This year conference organisers decided not to focus on only one key subject and, on the contrary, have expanded the list of issues to be discussed. This has been largely due to the specifics of business development at the current stage, having simultaneously several tracks of development. Such an approach has also been reflected in the formation of the team of speakers.
The forum will be open with the “East Meets West” session. Online businesses from the west are becoming increasingly interested in opportunities for expanding their markets to the east. There is also a trend seen from the opposite direction – entrepreneurs from emerging economies are looking at what can be used from their unique experience and opportunities in western markets. In this case, “eCom21” becomes a platform that enables the exchange of opinions and experiences. In particular, in this session the Regional Director, Chairman of PayPal Russia Vladimir Malugin will hold a speech “Driving Expansion – the Role of Online Payments in Cross-Border Trade”.
Several parallel sessions are scheduled for the conference, where online business participants will discuss the most sensitive topics of online economy development, its problems and prospects, as well as major aspects of this business at the current stage of its evolution. Thus, Alexander Magomedov, Chief Commercial Officer of Yandex.Money, will speak about innovations in payments. The agenda also includes speeches by a number of other experts and top managers from key players in e-commerce.
As in previous years, “eCom21” will raise the subject of cryptocurrencies, which nowadays has become one of the most discussed and really global topics. Jon Matonis from the Bitcoin Foundation will share fresh information and changes taking place in the last year, and his colleague in e-commerce Pieter Poorthuis, Senior Sales Engineer at BitPay from Amsterdam, will present his viewpoint regarding cryptocurrencies and blockchain tools.
National and international regulations, taxation, transformation of legal structures, regional and sectorial specifics, available risks and risk control will be considered separately. Jaroslav Zamullo, Head of Legal Department of Rietumu Bank, will give a speech at the “Global Tax Regimes – New Rules for a New Era?” session.
According to Mr. Zamullo, “Changes in the field of taxation are and will remain serious and irreversible. Recently they have become a serious issue which affects the place and methods of conducting business. And such changes considerably affect online business as well. One must be aware that up to now it has not been regulated as thoroughly as traditional offline business, only due to the fact that the legislation could not catch up with the rapid development of this new field. But it is already in the past – governments are trying to reach maximal transparency of e-commerce and will keep pursuing this goal.”
Christian Andre Chmiel, Certified Fraud Examiner in combatting online fraudulent activities, Chief Executive Officer of Web Shield Limited, will participate in the “Cyber Security” session.
Parallel sessions will be held with participation of recognised top managers in e-commerce and successful start-ups. The subject of start-ups in e-commerce will be analysed separately, as in recent years this area specifically has shown an impressive inflow of investments and a noticeable growth of profit. Among speakers on these issues will be the Head of Markets IPC Mark Harrison and Sander Gansen, from the already famous start-up Shipitwise.
In his report, Mr. Harrison states, “I will emphasise the growing importance of Asia from the viewpoint of global e-commerce, which will be considered on the basis of new research. I will also talk about countries which make revolutions in online shopping. I will also explain how mail reacts to the challenges it faces within the framework of the growing demand for online purchases.”
One of the sessions will be moderated by Maxim Spiridonov, CEO of the educational company Netology-Group (the Group includes such projects as Foxford, SmartLearning and Netology). He has extensive experience in the management of large web projects. In recent years he has been focusing his attention on e-commerce, “At present, e-commerce and the accompanying field of online payments are in a very interesting phase. On the one hand, we still hear sceptics who think that e-commerce has no future and call it a kind of dead end of the evolution. On the other hand, every observer who knows the situation sees how fast concepts become projects here, how rapidly new technologies develop and become routine for the consumer. To follow these turbulent developments, to be a part of the processes forming the shape of the economy of the present and future is an opportunity and a privilege for each of us.”
An important theme of the 2016 conference will be a philosophical question about chances of the online economy to undertake the function of a new driver of economic growth in the EU and developed countries.
Apart from the aforementioned speakers, conference attendance has been confirmed by: the Head of Web Shield Limited; Pieter Poorthuis – Senior Sales Engineer; Oliver Reinsalu – Head of Business Development, Bondora; Vladimir Dolgov – Head of Nordics and Eastern Europe Business, eBay; Country Manager of eBay Russia Office; Dirk Avau – Founder and CEO of IntellectEU; Prabhat Agarwal – Deputy Head of Unit, E-Commerce & Platforms, DG Connect, European Commission; Michal Sadowski – CEO and Founder, Brand24; Kostas Rossoglou – Head of EU Public Policy, Yelp.
“eCom21” business forum has been held in Riga since 2012, invariably under the patronage of Rietumu Bank.
General Partner of “eCom21” is DECTA – the modern processing centre centre for online businesses with ready technological solutions. Work with the Tieto and ORACLE software located in two data centres.
Processing is opened for integration of both software and business-focused solutions. Decta API contains a number of functions for integration of IPSP, banks and ordinary traders. There are ready solutions for those who wish to use our wide range of services for card issue and management – Decta Card Management.
The organisers would like to remind that all news about the conference is available on the conference website and official pages of “eCom21” in social networks.
New participants can register here.