BENTONVILLE – Long recognized as a global retail hub, Bentonville is continuing to shape what’s next. Retail Innovation Week, set for September 15–18, will bring together leaders in retail, CPG, technology and investment to spotlight Northwest Arkansas as a driver of the industry’s future.
Produced in partnership with dunnhumby Ventures, Endeavor, Fieldbook Studio, Plug and Play and 8th & Walton the week will feature more than 10 events across four days — from mainstage sessions to curated offsite experiences.Fieldbook Studio, a Bentonville-based venture studio focused on accelerating early-stage innovation across retail and consumer goods, is playing a central role in the planning and execution of Retail Innovation Week. The studio also produces the Embark Retail Innovation Summit, a featured event of the week focused on curated programming and connection among founders, executives and investors.
“The Embark Retail Innovation Summit marks Northwest Arkansas planting the flag as the world's retail value chain capital,” said Josh Stanley, managing director of Fieldbook Studio. “Fueled by Walmart's new campus, our 1,400+ CPG suppliers and unmatched retail and supply expertise, we're at the starting line for a new era of global retail innovation from this very region."
Attendees can expect dynamic programming, immersive experiences and top-tier entertainment. The newest event, the Embark Retail Innovation Summit, will feature a keynote from entrepreneur and bestselling author Jesse Itzler, executive-led conversations on innovation and digital strategy and bold ideas from emerging CPG and RetailTech founders.
Programming will be organized into focused tracks that offer actionable insights for brands and startups alike:
Omni-Commerce Realized – Selling through the channels consumers prefer
CPG Go-To-Market Strategies – Reaching the right consumers and retailers
New CPG Ideation & Validation – Developing the right product at the right time
Beyond the stage, curated experiences will showcase the best of the region — including tours of Walmart’s state-of-the-art new campus, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Bentonville’s world-class mountain biking trails. The Network Houses — gathering spots for networking, programming and entertainment — will further connect attendees throughout the week.
“We’re proud to co-host Retail Innovation Week and further the mission of connecting the brightest minds in retail, CPG and technology,” said Leo Nagdas, Head of Dunnhumby Ventures and founder of its Retail Innovation Network. “The event creates meaningful opportunities for collaboration — bringing together the people and ideas that will shape how the industry grows and innovates in the years ahead.”
Retail Innovation Week continues dunnhumby Ventures’ effort to connect global voices shaping the future of retail. Previous Retail Innovation Forums hosted by the firm have taken place in Bentonville and London, drawing attendees from across the industry and around the world.
According to the National Retail Federation, Arkansas’s retail industry generates $37.2 billion in total GDP impact and supports nearly 500,000 jobs across 41,000 retail establishments. This event builds on that foundation by convening the thinkers, builders and investors shaping what’s next.
Driven by a coalition of partners and investors with roots in Northwest Arkansas and connections across the global retail landscape, Retail Innovation Week creates a powerful platform for connecting emerging startups with the industry leaders and capital needed to scale. From bold ideas to real-world execution, the week is designed to accelerate the future of retail and CPG innovation.
Learn more and get the latest updates at embarksummit.com/retail-innovation-week.
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Fieldbook Studio is a $10 million venture-building studio powered by Alloy Partners (Formerly High Alpha Innovation), established to create successful B2B SaaS startups throughout Arkansas.
We drive economic impact by tapping into the state's talent and expertise, unlocking opportunities
for local founders. Brought to life through VentureWell, backed by the Walton Family Foundation
and Arkansas Development Finance Authority.
dunnhumby ventures is dunnhumby’s strategic venture capital and ecosystem-led innovation arm with a mandate to partner and invest in early-stage retail technology start-ups that embrace data and artificial intelligence for innovation along the customer's path to purchase. We foster industry collaboration via the Retail Innovation Network, our exclusive ecosystem of senior retail innovation leaders, and seek to align with partners at an early stage to supercharge their ability to take innovation to market by tapping into dunnhumby's retail industry expertise, pioneering data science assets, and global retailer and supplier partner network. Our areas of focus include artificial intelligence (AI), data capture and enrichment, retail media, customer engagement, category management, supply chain, and commerce.
dunnhumby is the global leader in Customer Data Science, empowering businesses everywhere to compete and thrive in the modern data-driven economy. We always put the Customer First. Our mission: to enable businesses to grow and reimagine themselves by becoming advocates and champions for their Customers. With deep heritage and expertise in retail – one of the world’s most competitive markets, with a deluge of multi-dimensional data – dunnhumby today enables businesses all over the world, across industries, to be Customer First.
The dunnhumby Customer Data Science Platform is our unique mix of technology, software, and consulting, enabling businesses to increase revenue and profits by delivering exceptional experiences for their Customers – in-store, offline and online. dunnhumby employs over 2,500 experts in offices throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas working for transformative, iconic brands such as Tesco, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter & Gamble and Raley’s.
