Meetup FAQ / Shoptalk 2024 Attendee Hub – Shoptalk 2024: Community, Connections & Content

Meetup FAQ

We're thrilled you're participating in Meetup! Keep scrolling to find the answers to all your questions about the industry's best meetings platform.

Complete Your Profile

You can start your profile on Tuesday, February 18th.

The deadline to complete your profile is Friday, February 28th at 5 pm PT.

All profiles will be shared at the same time once they are all complete on Monday, March 3rd

In your profile, you should include information about yourself, such as your background, experience, expertise, and any other relevant details that would help others determine if they want to meet with you. You can select from a range of industry-specific data points, which consists of over 100 options to choose from.

You can provide your availability, or you can default to being fully available, and invites will be sent to block your calendar accordingly. Being available for more time slots increases your chances of scheduling meetings. If you are joining us at a Hosted Retailer & Brand you must be available for all 16 time slots and will not be able to adjust your availability.

Yes, you can change your availability at any time from Tuesday, February 18th to Friday, March 14th at 5 pm PT. Please email experience@shoptalk.com to make these changes.

Yes, you are encouraged to click "Post on Social" to inform your X followers (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn contacts that you are participating in Shoptalk. Additionally, you can add your profile photo while you're there.

Making an Announcement allows you to inform thousands of Shoptalk participants, including 250+ Media & Sell Side Analysts, about your newly announced products, partnerships, funding, acquisitions, research, or any other relevant information. Guidance is available to assist you with making an Announcement.

Hosted Retailer & Brand participants are required to be available for all 16 time slots, and take/accept up to eight (15) minute onsite meetings with participating sponsors.

Yes, during your registration, you have the option to indicate if you want to participate in Non-Hosted Meetings in addition to your requirement of up to eight (8) 15-minute onsite meetings with participating sponsors (Hosted Meetings). When completing your profile, you will be asked to confirm your choice. It is recommended to do both Hosted and Non-Hosted Meetings to maximize your Shoptalk experience. However, this is optional.

Yes, if you are an Organization Admin, you have the ability to edit and complete profiles on behalf of participants from your organization.

The registration deadline for Meetup participation is Friday, March 7th at 5 pm.

Hosted Retailers & Brands:

If you are approved for the Program but become unable to participate even though you are still with your organization, you agree to suggest one or more substitutes from your organization as your replacement in the Program. Acceptance of any substitute is subject to our prior approval via email. If you cancel your participation in the Program and are not able to provide a substitute approved by us, this may result in you being placed on a blacklist that will prevent you from qualifying for the Program for one or more future years. If you cancel your participation in the Program after Shoptalk has initiated the meeting selection process via the Platform (as outlined in the Program guidelines) and are no longer able to attend the Event or send an approved substitute from your organization as your replacement to participate in the Program on your behalf, then Shoptalk reserves the right to charge your credit or debit card per the authorization you agree to below a one-time cancellation fee of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) and you will not be eligible for any travel/hotel reimbursement outlined hereunder.

Tabletalks

Tabletalks are peer-group discussions for retailers and brands that take place over lunch at Shoptalk. They are an awesome way to meet, network with and learn from your peers.

These interactive, 50-minute small group conversations address the industry’s most pressing challenges and opportunities. Our unparalleled proprietary technology platform assigns attendees to tables based on interests, seniority and other variables. Tabletalks bring together 5-8 participants from retailers and brands to share insights, address issues and generate actionable takeaways.

All Retailers & Brands are eligible for Tabletalks.

While participating in Tabletalks is optional and unrelated to the Hosted program, it is highly recommended if you are interested in engaging in industry-related conversations and discuss key industry topics

If you are eligible for Tabletalks, you will need to indicate how many Tabletalks you would like to join (one or two), specify the topics you are interested in, provide questions you would like to be discussed, and mention any organizations you would prefer not to be placed with (to avoid competitors).

Coming soon!

You can start selecting your Tabletalks on Tuesday, February 18th

Coming Soon!

The deadline to complete your Tabletalks selections is Tuesday, March 5 at 5 pm PT.

No, Organization Admins cannot select Tabletalks or perform any other Tabletalks actions on behalf of participants. Participants need to make their own selections.

You’ll get your Tabletalks assignments on Friday, March 15 and you must accept them by 5pm PT.

Once you receive your Tabletalks assignments, you must accept them by the given deadline to confirm your participation.

If you don't accept your Tabletalks assignments by the deadline, it may result in your slot being assigned to someone else who is on the waitlist or available to participate.

