Modern Retail DTC Summit

Naples, FL
Oct 16–18, 2023

The direct-to-consumer playbook has undergone a major transformation over the past few years. But building direct relationships with customers has never been more important.
Gone are the days when brands could acquire a bunch of customers through cheap Facebook ads. Now, DTC brands are inking large-scale wholesale deals with large retailers left and right, while enticing people back to their websites for future purchases. They’re advertising on a slew of channels beyond Facebook and Google, and are looking for more ways to collect customer data. And, they are refining their marketing pitch to make their product a must-have.

At the Modern Retail DTC Summit, we will dive deep into what it means to be a DTC brand, speaking with leaders in the space about how their business models have shifted and what they’re focusing on as 2023 comes to a close. Hear from leaders at Beyond Yoga, ButcherBox, Gopuff and more about hot topics like what it takes to get acquired by a larger retailer, what the role of a DTC website should be, how to retain customers and more.

Speakers

  • Aman Advani
    CO-FOUNDER & CEO
    MINISTRY OF SUPPLY
  • Cas Barbier
    VP, OPERATIONS
    FIGS
  • Daniel Folkman
    SVP, BUSINESS
    GOPUFF
  • Melissa Mash
    CO-FOUNDER & CEO
    DAGNE DOVER
  • Nadya Okamoto
    CO-FOUNDER
    AUGUST
  • Irina Pelphrey
    VP, HEALTH
    ALBERTSONS' COMPANIES
  • Katerina Schneider
    FOUNDER & CEO
    RITUAL
  • Kiran Smith
    CMO
    BUTCHERBOX
  • Ben Soffer
    CO-FOUNDER & CEO
    SPRITZ SOCIETY
  • Michelle Wahler
    CO-FOUNDER & CEO
    BEYOND YOGA
  • Paige Decker
    VP, GROWTH
    TRUE CLASSIC

Agenda

Oct. 16

  • 2:00 pm ET
    Registration Opens

  • 2:30 pm ET
    Opening Remarks

    Join us as we welcome everyone and open the summit by going over key trends and challenges in the industry.

    Cale Weissman

    EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

    MODERN RETAIL

  • 2:45 pm ET
    The New Rules of DTC

    Ritual started out as a direct-to-consumer brand, earning the trust of over a million customers with its emphasis on transparent science and transparency sourcing. Now, the brand has become omnichannel, selling its multivitamins and leading prenatal vitamin through Whole Foods Market, Amazon, and Target, and is investing in bigger brand-building efforts like its recent TV campaign. In this session, you’ll hear from Ritual founder & CEO, Katerina Schneider, about how Ritual is evolving beyond its DTC roots and becoming a leader in the supplement category.

    Katerina Schneider

    FOUNDER & CEO

    RITUAL

    Moderator
    Cale Weissman
  • 3:10 pm ET
    Using Customer Loyalty to Drive your Marketing Strategy

    In its early days as a bootstrapped brand, subscription meat startup ButcherBox found affiliate marketing to be a cost-effective way to drive sales. Although ButcherBox’s marketing strategy has evolved since then to encompass more than just affiliates, the company still thinks deeply about how to turn its members into evangelists. In this session, you’ll hear from ButcherBox chief marketing officer Kiran Smith about how ButcherBox’s marketing strategy has evolved over the years and and how it uses customer insights to inform its marketing strategy.

    Kiran Smith

    CMO

    BUTCHERBOX

    Moderator
    Cale Weissman
  • 3:35 pm ET
    Sponsor Session

  • 3:50 pm ET
    What it Takes to Build a Real Community on Social Media

    “Community” is the buzzword du jour for many brands. But period care brand August launched a community group before it even had a product to sell, recognizing the importance of having a space where people could talk openly about previously-taboo topics. August continued to build an organic following on TikTok, with co-founder Nadya Okamoto accumulating 4 million followers on TikTok. In this session, you’ll hear from Okamoto about her thoughts on TIkTok virality, how to build an authentic relationship with customers, and what’s next for August as it expands into retail.

