Here we were treated to an insight into the future of the world’s best e-commerce platform, with updates from Shopify’s leadership. It was also a fantastic opportunity to engage in spirited discussions with Shopify’s team and other platform experts. 

Time to discover what we saw.

Day 1: Welcome From Shopify President, Harley Finklestein

After an 11 hour flight and a whistle-stop tour of Hollywood Boulevard the night before (including that famous sign), we set off to the event at Rolling Greens, the venue for two days of talks and announcements.

After collecting our badges and sampling an excellent breakfast under the Californian sunshine, we headed into the main auditorium ready for the keynote presentation from Shopify President Harley Finklestein. 

Harley fired up the audience, declaring that Shopify “is growing faster than ever before”, continuing to hold its place as the platform of choice for growing merchants, global enterprise giants, and everything else in-between. 

Harley was soon joined by an array of executives, including VPs of Product, Glen Coates and Vanessa Lee, who walked through the various updates that have enriched the platform over the past year, including Shopify Editions Winter 23, Summer 23 and Summer 22. From checkout enhancements that have boosted conversions, to more advanced integrations with a host of apps and marketing tools, Glen and Vanessa emphasised their efforts to empower merchants in achieving their own vision. 

Day 1 was closed out with a spectacular after party featuring an array of Shopify-themed cocktails and appetisers. As the drinks flowed, the conversation flowed too, with friends old and new sharing excitement for what was to come.

Day 2: All About Strategy 

The second day at the event saw attention shift from product developments to strategy, as industry experts shared best practices and their own insights on getting the most out of Shopify. 

We sat down for a fireside chat between Harley Finklestein and Ron Faris, VP of Nike Virtual Studios. Ron told of how Nike has leveraged a loyal customer base by harnessing their passion for the brand through fan engagement. He shared how the brand had made the most of Shopify to unify the virtual and online world in retail, creating bespoke experiences that drum up excitement for new products. 

The rest of the day was spent joining in with demos of Shopify products like B2B and Shopify POS, giving us the chance to ask questions and get answers directly from those responsible for developing them. 

As the sun set on an amazing two days, a local Californian gave us a recommendation for our final evening in LA, telling us to make the most of the unseasonably warm sunshine by getting on over to Santa Monica. Get on over we did, arriving at the world famous Santa Monica Pier just in time to enjoy the most spectacular sunset across the Pacific Ocean. Our phones couldn’t take pictures fast enough, before we strolled across the deck of a pier that marks the end of the historic Route 66.

And after a late night meal at one of LAs many fast food restaurants, we were ready to pack our suitcases and prepare for another 11 hour flight back home, with plenty of time to look back over an amazing few days.

The Future’s Bright For Shopify 

Reflecting on such an amazing event, we were both taken by the overwhelming positivity for the platform, from both Shopify’s speakers and fellow agency partners. With a wealth of new developments on the way, and a flourishing community of merchants both enterprise-scale and small businesses, we buckled up on the flight home more confident about Shopify than ever. There were so many more details and upcoming announcements shared at the event that we can’t reveal just yet, but one thing is for sure, the future is certainly bright for Shopify.

Thank you to the entire Shopify team for being such excellent hosts; we can’t wait for the next one.