The 2019 Programme

• Practical applications of AI and ML - what they are, and what they can- and can't do
• What impact AI will have on retailers and on customers over the coming 12 months
• How much to invest in AI and ML, and how much value you can get out of them
• Choosing the use casesthat make most sense for your organisation
• What is achievable within certain timeframes
• What intermediate goals retailers currently have for AI and ML
• How digitally native brands and large offline retailers are each using AI
• How AI can help you to bridge the physical-digital divide - using AI to connect your online and offline channels and processes

• Understanding the importance- and role of building a robust infrastructure
• Deciding where to store your data
• Guaranteeing data quality - updating or removing inaccurate, incomplete, improperly formatted or duplicated data
• Ensuring your networking infrastructure, storage capacity, data analytics and security platforms are aligned with your AI aspirations
• Building data protection requirements in to the AI / ML strategy to ensure compliance with privacy legislation

Christina Leo, Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft

Tarun Samtani, Group Data Protection Officer, CISO, Boden
Orlando Machado, Chief Data Scientist, Aviva Quantum

• How AI innovations are already benefitting companies outside the retail sector
• What customers feel about AI - concerns, likes, trends and changing behaviour
• How Marketing, Digital, Data and IT are working together to do more in the space

Dr Geraint Evans, former Group Head of Marketing & Strategic Programmes / Head of Digital, Odeon Cinemas Group

• Enabling informed decisions about the investment of time and resources in AI
• Identifying and demonstrating the value of AI products at an early stage
• How data science teams can pitch projects to the business and gain executive buy-in
• Understanding when to prioritise data science and AI projects over competing work

Nick Masca, Data Scientist, Skyscanner

• Understanding the supplier base and the services offered by potential partners
• Accurately estimating costs, and optimising cost efficiencies on an on-going basis
• Understanding how customisable AI technologies can be
• Building vs. buying vs. renting your AI capability
• Knowing which AI and ML technologies may not work for a retail business
• Integrating AI and ML into your existing systems

Karen Harris, MD, IntuDigital

Natalia Konstantinova, Lead Software Engineer R&D, Shell Energy Retail

Orlando Machado, Chief Data Scientist, Aviva Quantum

Rebecca Vickery, Data Scientist, Holiday Extras

• Establishing the agile practices and team mindsetsneeded todeliver an AI strategy
• Employing peoplewith the skills to support your use of AI
• Knowing what a successful AI team looks like
• Attracting and retaining good data scientists and data engineers
• Positioning your AI researchers (centrally vs. within each department)
• Ensuring your AI team is in touch with your company's problems, capabilities, value proposition and customers

• Personalised messaging - what's cool and what's creepy
• Choosing the right data sources for personalisation
• Collecting and stitching together data to understand each customers' needs and behaviour, and send the right messages at the right times
• Modelling how changes to your website impact your customers' actions
• Learnings and tips to apply to your business to achieve a personalisation programme

Kerry Dawes, Head of Digital Experience & Intel, Rank Group

This panel will highlight the projects of retailers, as they take their first steps into the world of AI and machine learning. Hear their successes, their struggles, and their future plans.

Eugene Fisher, Strategy Architect, River Island

Rob Wood, Head of Online & Digital, The Entertainer

Chris McGrath, TCS Product Manager, Retail IT - Customer Engagement Hub, Marks & Spencer

• AI for inventory- and stock optimisation - ensuring the right products are in right place at the right time
• How IoT sensors can improve traceability, ensure products are kept in the right conditions, and help avoid counterfeit products being sold
• How AI can improve the speed and flexibility of delivering products to customers

• Using chatbots and self-service to optimise how you communicate with customers and focus your employees on value-add work
• Dealing with the consumers who ask questions your chatbot doesn't understand
• Seamlessly integrating man and machine - managing the live handoff between chatbot and real person
• Long-term benefits of chatbots and self-service - reducing headcount and costs
• Proactive customer service to reduce call volumes and increase customer retention

Natalia Konstantinova, Lead Software Engineer R&D, First Utility

• How using AI to run PPC has increased revenue by 30% at Domino's
• Impact of AI and predictive analysis on customer engagement and the ability to upsell to existing customers
• Future plans - what near-term opportunities Domino's sees in the AI space, and which tools the company is looking to invest in

Karl Boyce, Head of Digital & CRM, Domino's Pizza Group