    Nadya Okamoto

    CO-FOUNDER

    AUGUST

    Moderator
    Cale Weissman
  • 4:10 pm ET
    Sponsor Session

  • 4:20 pm ET
    Disrupting the Norm: Building an Instant Advertising Platform

    As technology continues to change consumer shopping behavior, the dynamics of online marketplaces and advertising are constantly shifting. Gopuff's svp of business, Daniel Folkman will delve into the journey of how the brand created a groundbreaking advertising platform that puts products in customers' hands just minutes after they see an advertisement. Gopuff, known for its unique, vertically integrated model, has ventured beyond its core offerings to develop a state-of-the-art advertising and ecosystem and retail media network. In this session, we will explore the pivotal role of third-party marketplace advertising in reshaping how businesses connect with their audiences.

    Daniel Folkman

    SVP, BUSINESS

    GOPUFF

    Moderator
    Cale Weissman
  • 4:45 pm ET
    Networking Break

  • 5:00 pm ET
    Challenge Board

    Brands only. Join us for a breakout session where we will create a challenge board as well as have an open and candid discussion about the industry.

    Cale Weissman

    EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

    MODERN RETAIL

    Gabriela Barkho

    REPORTER

    MODERN RETAIL

  • 5:45 pm ET
    VIP Welcome Reception

    By invitation only.

  • 6:00 pm ET
    8-Minute Meetings

    By invitation only The 8-minute business meetings connect VIP retail executives with innovative technology platforms and media companies. They are designed to help your team build valuable new relationships and ultimately, close business deals.

  • 7:00 pm ET
    Cocktail Reception

    Join us for a cocktail to wrap up day one of the summit. Open to all.

  • 8:00 pm ET
    Dinner with Strangers

    Join fellow attendees for dinner. Costs are at your own expense.

  • 9:30 pm ET
    After Hours Hangout

    Meet with other attendees at the hotel bar to close out the evening. Costs are at your own expense.

Oct. 17

  • 8:30 am ET
    Breakfast & Registration Re-Opens

  • 9:00 am ET
    Working Groups

    We'll break out into two groups to focus in on different challenge areas.

  • 9:45 am ET
    Modern Market

    Join us for an extended networking break where attending brands will be displaying and testing their products.

  • 10:30 am ET
    Welcome Back

    Gabriela Barkho

    REPORTER

    MODERN RETAIL

  • 10:35 am ET
    Adapting to Changing Consumer Habits

    Ministry of Supply was founded by MIT graduates with the goal of re-engineering workwear to make it as comfortable as workout gear. But, then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and Ministry of Supply had to rethink what its value proposition was in a world where no one was going to the office and eventually, prepare for the return to office. In this session, you’ll hear from Ministry of Supply co-founder and CEO Aman Advani about how Ministry of Supply has had to adapt its marketing messaging and growth strategy over the years to respond to different consumer trends.

    Aman Advani

    CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    MINISTRY OF SUPPLY

    Moderator
    Gabriela Barkho
  • 10:55 am ET
    Sponsor Session

  • 11:10 am ET
    Breaking the Influencer Brand Mold

    Influencer and celebrity-backed brands are more prevalent than ever, but not all are successful. Spritz Society has managed to break from the pack by leaning into community-led innovation and leveraging key digital insights to build a scalable and successful brand. This session will explore the omnichannel approach including data-driven marketing decisions and bold risks taken that have played a pivotal role in defining Spritz Society's position in the competitive beverage alcohol space. Join Founder and CEO, Ben Soffer, as he shares the journey and strategy behind building Spritz Society and the insights, experiences, and partnerships that have propelled the brand to new heights.

    Ben Soffer

    CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    SPRITZ SOCIETY

    Moderator
    Gabriela Barkho
  • 11:30 am ET
    Sponsor Session

  • 11:45 am ET
    Crafting a Targeted Retail Strategy for Healthcare Professionals

    In this session, we will uncover the inner workings of a successful retail strategy with FIGS' vp of operations, Cas Barbier. We'll break down the nuances of extending FIGS’ digital business to physical retail spaces that it calls “Community Hubs” and crafting a retail experience that is designed for a very particular community – the incredible healthcare professionals who FIGS refers to as Awesome Humans. Learn from FIGS' experience as a pioneering brand renowned for their innovation in healthcare apparel as we discuss their strategies for connecting authentically with healthcare professionals through retail.

