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Day One: Monday 19 May 2008
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08.30 | Registration, tea and coffee
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08.50 | Chairman's opening remarks and introduction
CEO
IMRG
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| THE POTENTIAL OF E-COMMERCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST |
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09.10 | Keynote Speech: Establishing the necessary infrastructure to allow E-Commerce to flourish
• Exploiting the potentials of E-Commerce – how this can benefit your business
• Capitalising on the growing public appetite for innovative mobile services and fast connectivity
• The E-Commerce industry and government in partnership
COO
Etisalat
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09.50 | Keynote Speech: The Middle East E-Commerce Market - unleashing the potential
• Updates on the current global outlook for E-Commerce
• Macro-economic trends shaping the Middle East’s E-Commerce industry
• Adapting to technology-driven globalisation
• Migrating retail to e-tail – What’s in it for me?
CEO
Tejari
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10.20 | Morning refreshments and networking
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11.00 | Keynote Speech: The future of E-Commerce - leveraging Web 2.0 in the Gulf region
• The economy of Web 2.0 – what e-businesses can learn
• Profiting from Web 2.0
• User generated content – what this means for traditional E-Commerce
CEO
Souq.com
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| E-COMMERCE SUCCESS STORIES - FINANCIAL SERVICES AND TRAVEL DISTRIBUTION |
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11.30 | Focus Group: What's in store for E-Banking - and what it means for E-Commerce
• Technology trends in the Middle East banking and finance sector
• Challenges and opportunities – shifting to the next level of e-Banking
• Developing an efficient market for the electronic delivery of banking services
• Analysing on the role of authorities in a digitised economy
Manager of E-Banking
National Commercial Bank
CEO
Accelarabia.com
Farshad Nowshadi
VP of Technology & Strategy
Saman Bank
Concurrently CEO
BazIran.com
Shadia Eideh
Head of eChannels
Qatar National Bank
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12.10 | Building and implementing an e-strategy: What other industries could pick up from airlines’ e-distribution
success
• Global electronic distribution in the travel industry – higher revenues for the entire hospitality industry and more
• Maximising revenue and profits while maintaining customer intimacy across all channels
• Examining the competitive advantage that of a technology driven travel distribution strategy
• Predicting the potential of future technologies
E-Commerce Manager
Etihad Airways
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12.40 | Luncheon Networking
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| SECURITY AND FRAUD |
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13.40 | Leveraging Payment Solutions for your online businesses
• Overcoming low credit card penetration in the region
• Security and fraud issues – How payments systems are responding
• Addressing the inefficiencies in payment solutions
CEO
OneCard
Concurrently Senior Executive and Board Member
National Technology Group
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14.10 | Protecting customer information - the key to E-Commerce growth
• The global state of online fraud – and the state of the Middle East market
• Security and trust in electronic marketplaces: Identity theft and fraud
• Leveraging open standards: User-centric digital identities
• Security protocols and recommendations: The role of reputation and anti-phishing best practices
CTO
Gawab.com
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14.50 | Panel Discussion: How online businesses can combat threats to consumer security and vulnerability to fraud
• What is the state of international cooperation and globally enforceable laws in the Middle East?
• Experts’ insights on the engagement between law enforcers and the security vendors
• Who should bear responsibility – the consumer or the retailer?
• Analysing various security and fraud prevention measures
Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering
American University of Sharjah
Manager of Product Marketing – eBusiness Services
Etisalat
CTO
Gawab.com
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15.30 | Speed Networking
Bring 100+ business cards.
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16.10 | Afternoon tea
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| MULTI CHANNEL INNOVATION AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES |
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16.30 | Assessing the potential of m-Commerce in the Middle East
• Exploiting your own m-Commerce market potential
• Shifting m-Commerce into the mainstream: Making it happen
• Business potentials of m-Commerce in B2C and B2B
Senior Manager of Product Marketing – eBusiness Services
Etisalat
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17.00 | Dependence of ecommerce success on search engine optimisation
• SEO – A must of ecommerce
• Sales of ecommerce from search engines
CEO & Founder
Clearpath Technology
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17.30 | Debate: Convergence - Myth or reality?
• The move toward industry consolidation
• Convergence and the evolution of e-services: IP telephony, broadband access, unified messaging, SMS, video
• Will distinctions between media soon disappear because of digital convergence?
CEO
Souq.com
CEO
IMRG
Founder
CompuMe-i2
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18.00 | Close of day one conference / Cocktail reception
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Day Two: Tuesday 20 May 2008
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08.30 | Registration, tea and coffee
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08.50 | Chairman's opening remarks and introduction
Omar Soudodi
CEO
Accelarabia.com
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| KEY INGREDIENTS TO E-COMMERCE SUCCESS |
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09.00 | Keynote Speech: GCC Businesses - Present & Future Usage of Internet & eCommerce
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Are businesses keeping up with online consumers
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Emerging trends in technology & usage of Internet
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Actual search and purchase online - why the low conversion
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Implications of Web 2.0 for businesses
Managing Director
REAL-OPINIONS
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09.30 | If you build it, will they come?
• The practice of conducting business online: its impact on modern business
• New business strategies in E-Commerce
• Strategic alliances – pooling resources and expertise to emerge with more innovative products
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Dubizzle
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10.00 | Optimising the results of your e-Channels
• What steps are required prior, during and after deployment of your e-channel?
• E-marketing, SEO, creating partnerships and managing the online channel
• Utilising dashboards and reporting systems to obtain optimal results
CEO
Accelarabia.com
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10.30 | Morning refreshments and networking
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| CONVERSION: TURNING BROWSERS INTO BUYERS |
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11.00 | Turning your site visitors into clients: Ways to generate ROI in E-Commerce
• What is working today globally and locally?
