Overview
The eTail™ Conference is a series of retail-focused events produced by Worldwide Business Research (WBR) that concentrate on eCommerce and omnichannel retail strategy, with programming built around practitioner case studies, peer discussion formats, and a supporting expo of retail technology and services.
While the Palm Springs edition (often referred to as eTail West / eTail Palm Springs) is a flagship event, the eTail brand spans multiple regional events across the year.
What marketers typically use eTail for
eTail is commonly used by retail and commerce marketers to:
- Benchmark omnichannel acquisition and retention approaches against peers (channels, messaging, and operating models).
- Compare practical patterns for personalization, loyalty, and lifecycle marketing (including measurement and experimentation).
- Evaluate vendor options and implementation approaches through the expo and 1:1 conversations (especially for marketing, CX, and data use cases).
Audience and roles
Across editions, eTail programming is oriented toward retailers/brands, with separate registration categories and rate policies for “solution providers / non-retailers.”
Third-party conference listings and WBR materials describe typical attendees as senior leaders spanning eCommerce, digital, marketing, CX, and technology functions.
Editions and locations (2026)
The eTail series runs multiple events in different regions. Dates and venues change year to year; examples pulled from 2026 listings include:
| Edition (brand) | 2026 Dates | Example location/venue (2026 listings) | Format notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| eTail Palm Springs (West) | Feb 23–26, 2026 | Palm Springs/Palm Desert area; JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa | Multi-day conference + expo |
| eTail Boston (East) | Aug 10–12, 2026 | Sheraton Boston (Boston, MA) | Multi-day conference + expo |
| eTail Toronto (Canada) | May 4–5, 2026 | Hyatt Regency Toronto | Regional focus; multi-day program |
| eTail Australia | Sep 22–23, 2026 | Melbourne, Australia | Announced as an “Interactive” format |
| eTail Connect East | May 12–14, 2026 | JW Marriott Marquis (Miami, FL) | Invite-only “Connect” model |
| eTail UK | Jun 16–17, 2026 (listing) | Manchester, UK (listing) | UK-focused edition |
Program structure and on-site experiences
Across editions, eTail materials emphasize a mix of:
- Hands-on workshops and interactive peer formats (roundtables, facilitated discussions).
- Curated networking and structured ways to meet peers (examples referenced include guided expo tours and “Find Your Crew”).
- An expo positioned as a place to see demos and assess eCommerce/omnichannel technology options.
- Additional “off the clock” networking programming outside session hours.
Content themes commonly associated with eTail
Specific tracks vary by edition/year, but eTail content descriptions and related materials commonly reference:
- Digital commerce growth and customer experience
- Content and merchandising effectiveness (including optimized content across formats)
- AI, personalization, loyalty, and cross-channel measurement topics in post-event reporting and webinars
- For the UK/London edition listing, examples of topics include customer experience, mobile/social commerce, SEO, email marketing, and international expansion.
Year-round ecosystem and content
WBR’s eTail sites describe eTail as extending beyond the in-person dates via ongoing resources such as reports, webinars, and other content—positioned as a “year-round ecosystem.”
Attendance and ROI measurement
Common ways teams measure value from eTail (attendee or sponsor) include:
- Pipeline influenced (meetings set, opportunities created, progression velocity).
- Vendor evaluation outputs (shortlist created, demos completed, implementation steps documented).
- Strategy outputs (documented initiatives, test plans, measurement updates) tied to themes from sessions and peer discussions.
- Network outcomes (new peer relationships, follow-up calls scheduled, community participation), especially when structured networking is used.
Sponsorship and exhibiting considerations
eTail positions its expo as a central environment for meeting solution providers and seeing demos.
For vendors, WBR’s registration language also distinguishes “retailers/brands” from “solution providers / non-retailers,” and indicates registrations may be reviewed for correct rate classification.
Practical planning notes
- Event pages and listings typically publish venue blocks, rate deadlines, and “official housing” cautions (common across large conferences).
- For some editions, eTail runs site tours intended to connect program themes with real-world retail examples.
Notable scale example
A third-party conference recap described the 2025 Palm Springs edition as drawing 2,700 retail leaders, partners, and related professionals.
Related terms
- Retail marketing conference
- eCommerce conference
- Omnichannel retail
- Retail media networks (RMN)
- Customer loyalty marketing
- Personalization
- Digital merchandising
- Marketing measurement and attribution
- Vendor evaluation (MarTech/RetailTech)
- Executive networking events
References (APA-style)
- Quirks. (2026). eTail Palm Springs 2026 (event listing).
- Conference Locate (Clocate). (2026). eTail – The eCommerce & Omnichannel Conference (Palm Springs) (event listing).
- Worldwide Business Research. (2026). eTail Toronto 2026 (event site snippet).
- Worldwide Business Research. (2026). eTail Australia 2026 (event site snippet).
- Worldwide Business Research. (2026). eTail Connect East 2026 (event site snippet).
- Vendelux. (2025). Highlights from eTail Palm Springs 2025 (coverage).