    Cas Barbier

    VP, OPERATIONS

    FIGS

    Moderator
    Gabriela Barkho
  • 12:15 pm ET
    Lunch

  • 1:00 pm ET
    Afternoon Break

  • 6:00 pm ET
    8-Minute Meetings

    By invitation only The 8-minute business meetings connect VIP retail executives with innovative technology platforms and media companies. They are designed to help your team build valuable new relationships and ultimately, close business deals.

  • 7:00 pm ET
    Cocktail Reception

    Open to all.

  • 8:00 pm ET
    Dinner with Friends

    Join attendees for dinner to wrap up day 2 of the summit. Costs are at your own expense.

  • 9:30 pm ET
    After Hours-Hangout

    Wrap up the evening with a cocktail. Costs are at your own expense.

Oct. 18

  • 8:30 am ET
    Breakfast

  • 9:00 am ET
    Welcome Back

    Gabriela Barkho

    REPORTER

    MODERN RETAIL

  • 9:05 am ET
    Building a Following that Endures

    Despite the challenging environment, performance bag brand, Dagne Dover, has continued to grow 60% YoY, while building its profitably, thanks to its marketing efficiency and wide customer appeal. In this session you’ll hear from co-founder and CEO, Melissa Mash, about key decisions from Year 1 to Year 10 that have driven the brand’s success to date, and what’s in store for Dagne’s future.

    Melissa Mash

    CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    DAGNE DOVER

    Moderator
    Gabriela Barkho
  • 9:25 am ET
    Sponsor Session

  • 9:40 am ET
    Life After an Acquisition

    In 2021, Michelle Wahler sold her activewear business Beyond Yoga to Levi Strauss, staying on to operate her brand as a standalone division within the portfolio. It was the opportunity of a lifetime — and just the beginning of Beyond Yoga’s next phase of growth, as the activewear brand opened its first store last year with more on the way. In this session, you’ll hear more from Wahler about why she decided to join the Levi Strauss portfolio, what it has been like integrating her startup into Levi Strauss, and what the next phase of growth looks like for Beyond Yoga.

    Michelle Wahler

    CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    BEYOND YOGA

    Moderator
    Cale Weissman
  • 10:00 am ET
    Sponsor Session

  • 10:10 am ET
    The Key to Effective Customer Service

    At one DTC brand, the customer service team sits within the marketing department. The company believes that customer service can be an effective tool to retain consumers. In this session, one brand founder will break down the company’s customer service strategy and how it maintained a low return rate. They will also discuss some of the platforms the team uses to build a connection with consumers.

  • 10:30 am ET
    Key Takeaways

    We'll end the summit by going over the key takeaways from all three days of sessions.

    Cale Weissman

    EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

    MODERN RETAIL

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Location

The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón


Entry-level Pass
$3,195
  • • Access to three days of key insights and honest discussion
  • Three one-on-one 8-Minute Meetings with executives of your choice
  • • Early access to book the one-to-one meetings of your choice
  • • Networking functions including meals, cocktail receptions, attendee activities and more
  • • Access to our meeting scheduler to help you find the perfect prospects
  • Brand or retail marketing execs: You may be eligible for a discounted Retailer Pass. Contact us here to find out.
Buy Now
Best Value
Premium Pass
$4,995
  • Save $200, originally $5,195
  • • Access to three days of key insights and honest discussion
  • Five one-on-one 8-Minute Meetings with executives of your choice
  • • Early access to book the one-to-one meetings of your choice
  • • Networking functions including meals, cocktail receptions, attendee activities and more
  • • Access to our meeting scheduler to help you find the perfect prospects
  • Brand or retail marketing execs: You may be eligible for a discounted Retailer Pass. Contact us here to find out.
Buy Now

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