• Driving sales: make it simple, web tools, messaging, products?
• What’s next – market trends, mobility, try and buy, tap and go?
Founder
Diversinet / Mobi-Lime
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11.30 | e-Commerce Strategy: Delivering a Comprehensive and Consistent Cross-Channel, Cross-Lifecycle Customer Experience
Chairman and CEO
Al Faris Information Technology Company
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| FULFILMENT – FROM CLICK TO BRICK |
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11.50 | Customer service management in E-Commerce: As the
world evolves, so do customer expectations
• Using strategies in E-Commerce customer service in an era of E-Commerce
• Addressing the issue of consumer protection and transparency framework
• Customising services for consumers
Founder
Techsouq.com
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| CUSTOMER RETENTION – WINNING CUSTOMER LOYALTY |
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12.20 | How to keep your prospects coming back for more!
• Retention in E-Commerce
• Cyber-loyalty schemes: Rewarding your online shoppers to gain increased website visits
• Measuring customer retention and satisfaction
CEO
Flora2000.com
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12.50 | Networking luncheon
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13.50 | Marketing a luxury brand online
- Challenges and Opportunities for luxury brands on the Internet
- Harnessing the Net's incredible reach to consumers while still maintaining a presence of exclusivity
- Taking a closer look at the factors that most strongly influence the luxury consumer to buy
- How online experience upholds your brand: The Jumeirah Experience
Kristie Goshow
Group Director of e-Business and Customer Development
Jumeirah Group
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14.20 | Panel Discussion: e-Branding – How to recognise your
business potential and enhance your corporate identity
• Positioning your brand against competitive media
• Major E-Commerce branding campaigns and platforms
• Boosting your brand’s sales potentials and new revenue lines
• How the brand is being received in different territories
Managing Director
BlueBanana.ae
Dan Healy
Managing Director
REAL-OPINIONS
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| A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE |
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15.00 | How Governments can stimulate E-Commerce in the
Middle East
• Government initiatives in increasing internet penetration and growing comfort levels with technology
• Establishing Interstandards to develop a set of new standards
• Guidelines for quality in the web development sector and unified industry benchmarks
General Manager
Arab Internet Standards Organisation
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15.30 | Networking tea and refreshments
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16.00 | E-Commerce regulation amongst retailers
• Today’s global laws and standards
• Cyber law and regulatory environment: Possible Middle East applications and implementation
• Developing and amending standards to address inadequacies plaguing the Arab world’s Internet industry
CEO and President
cf-certifida
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16.30 | Second life: The impact of virtual worlds on 21st century
consumers
• Virtual world as a multi-user computer-based simulated environment
• Opportunities in the full transactional environment
• Applications to various industries in E-Commerce
Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
Abu Dhabi University
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17.00 | Driving e-business growth through the Facebook revolution
• Overview of the social networking landscape
• Leveraging social networking sites
• Key issues and challenges of dealing with social networking platforms
Managing Director
Gulftalent.com
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17.30 | Panel Discussion: Is the souk dying?
• The psychology and dynamics of retailing
• The impact of E-Commerce on traditional buying and selling
• How E-Commerce alters the dimensions of time, place and form to change fundamental notions markets
• What does E-Commerce mean to traditional retailers
Founder and ex-Chairman
Mazika.com
CEO and MD
Save.ae
VP of Sales and Marketing
Moevenpick Hotels and Resorts
General Manager
Booksarabia.com
Head of e-Business
Al Futtaim Group
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18.00 | Closing remarks and close of day two conference
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Pre-Conference Workshop: Sunday 18 May 2008
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| Pre-Conference Workshop |
Establishing a fully-functional E-Commerce
site for your business
An efficient E-Commerce transaction for all customers is what every
online business aims to achieve. Understanding the principles of
conversion, fulfillment and retention are key ingredients to setting up an
effective E-Commerce site.
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| WORKSHOP CONTENT |
This workshop will provide practical guidelines on how to develop and implement e-business platforms, infrastructure, software, and applications. You will learn how to identify effective strategies in setting up and effectively maintaining an E-Commerce site that will yield maximum profits for your business organisation.
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| METHODOLOGY |
Delegates will learn by participation through interactive techniques
presented via practical exercises using delegates own typical
scenarios.
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| MORNING: E-COMMERCE AND PAYMENT |
• Identify the key tools required for development of your online presence
• Maximise hosting options (colocation, webhosting, database, Disaster recovery etc)
• Understand pricing elements and cost implications
• Get updated on the necessities of ongoing maintenance concerns
• Set up additional revenue streams and keeping customers ‘hooked’
• Learn from case studies and examples from the perspective of an eBusiness strategy
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| AFTERNOON: SECURITY CONCERNS AND THREATS IN ONLINE
COMMERCE |
• Determine the levels of security required for conducting business online
• Requirements for compliance and standards
• The importance of ongoing maintenance and ‘watch-dogging’
• Become acquainted with possible forms of intrusions and hacks
• Discover the varieties of notorious scams circulating in the region and issues related to payment
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| Workshop Facilitator |
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Specialist in Product Marketing – eBusiness Solutions
Etisalat
Faisal has been actively involved in eBusiness over the last 15 years with experience in setting up and managing eCommerce startups in the UK, Africa and the UAE. His degree in Engineering with a specialisation in Electronic Data Interchange also allowed him to work with major retailers and business houses in the UK in the early 90’s in moving their operations and logistics online.
Since moving to Dubai, Faisal has setup and operated various eCommerce businesses, worked as an eBusiness consultant for many of the large government projects before his more recent role with Etisalat as a Specialist in Payment solutions.
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