Symphony RetailAI, the leading global provider of AI-enabled revenue growth management solutions and customer-centric insights for retailers and CPG manufacturers across the entire value chain, today announced its annual Xcelerate Retail Forum will be held Sept. 17-18 in Paris and Oct. 8-9 in Dallas.

In connection with the theme, Breathing AIr into retail, Xcelerate will help attendees identify new revenue growth opportunities, activate a plan to seize these opportunities and realise results. Sessions will illustrate the ways retailers and CPG companies are using AI and machine learning to substantially improve the speed, accuracy, flexibility and value of their customer insights, personalised marketing, supply chain, category management, and more. As in the past, this year’s attendees will network with peers on industry challenges and best practices to address them, hear directly from customers on recent success stories across the value chain, as well as preview the product roadmap of Symphony RetailAI solutions.

“The emergence of artificial intelligence as the most powerful innovation for identifying and realising opportunities for revenue growth is undeniable,” said Dr. Pallab Chatterjee, Chairman and CEO, Symphony RetailAI. “The Xcelerate Retail Forum introduces unique perspectives and actionable recommendations from industry pioneers already using AI-enabled, role-based solutions. Attendees will leave the event with a clear understanding of new approaches that drive revenue growth, improve margins and increase productivity through the power of AI.”

 

Keynotes from industry leaders emphasise the essential role of AI in retail

 Xcelerate will expose audiences to a diverse array of geographically relevant presentations and discussions led by highly respected names in retail, including corporate leaders, industry analysts, and technology innovators. Keynoting the event is Alasdair James, former CEO of Pier 1 and executive at Tesco, and record-breaking free-divers Herbert Nitsch and Tanya Streeter.

 

Hear from key executives from Symphony RetailAI and success sessions led by retail and CPG leaders including:

 

Paris

• Tom Rose, Head of International Operations, Spar International
• François Van Brée, Manager IT & Retail Services, Tom & Co
• Ger O’Flynn, Head of Commercial IT, Musgrave
• Krešimir Ležaić, Senior VP of IT and Telecommunications,                      Mercator
• Mark Wilkinson, Head of Space Planning, Pets at Home

 

Dallas

• Andre Romero, VP Revenue Growth and Trade Management,                Campbell Foods
• Eric Le Blanc, Director of Marketing, Deli, Tyson Foods
• Kevin Stafford, Vice President Marketing, K-VAT Food City
• Lisa Kinney, VP, Customer Strategy & Merchandising Analytics,              Albertsons
• Marty Siewert, Global Director Shopper Insights, Anheuser                      Busch – Inbev
• Rick Fink,Director of Finance/Process Improvement, Heinens

 

This year’s agenda has something for all practitioners in FMCG retail with themes including:

• AI-enabled personal decision coaches
• Improving efficacy of the grocery supply chain
• Artificial intelligence and demand forecasting
• Next-generation category space planning
• Strengthening the role of category captains for CPGs
• Improved partnering between CPGs and retailer partners
• Using AI to move from data insights to action and realisation of              targeted results
• Efficiencies in store operations
• Personalised marketing and understanding shopper behaviour
• Robotics in the warehouse
• Intelligent store clustering and space planning
• Inventory management
• Click & collect
• Virtual reality and augmented reality’s role in understanding                    today’s customer

 

Meet CINDE, your personal decision coach

 In addition to exploring industry-leading technologies from Symphony RetailAI and innovative solution partners, attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet and interact with CINDE – Symphony RetailAI’s conversational, AI-enabled personal decision coach (a first of its kind platform designed specifically for retailers). As AI becomes increasingly prevalent and critical for business success, CINDE goes beyond identifying insights from massive data pools and providing simple data analysis. CINDE gives users easy-to-understand, immersive visualisations and provides actionable recommendations through an advanced interface, quickly becoming an indispensable member of any business group.

“We are dedicated to solving the most significant challenges facing FMCG retailers and manufacturers by exploring proven strategies and the most promising technology available to support them,” said Graeme Cooksley, President and COO, Symphony RetailAI. “Each year, we collectively push the boundaries of what is possible to achieve with data, and this year, the number of success stories from around the globe thoroughly emphasise this reality.”

Since 2016, the Xcelerate Retail Forum has drawn nearly 1,000 attendees, including 400 grocery retailers and CPG company representatives from across the globe. Watch highlight videos from previous Xcelerate events here. To find out more about both Xcelerate 2019 events, or to register to speak or attend, please visit the Xcelerate 2019 website. Check back often, as agenda topics and speakers are being added regularly.