You will receive separate calendar invites for your Tabletalks on Friday, March 15 at 6 am PT.

All meetings are held in a dedicated Tabletalks area and each Tabletalk is assigned a table number (check your calendar invite or the mobile app for the table number).

Each discussion has a randomly assigned “Starter” who should kick off by introducing themselves. Each intro should be no more than 60 seconds, and each participant should call on another to introduce themselves. The last participant to do an intro should read the first of the suggested questions below to start the conversation, then everyone should help move the conversation along.

*These discussions are not sales pitches. Each one is a deep dive with 5 to 8 of your peers to share insights, address issues and generate actionable takeaways.

Complete Your Profile

You can start your profile on Tuesday, February 18th.

The deadline to complete your profile is Friday, February 28th at 5 pm PT.

All profiles will be shared at the same time once they are all complete on Monday, March 3rd

Yes, you can change your availability at any time from Tuesday, February 18th to Friday, March 14th at 5 pm PT. Please email experience@shoptalk.com to make these changes.

Yes, you are encouraged to click "Post on Social" to inform your X (formerly Twitter) followers and LinkedIn contacts that you are participating in Shoptalk. Additionally, you can add your profile photo while you're there.

Yes, if you are an Organization Admin, you have the ability to edit and complete profiles on behalf of participants from your organization.

The registration deadline for Meetup participation is Friday, March 7th at 5 pm.

Request Meetings

You can start requesting meetings on Monday, Feb 3rd

The deadline to complete your meeting requests is Friday, March 7th at 5 pm PT.

This is your time to start selecting everyone you are interested in meeting with by selecting "Interested" or "Very Interested" & providing a reason.

You should indicate your interest level as either "Very interested" or "Interested." Meetings marked as "Very interested" will be scheduled first before "Interested" ones.

It is recommended to make meeting requests equal to at least 4 times the number of time slots you are available for. If you are available for all 16 time slots, that equals 64 selections.

In order to ensure we will be able to schedule you a complete meeting schedule, we recommend you make a minimum of 4 times the number of time slots you are available for. If you are available for all 16 time slots, that equals 64 selections. This is because only mutual matches during available time slots will become scheduled meetings, and therefore, our algorithm accounts for (1) meeting requests that you make, (2) participant also agreeing to meet with you, (3) prioritization by both the other party and you (Interested vs Very Interested selections), and (4) potential calendar availability/conflicts.

Yes, you can select multiple people from the same organization for meetings. When we run our scheduling algorithm, we will first schedule to meet with only 1 individual from any organization. Only after we schedule all of your meetings with unique organizations, and if you still have available time slots, we will then schedule you for additional meetings with the same organization so that you can fill up your schedule!

TIP: We highly suggest using the system generated lists that have been curated for you on the left side. For example, if you go to "Predefined Lists" & then "Category Matches: Sourcing", the displayed participants are those that have indicated they are offering the specific solutions and services you indicated you’re sourcing or interested in meeting about.

Select everyone from an organization you would want to meet & would like to spend 15 minutes with!

Yes, Organization Admins can request meetings on behalf of participants from their organization.

Opt-In to Requests

You can start opting in to meeting requests from people you didn't previously select starting on Monday, March 10th PT.

The deadline to opt in to meeting requests is Fri, March 14th at 5 pm PT.

Opting in to meeting requests allows you to reciprocate interest and potentially schedule meetings with individuals who have requested to meet with you. The more requests you opt in to, the more meetings you are likely to get. We facilitate meetings based only on meetings that are double opt-in (both parties expressing interest) so please opt-in to every request from someone you’d spend 15 minutes with.

Yes, Organization Admins have the ability to opt in to meeting requests on behalf of participants from their organization.

Accept Meetings

You will receive an email on Monday, March 17th 6am PT to review and accept each of your meetings.

The deadline to accept your meetings is Wednesday, March 19th at 5 pm PT

If you don't accept a meeting by the deadline, that particular meeting will not be scheduled.

No, Org Admins cannot accept meetings on your behalf. The individual taking the meeting needs to personally accept their own meetings.

No, all meetings are one to one and only the individual who booked the meeting can take it.

Accept Any Additional Meetings

Extra meetings are either replacements for meetings that were not accepted by the other participant or new meetings from your previous selections where others have become available. A replacement meeting that is accepted by both you and the respective other party by Thursday, March 20th at 5pm PT will be scheduled.

