Shoptalk to feature all female-speaker lineup

Shoptalk, one of the largest events in the retail industry, will break new ground at its fifth annual show in Las Vegas.

The organization announced that Shoptalk 2020 will feature an all-women speaker lineup, including track sessions and main stage keynotes alike. Shoptalk said the move is necessary “to propel our industry forward and showcase the many incredibly talented women who are working to transform retail from all angles.”

Among the speakers announced for the event, which will be held March 22-25 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, are Birchbox co-founder and CEO Katia Beauchamp, Best Buy VP customer & employee experience Jennie Webber and Build-A-Bear Workshop CEO Sharon Price John. To see more, visit shoptalk.com/speakers.

"At Shoptalk we always strive to be a catalyst for the positive transformation of retail -- we have also, from the very beginning, been a huge advocate for women in our industry," said Zia Daniell Wigder, Shoptalk's chief global content officer. "We've seen women founding companies, driving startups forward and rising through the ranks at brands, retailers and tech companies, yet progress has remained woefully slow. This is simply unacceptable and untenable." 

The underrepresentation of women in senior roles isn't unique to the retail industry: there are now more college-educated women than men in the workforce, yet the percentage of S&P 500 companies led by women still remains at just 5%, according to Shoptalk.

Beginning in 2021, Shoptalk will feature 50/50 male and female speakers every year.