Seeking Connections in the Digital World

 

We are creatures of connection. Our brains house 100 trillion of them, linking 100 billion neurons. These crackles of thought-energy reach hungrily outwards into cyberspace: we make an average of 1,426 digital data interactions every single day, a figure that will rise to nearly 5,000 by 2025. In 2010, this number was 298. That’s a 1577% increase, for those of you with neurons that light up with excitement when they hear maths.

 

It’s safe to say that not all these interactions are necessarily the best nourishment for our minds. Cat videos account for more than 26 billion views on YouTube. Twitter’s highest-ranked hashtag for 2021 was #BTS. And the undisputable GOAT of Instagram is Cristiano Ronaldo, with an account followed by 451 million people. Only China and India have higher populations. 

 

If kittens, the kings of K-Pop and CR7 are not really your thing, perhaps you seek more useful sustenance, an opportunity instead to share ideas with the sharpest minds in e-commerce and logistics worldwide? A chance to not only solve the business challenges of right now, but also explore solutions for the problems of the future?

 

Introducing CONNECT Global

 

CONNECT Global, the premier virtual community for e-commerce & logistics, runs 30 January through 3 February 2023, bringing together a select group of senior retail and logistics decision-makers to accelerate business connections and build meaningful conversations. The event is 100% online, allowing you the freedom to join or rewatch at your convenience. Pre-schedule some of our 2,500 1-to-1 meetings. Take part in up to 10 carefully curated table talks. Explore detailed profiles of 500 senior retail leaders from around the world. Connect, connect, connect – from the comfort of your favourite armchair, or the agenda room, or on the go as you commute to your next in-person interaction, armed with vital, deal-sealing new knowledge.

 

These virtual connections encourage a solutions-driven focus for maximising your valuable time, giving you the option to curate your own schedule from the most important content and networking opportunities. Last year, the event (formerly known as DELIVER Connect) left participants highly satisfied with the overall experience, with one representative from Under Armour commenting they “found value in the online format – the execution of the event was perfect!” And not a single cat meme in sight. We promise. So stay tuned – we’ll be announcing the CONNECT Global 2023 participation and sign-up details soon!

 

Connecting With the Highlights

 

In 2021, the CONNECT content programme featured a diverse and engaging range of content addressing the hottest topics in the industry. DHL Parcel discussed the sustainability agenda, also a key talking point at DELIVER 2022, out in-person event in Amsterdam. Huboo and Digital River demonstrated how to adapt your logistics strategy for cross-border e-commerce. Autofleet showed that customer-centricity needn’t break your budget, while Seven Senders highlighted the ways in which the returns nightmare can become the dream of opportunity (for more about this topic, check out our recent blog post on returns strategies in the US market).  

 

Why a Digital Connection?

 

When done right, the virtual meeting space can transcend its limitations by facilitating connections that might not otherwise be possible. 98% of survey respondents said online meetings foster relationship-building within organisations and outside the company. And 90% of those respondents said video makes it easier to make themselves understood – no trembling hands in front of the whiteboard or the projector screen, no mistaking of the whiteboard marker for that sneaky, indelible imposter.

 

As three quarters of people surveyed feel that productivity levels stay consistent or actually increase when meetings go virtual, the benefits of online business connections are clear to see. The learning opportunities are unlimited. Even as we tentatively emerge from a pandemic that transformed the ways we seek and exchange knowledge, 85% of learners say their online learning experience was at least as satisfying as traditional face-to-face classes.

 

Um… excuse me? Yes, you there at the back with the paper plane? Pay attention – you’ll be delighted to hear that IBM say their employees’ knowledge increased fivefold with online learning techniques in comparison with offline methods, or that online learning may significantly increase information retention. 

 

That’s a lot of virtual learning and networking lined up. So get those track pants on, fill that water bottle, and settle into that favourite chair. Let’s get those 100 trillion connections firing.