Local companies including Gymshark, Patchworks, Lounge and many more will be at the event. Can you afford to miss the UK's leading digital retail show in 2023?
The National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham is the ideal venue for the return of the IRX (InternetRetailing Expo) and eDX (eDelivery Expo) in late May. Not least because eCommerce is thriving in the Midlands, and many regional companies will be represented at the leading digital retail show's 2023 edition.
Some of the names listed below are the biggest in the industry and should tempt local business leaders to make the short trip to the NEC. Registration is now open for the free, two-day event on the 24th & 25th of May.
A combination of factors, including infrastructure, accessibility, and an expanding consumer base, have helped eCommerce companies in the Midlands thrive. The region is located in the heart of England, making it a perfect hub for eCommerce businesses that require speedy distribution of goods to customers. Indeed, excellent road, rail and air links — including the M1, M6 and M42 motorways and Birmingham Airport — facilitate this rapid deployment and movement of items around the country and further afield.
Additionally, the Midlands has a diverse and skilled workforce, with universities and colleges in the region providing education and training in eCommerce, logistics, and related fields. With this supply of talent, eCommerce businesses in the Midlands have been able to scale at speed.
One of the best examples of this — in the world — is Gymshark, the fitness clothing brand started by Birmingham-born Ben Francis in 2012. Just eleven years after starting the company, using a sewing machine bought by his grandmother in his parents' garage while working as a pizza-delivery driver, the 30-year-old recently debuted on the Forbes billionaires list. The former Aston University student is worth $1.2 billion (£960 million), making him the United Kingdom's youngest dollar billionaire.
Local talent
Francis' firm, loved by celebrities such as The Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, will be at IRX, with Carly O'Brien, Chief Marketing Officer of Gymshark, on stage. In a fireside chat, titled Understand the customer, understand the world, she will discuss the critical importance of understanding the customer above everything else.
Also speaking at the event will be Kristian Burnard, Head of eCommerce, Lounge Underwear — another Birmingham-headquartered eCommerce company. He will appear alongside Shopify's Director of EMEA Expansion, Deann Evans, in a session titled How to build brand reputations and customer trust through connected and consistent shopping experiences.
Other local sponsors and exhibitors include Anicca, a digital marketing agency based in Leicester, Sheffield's Peek & Poke, creators of branded games, and Deploy, an eCommerce agency from Stoke-on-Trent. Also at IRX and eDX will be Orbitvu, a Birmingham-located automated product photography company, and representing Nottingham are eCommerce integrations firm Patchworks and multi-channel eCommerce software company Storefeeder.
The event is a unique opportunity to learn about the latest eCommerce trends and network with industry experts. For Midlands-based leaders operating in this space, can you afford to miss out — especially when registration is free?
IRX & eDX 2023 take place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on 24 & 25 May. Register — for free — here.