2 days, 50 speakers, 5 interactive labs, 100 exhibitors and thousands of attendees- Dx3 was yet again a mecca for the best and the brightest in the Canadian digital space. Attendees and exhibitors gathered downtown Toronto to learn from industry experts and interact with the latest technology that’s shaping behaviors across the marketplace.
While we noticed that the show floor held fewer exhibitors than last year, it was still an exciting showroom at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on March 8-9. The venue buzzed with tremendous opportunities for established and upcoming businesses to network and collaborate. PayPal once again hosted The Startup Zone showcasing the innovative startups making waves in Canada. There was also a Canadian Retail Innovation Challenge- a national competition to help discover and promote the best retail and technology entrepreneurs that Canada has to offer. The winner this year? StyleID - the makers of an app that let you purchase items you see on your favorite TV shows. Tech journalist and TV personality, Amber Mac was also on-site, interviewing and live streaming discussions with numerous exhibitors including Blue Link’s own CTO, Darren Myher! [WATCH]
Among the excitement, we noticed a prevalent theme at the show- how technology is changing the consumer experience. All things virtual reality reigned supreme with a focus on how VR devices will reshape retail by creating interactive experiences. There was a big push for the importance of businesses to invest in technology to offer this type of buying. While we can't argue that VR devices certainly take the consumer experience to a new level, does it actually impact purchasing decisions? Is it worth the hype? And, which industries can benefit the most? One of the greatest things about Dx3 is that it allows attendees to ask these types of tough questions. While it's hard to say at this point whether or not VR will have the impact on the industry a lot of companies are hoping for, it was certainly interesting to be able to experience the technology first hand.
If you've never been to Dx3 before, we highly recommend you attend next year's show. It really is a one-stop-shop to learn, speak and interact with multiple vendors and technology companies relevant to both B2B facing and B2C organizations, as well as the end-consumer. Aside from floor exhibitors, Dx3 also provides a plethora of learning opportunities through their speaker sessions (at an additional cost). This year, almost every session was full and the free open-air theater sessions as part of the show floor were standing room only. Attendees walked away with some invaluable information and ideas that they can easily implement into their own businesses. Topics included:
- Why We Buy: Behaviour is the Science presented by Estee Lauder Companies
- How to Build Loyalty: Think Like a ShopKeeper presented by DavidsTea
- How to Combine the Online and In-Store Shopping Experience presented by Kit Ace
Oh and did we mention, early bird floor passes are free!? If we still haven't convinced you about the benefits of attending Dx3, be sure to check out their website to see all the highlights from this years show!
