The National
Etailing + Marketing Summit

Artificial Intelligence is transforming how marketers connect with customers, analyze data and create more personalized, efficient campaigns, but for many, the world of AI still feels like unchartered territory. This three-hour introductory workshop is designed to demystify AI for direct mail and e-commerce professionals, breaking down the language, platforms, and practical uses that matter most to your work. We’ll cut through the buzzwords and focus on what’s real, relevant, and ready to use today, giving you the foundation you need to confidently bring AI into your marketing toolbox. Whether you are curious about generative AI, predictive analytics or workflow automation, this session will ground you in the essentials and spark ideas you can apply immediately. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• A clear overview of key AI terms, concepts and technologies-explained in plain language
• A tour of popular AI tools and platforms relevant to direct marketers and e-commerce brands
• Real-world examples of how AI is already driving results in creative, targeting and operations 
• Practical tips to begin experimenting with AI in your own campaigns and workflows 

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 a 30-minute overview that sets the stage for the conference- taking a clear-eyed look at the challenges, the resilience, and the future of catalog- driven retail. 

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 that integrate seamlessly across digital and direct mail campaigns
  
• Strategies to avoid common pitfalls and ensure personalization efforts scale effectively and compliantly
  
• Methods to measure and optimize personalization performance to maximize ROI
  

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

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 

First-party data is one of the most valuable assets a marketer can have- yet too often it’s collected and then left underutilized. In this session, experts will explore how leading brands are transforming raw data into revenue by identifying what matters most, organizing it for action, and deploying it across campaigns to drive smarter targeting, personalization, and profitability. After a 15-minute overview of best practices and pitfalls, you’ll join your peers in breakout discussions to explore how your organization can move from passive collection to active, result-driven use of first-party data. With possible group discussion on: 

• Auditing and prioritizing your data sources to focus on the most actionable and revenue-driving information 
• Exploring real-world examples of brands using first-party data to power segmentation, predictive modeling, and cross-channel personalization 
• Brainstorming ways to break down silos between marketing, analytics, and operations teams to improve data flow and utilization
• Designing an activation roadmap outlining how to turn dormant data into campaigns that drive measurable results

• 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: Catalogs for Gen Z? Rethinking the Audience for Print Engagement
• Topic 7: Reactivating Lapsed Customers- Digital Nudges and Direct Mail Wins
• Topic 8: Decoding Letter Rate Catalogs: How to Maximize Savings & Ensure the Right Fit
• Topic 9: From Campaign to Keepsake: Creating Mail That’s Too Good to Toss
• Topic 10: Building a Creative Archive: Learning from Past Campaigns to Inspire the Next
• Topic 11: Privacy Priorities 2026: What Marketers Need to Know

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

The modern workforce is redefining what it means to be engaged, and what it takes to stay. From shifting work-life balance expectations and remote flexibility to purpose- driven culture and growth opportunities, today’s teams are motivated by different values than they were just a few years ago. In this session, experts will explore what attracts and retains top talent in 2026- and what turns them away- along with practical strategies to build trust, boost morale, and keep teams performing at their best. After a 15-minute deep dive into current workforce trends and motivations, you’ll participate in breakout discussions to translate those insights into actionable steps for your own organization. Featuring possible group discussion on:

• Examining what today’s workforce values most- from flexibility and autonomy to purpose and professional growth, and how those priorities shape motivation
• Identifying common workplace pitfalls that erode engagement and retention, and exploring ways to avoid them
• Sharing and brainstorming strategies for balancing remote, hybrid and in-person work, while maintaining connection and culture
• Designing a team-focused action plan to strengthen motivation improve communication and build a workplace where people want to stay and succeed

As marketing channels multiply and customer journeys become more complex, understanding the true impact of each touchpoint is both harder-and more essential- than ever. This session dives deep into advanced media mix modeling (MMM) strategies that empower marketers to see beyond siloed metrics and gain a comprehensive view of channel effectiveness. Industry experts will share how leading brands are refining their models to account for offline and online transactions, seasonality, and external forces, transforming data into smarter decisions and stronger ROI. After a 15 minute expert-led overview, you’ll work in collaborative breakout discussions to explore how MMM can guide smarter budget allocation, enhance attribution accuracy and inform long-term planning. Featuring possible group discussion on: 

• Deconstructing sample media mix models to understand how different variables influence marketing outcomes
• Collaboratively build a framework for integrating direct mail, digital and emerging channels into a single, holistic view
• Debating and solving real-world challenges from dealing with incomplete data to aligning MMM with attribution models
• Designing next steps for applying MMM insights to optimize spend, improve forecasting and elevate strategic planning

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. In this essential 20 minute session, 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. 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.