If you or the other party do not accept a given meeting by the deadline, that meeting will not be scheduled.

You will receive an email on Thursday, March 20th at 6 am PT to accept any additional meetings.

The deadline to accept these additional meetings is Thursday, March 20th by 5 pm PT.

No, if you previously rejected or didn't accept a meeting in a specific time slot, you won't be eligible to receive an additional meeting in that same time slot.

Accept Your Calendar Invites

You will receive the calendar invites for your scheduled meetings on Friday, March 21 at 6 am PT.

If you cannot make it to a meeting and need to decline the calendar invite, it's important to email experience@shoptalk.com to inform them. Simply declining the calendar invite won't notify the organizers or the person you're scheduled to meet.

No, you cannot change the meeting times or reschedule the scheduled meetings outside of the Shoptalk program. The meeting times are fixed and cannot be altered.

If the person you're scheduled to meet is no longer available, Shoptalk organizers will notify you. Emergencies and unforeseen circumstances can sometimes cause scheduling changes.

Onsite

All meetings are held in a dedicated Meetup area, which is the size of 4 football fields!

You can check the Shoptalk mobile app or your calendar invites for the assigned table number for each meeting. The table numbers will indicate where you should proceed for each scheduled meeting.

It is recommended to arrive at the Meetup area 5-10 minutes before your first scheduled meeting. There is no check-in required, but if you have any questions, there will be a Q&A desk available.

If the person you're scheduled to meet doesn't show up, give them 5 minutes. If they still haven't joined the meeting, you can click the "Mark as No Show" button in the Shoptalk mobile app.

Yes, here are some do's and don'ts:

Do join each meeting on time and ensure you stay within the allotted 15 minutes for each scheduled meeting.
Do check the table number for each scheduled meeting as each meeting will be assigned a different table. There is a 5-minute transition time between meetings.
Do download the Shoptalk mobile app ahead of your meetings to take notes and request follow-ups.
Do let the organizers know if a solution provider directly reaches out to you about Shoptalk, as they have been instructed not to do so.
Don't approach anyone in the Meetup area unless you have a scheduled Meetup meeting with them.
Don't enter the Meetup area at any time when you don't have a scheduled Meetup meeting.

Feedback

You will receive an email after the event to provide feedback and share your thoughts on these aspects of Shoptalk.

After providing feedback, you can download a summary of your meetings, including your notes and the contact details of the people you met.

Org Admin

The Organization Admin must assign individuals from the organization as Meetings Representatives.

The deadline to assign individuals as Meetings Representatives is Friday, Feb 23 at 5 pm PT.

Individuals must be registered to attend Shoptalk in order to be assigned as Meetings Representatives.

It is recommended to have 1 Meeting Representative per 10 Hosted Meetings (if your organization has purchased 30 Hosted Meetings, you should assign 3 or more Meetings Reps).

Yes, there is no limit to the number of Meetings Representatives an organization can have.

Meetings Representatives will be able to complete their profile from Feb 18 to Feb 28th.

You can assign an Org Admin in our platform here. If you are not attending the event, you can assign yourself as an Org Admin here. Org Admins will be able to complete the required steps in the Meetup process on behalf of their colleagues who are attending.

Org Admins will be able to complete the required steps in the Meetup process on behalf of their colleagues who are attending except accepting meetings. Each individual taking the meetings must accept them within their own portal on Monday, March 17th - Wednesday March 19th, failure to accept these meetings before deadline will result in those meetings not being booked.

Complete Your Profile

You can start your profile on Tuesday, February 18th.

The deadline to complete your profile is Friday, Feb 28th at 5 pm PT.

All profiles will be visable once the Selection stage opens on Monday, March 3rd.

Yes, you can change your availability at any time from Tuesday, February 18th to Friday, March 14th at 5 pm PT.

Yes, if you are an Organization Admin, you have the ability to edit and complete profiles on behalf of participants from your organization.

The registration deadline for Meetup participation is Friday, March 7th at 5 pm PT.

Request Meetings

You can start requesting meetings on Monday, March 3rd

The deadline to complete your meeting requests is Friday, March 7th at 5 pm PT.

This is your time to start selecting everyone you are interested in meeting with by selecting "Interested" or "Very Interested" & providing a reason.

You should indicate your interest level as either "Very interested" or "Interested." Meetings marked as "Very interested" will be scheduled first before "Interested" ones.

It is recommended to make meeting requests equal to at least 4 times the number of meetings that you have purchased.

