The National
Etailing + Marketing Summit

Let this interactive workshop introduce you to the essential concepts, tools and strategic applications of artificial intelligence. Designed for digital and direct marketing decision-makers, this exclusive workshop demystifies how AI works, explores how it is transforming marketing operations, and provides a framework for responsible adoption. Participants will gain clarity on the key technologies behind AI, see real-world use cases across content, personalization, and analytics, and leave with practical insights on how to position their organizations for success in an AI-driven future. 

Part I- Foundations of AI for Marketers

• Understanding the fundamentals: artificial intelligence, machine learning and generative AI 
• Uncover how AI systems are trained and the role of data in model development
• Dissect leading AI tools and platforms used in marketing
• Examine the marketer’s new toolkit: predictive, generative, and automation technologies
• Identify the key terminology and concepts that every executive should know

Part II- Applications of AI in Marketing

• Content and creative development: copywriting, design, and campaign ideation 
• Personalization and targeting: how machine learning enables segmentation and predictive recommendations
• Marketing automation: integrating AI in CRM systems, chatbots, and lead nurturing
• Analytics and insights: using AI for forecasting, performance optimization, and trend detection
• Case examples of brands effectively applying AI in marketing strategy

Part III- Strategic Integration and Ethical Considerations

• Framework for identifying and prioritizing AI opportunities in marketing
• Building an AI-ready organization
• Balancing human creativity with AI-driven efficiency
• Data privacy, ethics, and responsible use of AI in customer engagement
• Emerging trends shaping the future of AI in marketing

One year after tariffs reshaped supply chains and strategies, where does the catalog and direct marketing industry stand today? This candid, fireside-style conversation will explore the biggest shifts of the past year, the pivots companies have made, and what’s top of mind for leaders navigating the current landscape. Join us for an overview that sets the stage for the conference- taking a clear-eyed look at the challenges, the resilience, and the future of retail marketing

In today’s competitive landscape, personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s the key to capturing attention and driving results across both digital and direct mail channels. Designed for those marketing professionals ready to go deeper, listen and learn as session leaders provide actionable insights for refining personalization strategies to deliver more relevant, impactful and profitable campaigns. Attendees will learn how to harness the right data, apply advanced tactics and measure success with confidence, featuring possible discussion on: 

• How to identify, collect and organize the most valuable data for smarter segmentation and targeting
• Cutting-edge personalization tactics 
• Methods to measure and optimize personalization performance to maximize ROIat integrate seamlessly across digital and direct mail campaigns
• Strategies to avoid common pitfalls and ensure personalization efforts scale effectively and compliantly

For Anthropologie, shopping has never been just about buying- it's about discovering. The brand’s customers often say they don’t know what they want until they see it, and that sense of serendipity is by design. Anthropologie intentionally creates both digital and in-store experiences that spark curiosity, creativity and inspiration. 

Guided by a philosophy of being data-inspired but creativity-led, Anthropologie blends customer insights with experiential testing to craft moments of true connection. The brand’s approach to engagement, loyalty, and feedback has built a uniquely powerful ecosystem- one where data fuels imagination and imagination fuels growth. 

During this special keynote, join Ian Dewar, Senior Director Global Strategy at Anthropologie, as he sheds light on how the brand transforms customer feedback into foresight-using it to predict trends, shape product development and deliver marketing that resonates deeply; and reveals how the brand’s commitment to curiosity, creativity, and data-driven storytelling continues to inspire both new and loyal customers alike.

The Setup: 

A retail brand launches a new multi-channel campaign: a personalized direct mail piece drives traffic to a landing page, while a simultaneous email series nurtures leads. After launch, analytics shows a 20% lift in sales- but there’s disagreement on what caused it. 

