The Magic of Magento Imagine 2016

Another year is zooming by and soon another Magento Imagine event will be kicking off in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will last three days, stretching April 11 - 13th. Attendees will have the pleasure of seeing Magic Johnson, the legendary basketball player and runner of his eponymous, multi-million dollar conglomerate Magic Johnson Enterprises, who will present the keynote speech. Mr. Johnson will speak about the strategies that grew his company into a colossal, international brand. There will also be a multitude of companies from 45+ countries attending Magento Imagine 2016, so it seems Earvin Johnson will not be the only Magic in attendance!

In preparation for the conference this year, the Razoyo office held a blackjack tournament to give one of our developers a ticket to the big show. Suffice to say, the excitement ran rampant throughout the office.

Recap of Imagine 2015: Unbound

Before looking forward to the 2016 event, let’s take a look back at some highlights that have occurred in 2015. The keynote speaker at Magento 2015 was Steve Wynn, the man credited with reviving the Las Vegas Strip. His wealth of business knowledge was undoubtedly helpful to all in attendance. A deep dive of Magneto 2 also occurred, which may be a main talking point at 2016’s event. The two biggest topics during the 2015 convention were omni-channel intelligence and data-driven growth. Both were huge trends for eCommerce at the time. Now, we must pay attention to this year’s hot topics at Magento Imagine. That way, we can understand more keys to success in the eCommerce arena.

What to expect from Magento Imagine 2016

According to the Head of Strategy at Magento Commerce, Peter Sheldon, the biggest retail trends for 2016 will center around “The Year of Mobile” finally reaching the heights that have been predicted for years, social selling, and virtual reality. While this is not exactly eCommerce, the trends are applicable to the field and can exponentially benefit the e-store marketplace.

Recalling a previous Razoyo blog - a UX review of Magento 2 - much of the focus touched on the default theme “Luma,” and it’s out-of-the-box responsive design. This concept, combined with Peter Sheldon’s point on 2016 being the real “Year of Mobile,” should yield many conversations and sessions on optimizing Magento stores for mobile. Mr. Sheldon also mentions friction, with regard to payment, has descreased as mobile becomes a large player. This, along with Luma’s simplified checkout process, is exactly in line with Magento’s logic.

The most exciting trend mentioned, and one that could prevail during Imagine 2016, is the fast-gaining use of virtual reality. Though not completely part of the eCommerce world yet, advancements in this form of technology can lead to widespread use. Eventually. such widespread use will lead to its incorporation with online retailers.

Magento Imagine 2016 - with its collection of intellectuals, corporate giants, speakers, concepts, and topics of conversation - is shaping into a can’t-miss event for the year.