Cape Town plays host to the respected Consumer Goods Forum 60th Global Summit this week, 15-17 June 2016, featuring some of the world's most prominent retail and brand CEOs, including WPP head Martin Sorrell and the assembled leadership of the FMCG world: Tesco CEO Dave Lewis; Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent; Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang; Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon; and Facebook Africa CEO Nunu Ntshingila.
Over 800 delegates from over 365 companies from 40 countries are expected, spanning the entire consumer goods ecosystem, including retailers, manufacturers, service providers and trade associations.
The theme is 'Seizing opportunities in the face of disruption'. Sorrell in particular, will talk on "Lessons to be learnt from disruptive communications". In its preamble to the conference, the Consumer Goods Forum has pegged technology as the biggest disrupter in retail.
This is the Age of Disruption, powered by technology and demanded by a consumer who holds all the cards. As other industries like travel, automotive, music, movies, photography, media and broader communications, to name a few, have been disrupted by new this app-led, technology-directed economy - retail has faced its own challenges.
Bizcommunity is fielding a team at the Summit: follow the conversation at #CGFsummit; and tweeting from @Bizcommunity @Biz_Africa @Biz_Marketing @Biz_Retail.
Have a creative week!
Louise Marsland
Africa Editor: Bizcommunity.comComment online in our ed's column archive. Go mobile with apps and m.bizcommunity.com. Engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. Subscribe to YouTube and via RSS. Send all your African marketing and media news and event invitations to africanews@bizcommunity.com, exclusive opinion pieces to contributors-africa@bizcommunity.com and international news to internationalnews@bizcommunity.com. Read "How to contribute to Biz, from op-ed pieces to news".