We did it! We recently hosted the DCKAP eSummit on April 28, 2020, our first ever digital summit experience, and we’re happy to say that it was a great success. As the initial event we planned to hold in Cleveland, Ohio was cancelled, this endeavor arose out of our unfortunate circumstances and our team’s steadfast drive to continue our efforts in contributing to the burgeoning e-commerce ecosystem.
With the cancellation of so many in-person conferences around the world also came the lack of any real networking opportunities readily available to so many of us in quarantine. It was important that we continue on our path and offer a source of helpful information with current industry insights, as well as a bridge for direct connection. And that’s just what we did!
In case you missed it, or if you would like to revisit the entire experience, here is a breakdown and summary of the DCKAP eSummit digital event:
Roundtable Networking Session
Things started off with an open round of networking. Unlike many other virtual events that have happened since the quarantine, we decided to pursue options for networking just as we would have if attending an event in person. This was an integral part of our undertaking, to ensure that attendees would have the chance to chat with the team, the sponsors, and each other before starting the general session.
Opening Notes
Customer Success Manager at DCKAP and enigmatic host of the event, Tim Diep, took an opportunity to first welcome everyone for joining before starting things off with our speakers and running full steam ahead. After being introduced, Joshua Novotny, IT Technical Lead at Kilcher, came onboard to represent the P21 Lake Erie User Group as President. During his opening notes, he placed emphasis on the need for users to launch or or enhance their e-commerce presence and the importance of knowing all options available to those that might be looking for the best experience.
Expand Your B2B Footprint: Tools and Tactics for Online B2B Success
Joel Pearson, VP of Sales at BigCommerce, presented an in-depth and extremely informative session on B2B best practice standards to move businesses online and maximize their online presence. As a global and powerful SaaS platform, BigCommerce has a unique perspective on ways businesses can improve their e-commerce footprint and find great success. His talk with us ranged from B2B e-commerce projections and future proofing, to the importance of the mobile experience and mobile-responsiveness, and much more.
How JIS, Division of Jergens, Inc. is Responding, Managing, and Leading During the Pandemic
Next up, Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO at DCKAP, came on to head up an enlightening conversation with the JIS team, starting with Matt Schron, General Manager at JIS, Division of Jergens, Inc. To start things off, Matt spoke about the history of the company and how he got started there, as well as some of the different ways in which the company has been handling the current pandemic situation.
How JIS Launched Their eCommerce Site Successfully Amidst the COVID-19 Scenario
Continuing the conversation and speaking to the successful launch of the JIS website amidst the pandemic, Karthik introduced additional members of JIS, Division of Jergens, Inc. with Tony Filipovic, Operations Manager, and Leanna Rummes, Marketing Manager. To add some additional insight into the process of the website launch, he also brought on Jason Flagg, Senior Manager of Enterprise Sales at BigCommerce and Gowtham Ram, Account Manager at DCKAP.
COVID-19 Tax Relief: What You Need to Know
Jordan Carpenter, Strategic Alliance Manager at Avalara, took the reins of the next session to talk to everyone about the importance of knowing your options for tax support while enduring the Covid-19 situation. During his presentation, he covered many areas such as compliance solutions, federal and state tax relief measures, and the significance of the economic nexus.
Stretch Break (Yoga)
After going strong for a couple of hours, it was time for a good stretch! Our amazing Yoga Instructor, Cali Chwa, took everyone through some beneficial stretching and breathing exercises. Spending that time certainly helped to keep everyone energized and motivated to continue learning and absorbing all the great information still to come.
eCommerce Transformation from B2B Seller to Magento 2
Next up was an insightful walkthrough by Rodrigo Neves, Technology Officer at Midland Scientific, Inc. He took us through a detailed demonstration of the website DCKAP is helping them build on the Magento 2 platform. Talking us first through the process of their decision of choosing the Magento platform, then going on to show us the amazing transformation of their new site and how well it functions.
Conversational Commerce Tactics for DTC Brands to Increase CLV
As the final presenter, Billy McClennan, Strategic Partnerships at Gorgias, bookended the sessions with an amazing array of tactics in “conversational commerce” to help businesses increase conversion rates and drive revenue. He provided many great insights into the current market and the importance of communications around messaging and chatting with customers to help solidify their satisfaction with the brand.
Closing Note
Finally, to end the general session of amazing speakers and presenters, Tim provided a few closing notes. With many thanks to everyone who joined us, he directed anyone interested to also take advantage of all the great offers DCKAP and all our sponsors are providing to assist everyone while we all do our best to get through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Breakout Session Groups
The final phase of the event consisted of specific breakout rooms, including one for each of our sponsors. This was another way to provide those networking opportunities that we’ve all been missing out on, offering a way for attendees to meet with the sponsors and talk with them about anything they might have questions about, or just to take some time to meet and converse with them.
Putting together the DCKAP eSummit was a genuine labor of love from everyone involved, from our sponsors and speakers to those helping to run things behind the scenes. Just like DCKAP Summit – The Digital Commerce Conference we held in Los Angeles last year, it was an event that we were really proud to host. Once again, we are extremely grateful to all our sponsors, speakers, and everyone who took the time to join us for this virtual experience. Until next time!
Thank you @DCKAP for putting on such a great and informative virtual conference yesterday! What did everyone think of #dckapesummit?
— Nexcess (@nexcess) April 29, 2020
