GS1 Connect Digital Edition features futurist, tech expert

Strategic futurist and corporate strategist Nancy Giordano and technology and innovation expert and best-selling author Mitch Joel will headline GS1 Connect: Digital Edition, a virtual event to take place June 8-10, 2021.

GS1 US also welcomes back Katie Linendoll, consumer technology expert and Emmy Award-winning TV personality, as the emcee.

GS1 Connect: Digital Edition provides a forum for supply chain, e-commerce and technology professionals to learn how current trends are impacting industry and best practices for leveraging GS1 Standards in supply chain and e-commerce operations to drive business growth. The conference theme, “Beyond,” reflects the urgency and velocity of change needed to evolve at the pace of the consumer, technology and business models.

“It has never been more important to challenge ourselves to break free from traditional thinking and go beyond what we thought was possible to stay relevant, responsive and competitive,” said Bob Carpenter, president and CEO of GS1 US. “Nancy and Mitch will offer attendees an optimistic view of future opportunities, despite the continuing challenges posed by the pandemic, and how we need to adapt to thrive. Additionally, I look forward to the energy and knowledge Katie brings to our events and believe she will add a unique perspective on the unprecedented use of technology in business today.”

Recognized as one of the world’s top female futurists, Giordano, a techno-optimist, has built her career at three of the leading global advertising agencies and as founder of her own strategic inspiration company, Play Big Inc. She has a rich history of advising top companies including, Nestlé and The Coca-Cola Company, and is a 10-year TEDx curator. During her keynote speech, “Navigating the Big Shift,” Giordano will discuss how exponential advances in connectivity and technology, precarious economic, political and social structures, and an emerging desire for community and connection are causing old economy models to quickly shift to a completely different set of new economy expectations and needs. Attendees will learn how to navigate a complex business environment where the rules of success are radically changing. 

The best-selling author of “Six Pixels of Separation” and “Ctrl Alt Delete,” Joel is a technology expert and founder of Six Pixels Group – an advisory, investing and content-producing company focused on brands, commerce, community and what’s next. He has been listed as one of the “Speakers Worth Catching” by Forbes, and has a reputation for helping companies understand how to manage disruption to outpace the competition. In his keynote speech, “Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Your Future Depends On It,” Joel will discuss how the next five years of business will be about the convergence of five major movements that will require companies to adapt like never before. Attendees will learn how to capitalize on this moment in time and understand how to be ready for a future that will move at a much quicker and more real-time pace. 

Linendoll, a consumer technology expert who regularly lends her expertise to a variety of platforms, including the “The Rachael Ray Show” and numerous shows on The Weather Channel and CBS Sports Radio, will emcee GS1 Connect: Digital Edition for the second year in a row. She will guide attendees through the conference experience alongside Carpenter.  

In addition to the keynote presentations, GS1 Connect: Digital Edition will offer comprehensive content featuring:

• Industry sessions across grocery, foodservice, retail and healthcare sectors, focused on GS1 Standards success stories to achieve supply chain visibility, to meet consumer demands and address regulatory requirements 
• Opportunities for collaboration through Trading Partner Roundtables and “How to Do Business With…” sessions
• An Innovation Track focused on the role of GS1 Standards as a necessary foundation for the implementation of emerging technology across industries, including artificial intelligence, emerging data carriers, machine learning, IoT and more
• A Tech Track will feature solution provider case studies on leveraging GS1 Standards to solve business challenges. Additionally, solution providers will offer live Solution Spotlights and one-on-one meetings with attendees. 
• The Startup Lab Pitch Competition where up-and-coming companies present their technology innovations before an expert panel to win cash prizes
• GS1 US University virtual classroom courses for those who are new to GS1 Standards or anyone looking to enhance their GS1 Standards knowledge 

To learn more about GS1 Connect: Digital Edition, and to sign up for updates, visit https://gs1connect.gs1us.org.