How to find eCommerce networking events

COVID restrictions are easing, things are opening up again, and in-person networking events are back on the table.

To help you make the most out of networking, we’ll highlight some upcoming eCommerce events in the UK and share some advice on what to do when you attend them. 

Specifically, we’ll be covering these events:

• We’re dreaming of a MACH Christmas
• How to Optimise Revenue and Maintain Customer Experience With SCA
• International Conference on Economics and Finance Research
• International Conference on E-Commerce, E-Business and E-Government
• DMWF Global

If you’d like more general information about networking, try one of our other articles, “How to expand my network”.

Commerce Futures is calling on members of the online sector to attend their Christmas celebration and discuss the future of MACH (Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) eCommerce architecture. It’s being advertised as a fairly informal event with a focus on networking. 

The event will be of particular interest to:

• Directors of eCommerce. 
• Heads of eCommerce, Trading, UX, UI and Architecture.
• Front-end Developers.
• Product Owners.
• Chief Technology Officers.
• Chief Digital Officers.
• Founders, CEOs, & Owners.

The event will include a three-course meal, dinner, drinks, and speeches about the future of eCommerce before open networking at the end. 

Date and time: December 2, 2021 (18:30 – 22:30) 

Location:181 Piccadilly, London, W1A 1ER

Event link

As part of the breakfast briefing series, this event from Signifyd is calling on industry experts to discuss new strategies to respond to the challenges brought on by SCA (Strong customer authentication) regulation.

Date and time: December 1, 2021 (08:30–10:30) 

Location: Signifyd, 30 Newman Street, London, W1T 1PT

Event link

The University of Plymouth is calling on researchers, scientists, engineers, and scholar students to share their experiences, ideas, and research results about Economics and Finance Research. 

Date: April 27–April 29, 2022 

Location: University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA

Event link

Also hosted at the University of Plymouth, on the same days, the 6th International Conference on E-Commerce, E-Business and E-Government (ICEEG 2022) is a world-renowned event with a strong track record.

The subject of the event is a broad critical view of the digital world. Specifically, the idea is to discuss how societies, businesses, and governments can exist within that world in a way that’s sustainable and beneficial to everybody. 

Date and time: April 27–April 29, 2022

Location: University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA

Event link

In this fully online event, the main goals are strategy, digital marketing insights, networking, and input from leading global brands.

More specifically, there will be an in-depth discussion about the latest trends and strategies related to digital marketing in relation to digital marketing technologies, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, influencer marketing, UX, CX, eCommerce, content marketing, data, analytics, and mobile.

As well as general discussions, DMWF global offers practical how-to sessions, live demos, product launches, online networking.

Date: May 31– June 1, 2022

Location: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper St, London, N1 0QH (online event)

Event link

Networking is fairly simple in practice. You turn up, talk to some people, say some charming and insightful things, then just wait for the calls to start rolling in. 

While that might be the general idea, there are a few simple strategies you can use to make sure you’re getting the most out of every event, such as:

• Think about your goals.
• Meet new people.
• Collect business cards.
• Have a good time.

It might sound overly simple, but these four basic strategies can make a big difference. 

Before you arrive at each event, think about what exactly you’re trying to achieve, using specific targets. Some targets might be:

• Meet a certain number of people. 
• Set a certain number of appointments. 
• Collect a certain number of contacts. 
• Reconnect with particular contacts.

Research the event’s schedule beforehand and make a plan. Find out who’ll be there and when they’re available, so you can plan out who you will speak to and when. 

It can be tempting, especially for those new to the industry, to enjoy an event from the background, but that’s a waste of a valuable networking opportunity. 

New contacts could be a massive benefit to your business, but you won’t know until you try. 

Try to meet as many people as you can and build meaningful connections. Ask plenty of questions, and listen to the responses to find shared values. 

You should definitely be handing out business cards, but collecting them from other people can be more productive. 

The truth is that most business cards are thrown away, forgotten about, or lost, so handing them out doesn’t guarantee new connections. But when you have the business cards, you’re in control of following up.

Your ultimate goal with networking is to make industry contacts, but your top priority should be engaging people on a personal level. After all, people like doing business with other people, first and foremost. 

So relax and don’t try to sell yourself too hard. If you make a good impression on a human level and have fun, you’ll make valuable connections that could turn into job opportunities further down the line. 

Networking events can be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for bookkeeping. It’s necessary, yes, but it’s also tedious and time-consuming. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.