• The direct mail team claims the lift was driven by catalog mailers and postcard campaigns
• The digital team argues that the email series and retargeting ads were the real driver
• Finance questions whether the lift would have happened organically, regardless of marketing 

Using live polling to fuel deeper conversation on how brands combine models, validate assumptions and bring finance and analytics into alignment, attendees will: 

• Pinpoint where and why attribution often breaks down across print and digital channels- and how to fix it

• See how leading brands are blending attribution models to get closer to the truth

• Explore tools and techniques to align marketing, analytics and finance teams around attribution insights
• Learn frameworks for testing and validating attribution assumptions to increase confidence in results
• Walk away with a CMO-ready playbook for improving attribution credibility and decision-making impacts 

Idea Incubators

In a world of overflowing inboxes and constant digital noise, direct mail continues to hold unique power- but standing out in 2026 requires more creativity, strategy and innovation than ever before. During the first 15 minutes of this presentation, listen and learn as industry experts unpack the hottest trends and toughest challenges shaping the future of direct mail, from  data-driven design and sensory engagement to sustainability and production innovation. Then, you’ll put those insights into action through hands-on break-out discussions that challenge you to think critically and creatively about what truly makes mail memorable today, with possible group exploration into: 

• Analyzing real-world campaigns to identify the elements that drive response, build trust, and create emotional impact
• Brainstorming design and messaging approaches tailored to different audiences and marketing goals
• Collaborating with peers to solve common challenges- from integrating digital and print touchpoints to balancing creativity with cost
• Sketching or mapping out a “mail piece of the future” that applies session insights to a realistic business scenario 

As marketing becomes more complex and customer journeys more fragmented, return on ad spend (ROAS) alone no longer tells the full story. In this forward-looking session, industry leaders will explore how brands are shifting beyond surface- level metrics toward more meaningful measures of success- from customer lifetime value and incrementality to retention, brand equity, and long-term profitability. After a 15 minute expert conversation framing the new measurement landscape, you’ll dive into collaborative breakout discussions to apply these ideas to real-world scenarios and rethink how you define marketing impact, including a look at: 

• Evaluating sample campaign data to identify the deeper metrics that matter most for different business goals
• Debating trade-off and priorities between short-term performance indicators and long-term value metrics
• Collaboratively building a new measurement framework that integrates CLV, incrementality, and brand health into decision-making
• Outlining practical next steps for evolving your organizations’ reporting and KPIs beyond ROAS
  

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept- it is reshaping how direct and digital marketers connect with customers, optimize campaigns, and drive profitability right now. In this session, industry experts will share how AI is being leveraged across the marketing ecosystem today, from predictive targeting and creative generation to automation and personalization at scale. After a 15 minute overview of the most impact use cases and emerging opportunities, you’ll collaborate with peers in small group discussions to explore how AI can supercharge your own marketing strategies, featuring possible group discussion on: 

• Mapping out potential AI use cases for your business across campaign planning, creative, and customer experience
• Evaluating real-world examples of AI in direct and digital marketing and what made them successful 
• Brainstorming ways to integrate AI tools into existing workflows to increase efficiency and ROI
• Identifying next steps and quick wins to begin (or expand) your organization’s use of AI in practical, impactful ways

As privacy expectations rise and third-party data continues to fade, marketers must learn to fully unlock the value of the data they collect directly from their customers. This session explores how first-party data can be activated across the entire marketing and customer experience landscape-from creative development to analytics, customer service and on-site research. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how unified data drives personalization, efficiency, and performance across teams while also shaping the future of customer engagement in a privacy-first world. With possible group discussion on: 

• Creative strategy (output)- using first-party behavioral and transactional insights to drive predictive creative strategies that dynamically adapt to audience needs
• Workflow and operations- redesigning content and campaign workflows to incorporate real-time data, AI-driven accelerators, and governance structures that support scalable personalization 
• Analytics and performance intelligence- leveraging advance analytics and predictive modeling to guide segmentation, investment decisions, and closed-loop optimization across the marketing lifecycle
• Customer experience and service integration- integrating unified customer data into service and experience channels to deliver personalized support 
• On-site search and digital behavior signals- activating behavioral signals and AI- enhanced search to improve discovery, personalized experiences and surface high-intent opportunities across the site

