Whether you’re a successful omni-channel brand, a seasoned 7-figure Amazon seller, or a brand new start-up owner, you’re likely always on the hunt for new opportunities to build your business. In our highly digital world, most e-commerce businesses access their content in digital spaces - blogs, websites, webinars, and virtual conferences. While this method is convenient and efficient, there also is significant value in in-person events. There is no substitute for face-to-face interactions which merge the influence of networking with the dissemination of valuable information, forming a potent catalyst for the expansion of any eCommerce venture. The Prosper Show epitomizes this synergy.
Last week over 1500 eCommerce sellers had an opportunity to meet face-to-face at the annual marketplace seller conference, Prosper Show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, from March 4-6. Established Brands, third-party sellers, agencies, and service providers congregated to share their expertise and exchange insights about advertising trends, address the most critical pain points for online sellers from which markets to sell on how to find good employees, and find solutions. Like so many others, the AO2 team didn’t miss our chance to join the conversation.
Prosper Show 2024 witnessed an astounding 50% surge in attendance compared to the previous year, signaling a remarkable growth trajectory for the event. Notably, initial feedback suggests that while over 70% of attendees were first-timers at Prosper, many boasted over 5 years of experience in the e-commerce arena. Clearly, The Prosper Show remains a comprehensive event designed to cater to the needs of marketplace sellers at any stage of their selling journey.
Women’s Meet Up:
Officially, the event kicked off this year on Monday with a Women’s Meet-up led by Emily Baker, Owner of CrazyFlippinMom, and Amy Hoang, CEO/Co-Founder of Women Sellers.
This inaugural female-only event was not to be missed! Over 100 sellers and service providers gathered to hear from women in the business and network. This was a first for Prosper, but it won’t be the last. As noted by girl power marketing, women are responsible for 85% of all consumer purchases and over $31.8 trillion in worldwide spending. It only makes sense that the e-commerce industry continues to elevate and support women-created products, female-owned brands, and all of the stand-out women working in the space.
This year, Day 1 also included additional Think Tanks, Fireside chats, a AI Hack-A-Thon, and some educational sessions. Day 1 content was not included in a general conference admission in previous years. The decision to include this content in the conference pass for 2024 was a good one. Attendees loved the extra value. So much so, that some day 1 sessions were standing-room only, while others had so much interest the presenters had to deliver a duplicate presentation to accommodate everyone!
Keynote Presentation:
Day Two of the conference this year kicked off with keynote presentations from prominent industry leaders. This year, the keynote, Billions of Butts Wiped: How DUDE Wipes Disrupted Big Toilet Paper, was led by Sean Riley, Chief Executive Dude, DUDE Wipes. Sean told the story of scaling the Dude Wipes brand across an Omni Channel journey, which was a great kick-off to this year’s overarching theme of the conference, diversifying sales channels. Prosper keynotes always set the tone for the event and offer valuable perspectives for attendees.
Breakout Sessions, Workshops, and Training:
Throughout the conference, attendees had the opportunity to engage in both breakout sessions and hands-on workshops covering various aspects of Amazon selling. These sessions delved into specific topics such as product research, inventory management, pricing strategies, advertising tactics, brand building, and customer service excellence. The educational sessions this year focused on four main learning tracks:
- Growth Opportunities
- Marketing & Advertising
- Seller Ops & Business Strategy
- Trends & Insights
Within these tracks, notable trends emerged, including the industry's shift towards prioritizing profitability. Sessions emphasized the importance of understanding profitability metrics and utilizing tools like the Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) for measurement. Additionally, there was a noticeable increase in discussions around measurement and the emergence of holistic service providers and data partners within the exhibit hall.
Participants in workshops and training sessions received practical guidance, tools, and resources to enhance their Amazon selling proficiency across these learning tracks. By implementing the strategies and tactics discussed, sellers were equipped to drive better results for their businesses.
The sessions, workshops, and training sessions spanned all 3 days of the conference. Expert speakers share practical advice, case studies, and actionable tips to help sellers navigate the complexities of selling on Amazon and optimize their business operations for maximum profitability and growth. This year our team was able to divide and conquer, attending multiple sessions on a variety of topics. A few that stood out to us include:
Sreenath Reddy's comprehensive exploration of AMC frameworks catered to novices and seasoned professionals alike, offering invaluable insights to both.
Samantha Evans' session on Understanding Gen Z provided a wealth of data while unveiling how the younger demographic shapes online shopping habits and consumer behavior.
Brent Wees moderated the new The Ultimate AI Hack-a-Thon session this year. Everyone loves to throw around the phrase “can’t miss”, but for me, the one truly “can’t miss” experience at Prosper for the Hack-a-Thon. For sellers and service providers, this session provided a collaborative, hands-on experience to learn more about AI tools that can help their business. The attendees were tasked with developing a brand-new product and go-to-market strategy within a strict deadline, relying heavily on AI tools. Consider, generating a product image or product packaging via chatGPT prompts; seriously cool stuff. With AI being a strong theme at Prosper and in e-commerce in 2024, this was an excellent opportunity for all who attended to expand their knowledge of available tools and their uses.
Exhibit Hall:
All early feedback indicates that the new cadence for sessions at Prosper 2024, by spreading our content over three days instead of two, was a major win for exhibitors. The floor was packed for the entire morning when the exhibit hall opened on day two, with many booths commenting they received more leads and had more valuable conversations with attendees in the first four hours than in multiple past years combined.
Within the learning track of Trends & Insights this year at Prosper, two major themes emerged - AI and Marketplace Expansion - and these two themes were more apparent on the show floor than anywhere else at the event. Some new AI providers popped up as first-time Prosper exhibitors, but the trend of AI was also embraced by some industry veterans, who added new AI services to their existing list of offerings. Clearly, AI capability is as beneficial for the brands as it is for streamlining processes for businesses that serve them.
In the Marketplace expansion theme, Prosper welcomed back Amazon and Walmart marketplace teams, as well as first-time exhibitors TikTok Shop, Shein, and New Egg. Their presence helped drive home the idea that established brands need to be looking outside of Amazon to reach new audiences and diversify their sales channels. One interesting takeaway was that the TikTok shop team focused heavily on recruiting service provider partners to enable brands to have a seamless launch on the platform, even if they have never previously used TikTok in their marketing strategy. AO2 is in the process of onboarding as a TikTok Shop partner (TSP), and we’d love to help your brand scale! Reach out to our team if this is something you’d like to explore for your business.
Networking Opportunities:
In addition to educational sessions, the Prosper Show conference experience offers numerous networking opportunities for attendees to connect with peers, industry professionals, and potential business partners. Networking events, receptions, and informal meetups provide valuable opportunities to build relationships, exchange ideas, and collaborate with other sellers and industry stakeholders.
Networking is a key aspect of the conference experience, allowing participants to expand their professional network, gain insights from others' experiences, and explore potential collaborations and partnerships that can help drive their Amazon business forward.
For the AO2 team, these networking events are also great opportunities to spend some quality time with our clients, industry friends, and partners.
Overall, the Prosper Show conference is a comprehensive and immersive event tailored to the needs of online sellers, providing valuable education, insights, and networking opportunities to help them succeed and thrive in the competitive e-commerce landscape.
Don't miss out! Whether you couldn't make it to the show this year or want more insights on the content discussed, watch our can’t-miss webinar,Prosper Show Rewind: Essential Tips and Trends for Marketplace Sellers, today!
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