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eCommerce Conference helping Kentucky companies find new ways to attract business


The eCommerce Conference presented by UPS and the World Trade Center Kentucky that took place in Louisville Tuesday attracted diverse Kentucky companies looking to expand online in new ways.

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With the online business model growing and shifting, many companies, whether start-ups or million-dollar enterprises, learned how they can thrive in the eCommerce space.

Companies interacted with experts such as Lisa Butters, General Manager, GoDirect Trade at Honeywell Aerospace, who keynoted the conference and focused on Honeywell’s efforts to link the eCommerce and aerospace parts business. This unique platform is already changing the way aerospace companies buy and sell parts and Butters provided real life examples of how any industry can model the same strategy.

Butters explained, “You have to ask, what are they (your customers) searching for? What do we not have that they’re searching for? And how do we get those on our market?”

Companies like ValleyVista Ski Products/ SkiSkootys were in attendance and said that although their Louisville-based company is international, they are still building and fine-tuning their Online presence.

“Having a strong eCommerce platform is huge,” said Sally Lawler, President of ValleyVista Ski Products.”We can’t compete with the big box stores so we have to use eCommerce. There has been a nice variety of speakers and even when a larger and more successful company presented, they gave great insight and the information still applied to us.”

Alli Truttman, Owner and CEO of WickedSheets spoke on a panel about attracting eCommerce customers and says companies in Kentucky have a great opportunity with having so many manufacturing facilities and the  logistics in place.

“It was resounding from the audience and the panelists that Louisville needs to focus more on eCommerce development in terms of workforce and logistics development because we are poised for growth,” said Truttman. “The companies who are really wanting to grow their eCommerce business are primed and ready and know the tools are here to help them grow but they need more talent and more exposure to what other successful eCommerce companies are doing  to help them grow and avoid mistakes.”

The conference also featured topics ranging from understanding the consumer, attracting eCommerce customers; the risk associated with eCommerce, and included a best-practices panel discussion and ended the day with roundtable dialogue.

Ryan Zehring, Area Sales Manager at UPS said, “The eCommerce Conference was an eye-opening perspective from a diverse group of professionals. I couldn’t get enough of the start-up company stories. This is entrepreneurship at its best.”

Director of Training, Ian Mooers with the World Trade Center Kentucky said, “One key point for participants was the need to understand user’s motives for purchases and how to utilize data that can help drive online sales.”

The 2019 eCommerce Conference was presented by UPS and also sponsored by SkuVault, Zinrelo, The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KY Proud), The Lane Report, The Kentucky Retail Federation, US Commercial Service, Greater Louisville Inc., Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, Rakutan, NetElixir, Stock Yards Bank, FreeUP, and Listrak and NAWBO Kentucky.

For more information about upcoming events through the World Trade Center Kentucky go to www.wtcky.org.

World Trade Center Kentucky


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