In order to ensure we will be able to schedule you a complete meeting schedule, we need you to make requests that are equal to 4x the number of meetings that you have purchased. This is because only mutual matches during available time slots will become scheduled meetings, and therefore, our algorithm accounts for (1) meeting requests that you make, (2) participant also agreeing to meet with you, (3) prioritization by both the other party and you (Interested vs Very Interested picks), and (4) potential calendar availability/conflicts.

Yes, you can use Filters and Predefined Lists to quickly and efficiently make your selections. Additionally, tools like Bookmarks allow you to start your selections and come back later to finish them. You can also use the quick search on the upper right side.

TIP: We highly suggest using the system generated lists that have been curated for you on the left side. For example, if you go to "Predefined Lists" & then "Category Matches: Sourcing", the displayed participants are those that have indicated they are offering the specific solutions and services you indicated you’re sourcing or interested in meeting about.

Opt-In to Requests

You can start opting in to meeting requests from people you didn't previously select starting on Monday, March 10th at 6 am PT.

The deadline to opt in to meeting requests is Friday, March 14th at 5 pm PT.

You can view all of your hosted meeting requests under "view hosted inbound meeting requests" on the left hand side. The participants will also have a Hosted star to indicate they are a part of the Hosted Program.

Anything without a star is a General (Non-Hosted) meeting (not a part of the Hosted Program) so if you don't want this scheduled,
we advise you to not opt into those requests.

Yes, if you're participating in both Hosted and Non-Hosted Meetings and you have received Non-Hosted Meeting requests, it is recommended to opt in to those requests as well. Meetings are facilitated based only on the requests you opt in to and your previous meeting requests.

*please opt-in to every request from someone you’d spend 15 minutes with

Yes, Organization Admins have the ability to opt in to meeting requests on behalf of participants from their organization.

Accept Meetings

You will receive an email on Monday, March 17th at 6 am PT to review and accept each of your meetings.

The deadline to accept your meetings is Wednesday, March 19th at 5 pm PT

If you don't accept a meeting by the deadline, that particular meeting will not be scheduled. As a hosted participant, you must accept all of your Hosted meetings.

No, Org Admins cannot accept meetings on your behalf. The individual taking the meeting needs to personally accept their own meetings.

No, all meetings are one to one and only the individual who booked the meeting can take it.

Accept Any Additional Meetings

You will receive an email on Thursday, March 20th at 6 am PT to accept any additional meetings.

The deadline to accept these additional meetings is Thursday, March 20th by 5 pm PT.

No, if you previously rejected or didn't accept a meeting in a specific time slot, you won't be eligible to receive an additional meeting in that same time slot.

Accept Your Calendar Invites

You will receive the calendar invites for your scheduled meetings on Friday, March 21st at 6 am PT.

No, you cannot change the meeting times or reschedule the scheduled meetings outside of the Shoptalk program. The meeting times are fixed and cannot be altered.

If the person you're scheduled to meet is no longer available, Shoptalk organizers will notify you. Emergencies and unforeseen circumstances can sometimes cause scheduling changes.

Onsite

All meetings are held in a dedicated Meetup area, which is the size of 4 football fields!

You can check the Shoptalk mobile app or your calendar invites for the assigned table number for each meeting. The table numbers will indicate where you should proceed for each scheduled meeting.

It is recommended to arrive at the Meetup area 5-10 minutes before your first scheduled meeting. There is no check-in required, but if you have any questions, there will be a Q&A desk available.

If the person you're scheduled to meet doesn't show up, give them 5 minutes. If they still haven't joined the meeting, you can click the "Mark as No Show" button in the Shoptalk mobile app.

Yes, here are some do's and don'ts:

Do join each meeting on time and ensure you stay within the allotted 15 minutes for each scheduled meeting.
Do check the table number for each scheduled meeting as each meeting will be assigned a different table. There is a 5-minute transition time between meetings.
Do download the Shoptalk mobile app ahead of your meetings to take notes and request follow-ups.
Do let the organizers know if a solution provider directly reaches out to you about Shoptalk, as they have been instructed not to do so.
Don't approach anyone in the Meetup area unless you have a scheduled Meetup meeting with them.
Don't enter the Meetup area at any time when you don't have a scheduled Meetup meeting.

Feedback

You will receive an email after the event to provide feedback and share your thoughts on these aspects of Shoptalk.

After providing feedback, you can download a summary of your meetings, including your notes and the contact details of the people you met.