Why We Sponsor eTail Connect Autumn

Why did you choose to sponsor eTail Connect Autumn in 2023?

Ben: I’ve personally sponsored eTail three different times in the past two years, but this is the first year Acoustic have sponsored. Retail is a very hard and complex marketplace, there are lots of events to attend but none like eTail Connect. It's this community feel from the market space. It's the whole culture of everyone to learn, evolve, and improve and it's a great learning ground for everyone.

How have you found the quality of delegates on site?

Ben: Absolutely spot on. The quality of the delegates is part of the reason we chose to sponsor this year. I know from previous events, that they are on point in terms of ICP, they’re all at an engaged level and they are looking to buy within the next 6 to 12 months, and this year is no different.

How have you found the networking opportunities?

Ben: We didn’t get a chance to do the networking session this morning because we were so busy with 1-1 meetings, but when I’ve sponsored in the past, they’ve been really good. We’re definitely going to get involved in them more tomorrow.

It’s just very relaxed and everyone’s open to conversation. It’s not guarded, just open conversation with a willingness to learn. We’ve also got the opportunity tonight to do some more relaxed networking at the End of Summer BBQ, just kick back and have some casual conversation, it’s going to be great.

How many 1-1 meetings have you had so far?

Ben: We’ve had nine so far and I’d say 90% of the people we’ve spoken to will lead to a follow-up conversation. What’s most impressive is finding this calibre of delegate and getting them to give you 30 minutes of their time outside of an event like this. To get a meeting with these delegates can take literally months. Having this level of conversation for half an hour, you just can’t, you can’t have them on the phone for half an hour.

We also found the attendee list profiling very useful going into our meetings. It gives you a chance to prepare ahead of the meetings, know who you’re speaking to and get an idea of what they’re looking for.

How have you found the organisation of the event?

Ben: 10 out of 10. One of the things I noticed, is that if we were sitting here and have nobody with us, the concierge will check to see if we should be meeting with someone, and if so, they will go and find them. It’s a practical approach and is fantastic.

Keep doing what you’re doing here, the consistency of the event is great and there’s no format like it. We’ve attended some good and bad events in the past, but eTail Connect is the best by far. I’m an advocate, I brought it from my last company, and now I’ve brought it here.

Would you say this event could have a positive impact on your 2024 business goals and would you say it’s important to sponsor eTail Connect?

Ben: I’d certainly say it is going to have a positive impact, for two reasons. One, for new business, and two, you get insights from the other companies. We’ve learnt so much from the delegates we’ve met, we’re going back with a much-informed view and it makes us more efficient. This is our first year of doing events, as we trial and error evaluations, and this is definitely the best result so far.

After the first three meetings, we said, “Right, we need to do these events more often”. I’m going to make recommendations when I go back to the office to sponsor more, as the consistency of the events is great.