We’re kicking off a new series here on The Spread: e-commerce conventions, covered from the floor. Every time we attend one, we’ll preview it here first — then spend the day talking with the vendors, asking the questions you’d ask, and publishing a straight rundown of what’s actually available for sellers. No hype, no sponsored gloss.
First stop: Salt Lake City.
The event
The Salt Lake City eCom Summit is a one-day, boutique-style gathering of e-commerce operators — brands, retailers, and solution providers — hosted by Retail Summits.
When: Thursday, August 20, 2026, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Where: Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, 170 South West Temple
Format: panels, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings — light breakfast, lunch, and a cocktail hour included
Tickets: $200 for brands and retailers; $1,500 for vendors
One detail worth noticing: vendor tickets are capped at roughly 15% of the room. That keeps the day operator-heavy — more real conversations, less pitch gauntlet.
Who’s speaking
The lineup leans on Utah’s own e-commerce bench: leaders from 1-800 Contacts, Purple, ZAGG, Thread Wallets, Baltic Born, Tovala, Salomon, Selkirk Sport, KNS International, PMD Beauty, and Bobbie. Sessions run across strategy, marketing, operations, customer experience, payments, shipping, and loyalty.
Why we’re going
We’ll be there — and we go to these a little differently. While the panels run, we spend most of our time with the vendors: the software, logistics, and service companies working the floor. We ask what their product actually does, who it’s really for, and what it costs. Then we publish the rundown right here, so you know what’s out there without buying a ticket or sitting through the demos.
Should you go?
If you run an e-commerce brand within striking distance of Salt Lake, $200 for a day of operator-level conversations (and three meals) is a fair deal. The panels are useful — but the hallway conversations are usually where the real value is.
Tickets and details: https://incomm-summits-6axh.vivenushop.com/event/salt-lake-city-ecom-summit-5s3wba
Going to be there?
Come say hi. And if there’s a vendor or tool you want us to grill on your behalf, reply to this email — we’ll add it to the list. Subscribe to get the post-summit vendor report when it drops.
PBJay isn’t affiliated with Retail Summits — we’re just attending.