EventsOur annual partner summit, Buyatab & Beyond, took place last month. This one-day event was focused on learning and networking. This year we expanded our event and we partnered Buyatab & Beyond with Stored Value Solutions’, SVS Exchange, a two-day conference held immediately before Buyatab & Beyond. Through curated content, informative speaker sessions, and industry networking our goal for this year’s conference was to leave attendees with a deeper understanding of gift cards and a greater understanding of where the industry is going for the future.
For two days prior to Buyatab & Beyond, we enjoyed learning from SVS’ team of experts on how brands can grow and maximize their overall gift card programs. Topics at the SVS Exchange ranged from current gift card market research to how companies can drive sales through gift card designs to gift card basics for newcomers. Overall, the Exchange provided valuable information for all attendees and was a great learning opportunity before our one-day Buyatab & Beyond event that immediately followed.
Buyatab & Beyond started with a panel discussion featuring Buyatab President, Matias Marquez, alongside SVS’ Joey Froedge and Amie Miller where they discussed what it means to grow a digital and online gift card program and what the right mix of digital and physical form factors looks like.
The panel was followed by a presentation by Matias, where he went over what the current eCommerce landscape looks like and what companies should be looking for when choosing a digital gift card provider. Matias’ talk was focused around how Buyatab can help companies grow their programs by offering them a wide range of solutions. This set the stage for Joey Froedge to take the stage once again to talk about consumer behaviour and the impact of digital wallets. He covered how SVS’ mobile wallet solution can help drive consumer behaviour and compel them to buy, once again highlighting the importance of digital.
After taking a quick recess for lunch, we returned in the afternoon for two final talks from some of Buyatab’s leaders. Often a Buyatab & Beyond favourite talk, Product Manager Maria Nearing, took the stage with Daniel Maddox of SVS, to talk about fraud and what steps brands need to take to limit their exposure and protect their customers. Last to take the stage was Buyatab’s VP of Client Development and Operations, Maddie Holeksa, where she spoke about how brands can maximize gift card sales using promotions. Maddie walked through several real-life examples of how brands have utilized promotions to drive their gift card sales.
There’s no better way to experience Fort Lauderdale than dinner by the water. We took in the great views of Fort Lauderdale beach, a stunning sunset along with great food and drinks from local restaurateurs. It was a beautiful evening that offered opportunities to network, have meaningful conversations, and time to soak in the experience before saying our goodbyes. We had a fantastic time hosting our partners in Fort Lauderdale and are excited to share what we have planned for next year soon. Stay tuned!