 1920’s themed photo booth, the Ecommerce Speakeasy was definitely the most fun to plan (and attend).
But the party wouldn’t have been such a success without the help and encouragement of so many people. We are grateful for everyone’s contribution! And we hope everyone had a fun night.
Our Experience at IRCE 2018
To close out our recap, here’s what some of the ShipStation team had to say about IRCE:
“IRCE is always a great opportunity to meet with our current users, potential users, as well as all our ecommerce friends and partners. This year’s show was no different and I’m proud of all the activities the ShipStation crew was a part of.”
— Robert Gilbreath, Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships
“Lots of walking and meeting with Partners, New Prospects and Merchants, face to face is always the best way to start and nurture any relationship. The Sky’s the Limit!!!”
— Jenn Hunt, Sr. Director Business Development
#flashbackfriday to last week at #IRCE
Great to see so many of our fantastic partners!@skuvault @Walmart @PrestaShop @systumhq @LoveShipBob @classyllama @Newegg @Creatuity @feedvisor @canadapostcorp @miva @DataAutomation1 pic.twitter.com/PTnn4OB4wf
— ShipStation (@ShipStation) June 15, 2018