• Topic 1: Savvy Strategies for Maximizing your Direct and Digital Marketing Spend
• Topic 2: What Keeps you Up at Night? Identifying and Navigating Today’s Leading Challenges
• Topic 3: ROI Reality Check: Measuring Success Across Print and Digital Mail
• Topic 4: Creative Synergy: Designing Campaigns That Work for Mailboxes and Inboxes 
• Topic 5: Budget Shifts and Media Mix: Where is Your Spend Moving in 2026?
• Topic 6: Reactivating Lapsed Customers- Digital Nudges and Direct Mail Wins
• Topic 7: From Campaign to Keepsake: Creating Mail That’s Too Good to Toss
• Topic 8: Building a Creative Archive: Learning from Past Campaigns to Inspire the Next
• Topic 9: Privacy Priorities 2026: What Marketers Need to Know 
• Topic 10: Catalogs for Gen Z? Rethinking the Audience for Print Engagement

Idea Incubators

In a landscape where budgets are tight and accountability is everything, marketers need strategies that prove their impact, no matter the channel. This session explores fresh, innovative and cost-effective approaches to driving measurable response across print, search, email, social, TV, and radio. Experts will share what’s working now, from smarter targeting and creative organization to cross-channel orchestration and testing tactics that maximize ROI. After a 15 minute insights-driven conversation, you’ll roll up your sleeves in breakout discussions to apply these ideas to real-world scenarios and design response-focused strategies you can take back to your organization. With additional group discussion on:

• Analyzing examples of high performing campaigns across multiple channels to uncover what made them measurable and successful

• Exploring proven offer types that move the needle- from urgency-based incentives to value-driven propositions 
• Brainstorming innovative approaches to boost response rates without inflating costs
• Collaborating on cross-channel strategies that align messaging, timing and targeting for maximum impact

• Outlining actionable next steps to test, track, and optimize response-driven campaigns in your own marketing mix

In an environment shaped by rising healthcare costs, shifting tariffs and economic uncertainty, gaining executive support for marketing initiatives has never been more critical, or more challenging. This session will explore how to communicate with the C-suite in ways that resonate, demonstrating marketing’s strategic value and aligning your work with organizational priorities. Industry leaders will share insights into what executives really want to hear, how they make decisions, and how to translate marketing performance into business outcomes. After a 15 minute expert-led conversation, you’ll collaborate with your peers in breakout discussions to sharpen your messaging, strengthen your business cases, and build strategies that win executive buy-in. With possible group discussion on: 

• Translating marketing metrics into business language that resonates with CEOS, CFOs and boards

• Workshopping strategies for framing requests-from budget increases to new initiatives, in ways that align with broader organizational goals

• Role-playing real-world conversations to practice handling tough executive questions and objections
• Developing a mini “executive pitch” for current or upcoming initiatives, focused on value, impact and ROI
• Bridging the gap between “what you say” and “what I can act on”: aligning mid-level messaging with C-suite priorities to drive real decisions

As rising tariffs, shifting postal requirements, evolving privacy laws, and political pressures reshape the landscape for marketers, the decisions made in Washington, and beyond, have never had a more direct impact on your business. During this essential presentation, leaders from the American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA) will cut through the noise to deliver a high-level briefing on the policies and hot-button issues shaping the future of print and digital marketing. You’ll hear what’s on the legislative horizon, what’s at stake for our industry, and how ACMA is advocating to protect and advance the interests of businesses like yours. With discussion on postal discounts, the importance of acting as a group, how to get involved and how to take action locally. If you want to stay ahead of the forces that could redefine your strategies- or your bottom line- this is a session you can’t afford to miss. 

In a marketplace defined by rapid change and shifting expectations, understanding why buyers make decisions is just as important as knowing what they buy. In this special spotlight address, a leading behavioral scientist will unpack the latest data and insights into consumer psychology- revealing how emotion, bias, trust and context shape purchasing behavior across channels. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the forces influencing today’s shoppers and leave with actionable takeaways to craft messaging, design campaigns, and build experiences that truly resonate. This is your opportunity to step back from tactics and see the bigger picture and what drives decisions in 2026 and beyond. 

 Master cleanse kombucha tumeric brooklyn whatever selvage, portland quinoa. Austin mlkshk pour-over kickstarter beard, put a bird on it palo santo lomo single-origin coffee master cleanse fashion axe keffiyeh hexagon art party activated charcoal.