Entries for the Elavon Retail Excellence Ireland Awards 2026 are now open!
The Retail Retreat 2026 – The Next Era of Retail
START TIME 9.00AM
(Registration is available from 7.30am)
09.00 – 09.05 [STAGE 1]
Opening Address | Jean Mc Cabe, CEO, Retail Excellence
09.05 – 09.10 [STAGE 1]
Sponsor Welcome | Peter Cooke, Enterprise Sales Manager, Elavon
09.10 – 09.40 [STAGE 1]
The Beauty and the Bot – Winning with machines while still beloved by humans
Linda Cereda, Nike – Former Global VP of Marketing Data
Sponsored by:
09.40 – 09.50 [STAGE 1]
Minister Alan Dillon – Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
09.50 – 10.10 [STAGE 1]
Performing under pressure: lessons from endurance sport and retail
Conor O’Keeffe; Founder, Altar with Paul Dunne, Head of Sales in Ireland, Elavon
Sponsored by:
10.10 – 10.50 [STAGE 1]
Ireland’s Retail Economy: The Numbers Behind the Noise
Jim Power, joined by panelists: Joe Barrett; CEO, Applegreen, Brian Handley; MD, Avoca, Marion Ryan; MD, Tombola /Ex Paddy Power, Stuart Fitzgerald; MD, Fitzgerald Power
Sponsored by: 
10.50 – 11.20 ☕ Coffee & Networking
11.20 – 11.50 [STAGE 1]
The Human Edge: Why Retail Brands Are Winning in an AI World
Holly Hayes, The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett – Former Social Media Strategist
BREAKOUT
11.55 – 12.25 [STAGE 1]
People in Retail: Building the Culture That Keeps Your Best People
hosted by Hayes Solicitors Moderator: Tommy Smyth; TSA Consultants joined by panelists: Aislinn Lea; Excel Recruitment, Ciarán McCormack; Select Technology Group/DID Electrical, Martin McKiernan; Hayes Solicitors, Éanna Lynch; Ex Retail & Omnichannel Director, Orlebar Brown (Chanel Group)
Sponsored by:
11.55 – 12.25 [STAGE 2]
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Dancho Nestorov, StudioForty9 – E-commerce Strategy Lead
Sponsored by:
11.55 – 12.25 [STAGE 3]
Retailing Responsibly: Sustainability as Strategy, Not Just Compliance
Moderator: Fergus Sharkey; SEAI, joined by panelists: Elaine O’Connor; Lidl, Khloe Dillon Coote; Brown Thomas, Maeve McNamara; Boots Ireland
12.30 – 13.30 🍽️ Lunch & Networking
13.30 – 14.00 [STAGE 1]
Agentic Commerce: What Happens When AI Starts Shopping for Your Customers
Ciaran Doyle, OpenAI
Sponsored by:
BREAKOUT
14.10 – 14.50 [STAGE 1]
Human First, Tech Fast: How the Best Digital Brands Scale Without Losing the Customer
Dave Morrissey; TikTok – Former Head of Lifestyle Retail & SCEAL – Founder
14.10 – 14.50 [STAGE 2]
Retail Media: Unlocking Your Next Revenue Stream
George Turnbull; Retail Media Specialist, Epsilon and Eoghan Phelan; MD ReAction
14.10 – 14.50 [STAGE 3]
Consumer Spend Unpacked: The Who, Where and How of Shopping Today
Kevin Ward; VISA – Head of Large Merchant Sectors, UK & Ireland
14.50 – 15.10 ☕ Coffee & Networking
15.10 – 15.40 [STAGE 1]
Retail Reinvented: What the World’s Best Retailers Are Doing Differently – John Lewis Casestudy
Paul Brooks, Expert Retail Strategist
15.40 – 16.20 [STAGE 1]
Build Something They Can’t Forget
Stuart Trevor, AllSaints and Stuart Trevor – Founder
Sponsored by: 
16.20 – 16.30 [STAGE 1]
Final Wrap Up & Thank You!
Secure your place and join hundreds of retailers shaping the next era of Irish retail
