Platinum Sponsor Microsoft's Rachel Bondi will present details of the company's future strategy to the 1000-plus delegates from ICT and CE e-tailers, retailers, distributors and vendors attending DISTREE EMEA 2013, which takes place from 19-22nd February in Monaco. Research powerhouse and official Content Partner GfK will also deliver a keynote session, giving delegates access to the latest market data from across the region and insight into future trends.
"We are delighted to confirm Patrick Moorhead, Founder and Principal Analyst at Moor Insights as a keynote speaker at DISTREE EMEA 2013," said Farouk Hemraj, CEO and Co-Founder at DISTREE Events. "His channel experience, insight into the vendor landscape and analysis of new form factors will offer delegates a high-level overview of how the market is evolving."
The DISTREE EMEA 2013 conference programme will also offer content dedicated to specific delegate groups. Four summits will take place alongside the main conference programme: Emerging Markets Distribution Summit, European Distribution Summit, Retailer & E-tailer European Summit, plus a Strategy Forum Summit.
Fabrizio Valente, Founder Partner at retail consultancy Kiki Lab, will deliver a speech at the Retailer & E-tailer European Summit focused on cross-channel strategies and how retailers can deal with changing consumer behaviour as the intersection between e-tail and physical retail evolves. Content Partner CONTEXT will also present exclusive results from its ChannelWatch Surveys at DISTREE EMEA 2013, based on extensive reseller and retailer feedback from across the region.
"With such a diverse group of delegates attending DISTREE EMEA, we look to provide a flexible conference programme that covers the top issues for the overall industry, but also offers the opportunity for a deep drilldown into specific topics and regions," explained Hemraj.
A series of 2013 Directions sessions are planned for DISTREE EMEA in the form of interactive workshops, allowing delegates to engage directly with speakers on specific topics. In addition to the speakers already listed, 2013 Directions will also focus on channel strategy and trends in specific sub-regions in EMEA such as Africa and Russia & CIS. These sessions will be hosted regional experts including Frederic Lestringant, former HP PSG General Manager for Africa, and Igor Snytko, Executive Director at Russian consultancy Ocean Solutions.
The DISTREE EMEA conference programme will also give manufacturers an opportunity to showcase new and forthcoming products to the region's most influential gathering of ICT and CE buyers. 'Fresh: A First Look at New Technology' hosted by the Sightline Group's Fred Brown will demonstrate some of the hottest products poised to hit the market. During the '60 Seconds to Convince Awards', dozens of manufacturers will deliver elevator pitches on their latest products to the DISTREE EMEA delegates, with overall category winners decided by a live electronic vote.
"The conference programme is part of a much wider delegate experience," continued Hemraj. "DISTREE EMEA also allows each delegate to pre-schedule their own one-on-one meeting schedule tailored to their specific business needs. This is the ultimate networking event for any executive involved in the EMEA volume ICT and CE channel."
"E-tailers, retailers, distributors and vendors that have not yet confirmed their participation in DISTREE EMEA 2013 should do so as soon as possible," added Hemraj. "Spaces are limited and we have seen increased demand from e-tailers and retailers wanting to attend next year's event."
More than 130 ICT and CE vendors are set to participate in DISTREE EMEA 2013, using the event as an efficient and cost-effective platform to meet both existing and potential channel partners from across the region in one place at one time.
About DISTREE EMEA
DISTREE EMEA gathers hundreds of senior executives from EMEA's ICT, telecoms and consumer electronics (CE) volume channel. DISTREE EMEA is a powerful business platform for vendors looking to manage, build or launch routes-to-market within EMEA. From A-brand vendors to start-ups, DISTREE EMEA's structure and reach offers business benefits and powerful return on investment. www.distree-emea.com Follow event updates on Twitter @DISTREE_EMEA