Ecommerce Marketing Summit South: Growth, Performance & the Future

A halfday professional development summit hosted by The Fashion Network, Ecommerce Club, The Drum, Black Dot Social, Worldpay, The Influence Room, designed for ecommerce leaders, brand marketers and digital teams who need to stay ahead of the most significant shifts shaping consumer marketing in 2026.

Industry reports highlight that social commerce has become a critical competitive battleground, with consumers expecting seamless, shoppable experiences on TikTok, Meta, YouTube and other channels, meaning retailers without integrated social commerce journeys are losing key sales opportunities.

Meanwhile, live commerce is now reaching mainstream adoption, with retailers across categories proving that shoppable video and creatorhosted formats can deliver measurable, repeatable results.

At the same time performance marketing sill plays a huge part of the marketing mix, hyperpersonalisation, unified commerce expectations, and efficiencyfocused media planning continue to redefine what “good” looks like in modern D2C retail.
This summit brings together marketing and ecommerce practitioners, strategists and innovators to share databacked insight, case studies and practical frameworks essential for any D2C or omnichannel brand competing in 2026.

1. Social Commerce 3.0: Advanced Strategies for HighIntent Discovery & Conversion

A CPD-aligned strategic masterclass exploring the new socialfirst buying journey.

• Cultural commerce: how realtime trends now shape demand
• TikTok, Meta & YouTube: winning formats and traffic patterns
• Creator storefronts & UGCfirst conversion funnels
• Category performance: fashion, luxury, beauty, FMCG
• Operational readiness for social commerce success
• The metrics that now matter

Why it matters: Consumers increasingly expect infeed purchase paths on social platforms.

2. Live Commerce Momentum: Formats, Talent & Infrastructure for Scalable Retail Impact

A CPD-focused session unpacking the rising maturity of the UK live commerce landscape.

• Highperforming live formats for 2026
• Shopper expectations for shoppable video
• Creatorled vs brandhosted approaches
• Boosting AOV and conversion through live experiences
• Behindthescenes operational excellence
• What’s coming next in 2026–27

Why it matters: Live commerce in the UK is finally seeing consistent traction across major platforms.

3. Performance Marketing Re-Engineered: Automation, Signal Loss & Smarter Attribution

• Postprivacy performance strategies
• AIassisted optimisation & dynamic creative workflows
• Diagnosing “real” ROAS vs platform noise
• Attribution models fit for 2026
• Balancing midfunnel and lowerfunnel investment
• Performance frameworks for modern ecommerce teams

Why it matters: UK retailers are prioritising efficiency, intelligent automation and margin protection

4. Content, Creators & Communities: Building Authentic Retail Growth Engines

• Rising importance of founderled and employeegenerated content
• UGC, creator licensing & paid amplification
• Communityled retention and loyalty strategies
• Brand safety at scale
• When to invest in storytelling vs conversion content

Why it matters: Authentic human content is emerging as a key competitive differentiator.

5. Media Planning for Modern Retail: FullFunnel Strategy, Retail Media & Cross-Channel Integration

• Where budgets are shifting in 2026
• Retail media networks: promise vs practicality
• CTV, streaming, social & search integration
• Unified commerce demands and how they reshape planning
• Practical frameworks for small–enterprise retailers

Why it matters: Unified, consistent crosschannel journeys are now a baseline consumer expectation.

6. Building Brand Equity in a Performance-Driven World

• Why brand equity is becoming more critical in lowgrowth retail
• Creative storytelling that enhances longterm efficiency
• Premium & luxury differentiation strategies
• Balancing brand building with quarterly performance pressure
• Integrating brand & performance workflows

Why it matters: Robust brand equity protects margin and drives longterm growth across

Who Should Attend?

• Ecommerce & marketing teams
• Brand, performance & acquisition marketers
• Digital leaders & trading teams
• Founders & commercial directors
• Fashion, luxury, beauty, FMCG, lifestyle & consumer electronics retailers

Brands, Retailers & Accademics: £49.46 incl. £4.46 Fee

Vendors & Industry Suppliers: £107.96 incl. £8.96 Fee

Members of The Fashion Network or the Ecommerce Club who are working for or running a brand or retailer may request a complimentary ticket by emailing [email protected].

A limited number of vendor, academic, and student tickets are available.

Interested in speaking at this or any other of our events? Please contact [email protected]

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Host or Publisher The Fashion Network & Ecommerce Club