Key Highlights and Takeaways from Revelry 2015

Revelry 2015 was a huge success! Revel Systems celebrated 5 years of wins at Revelry last week in San Francisco. With a packed day of workshops and fun night of festivities, Revelry 2015 was a major hit. For those who couldn’t attend, no worries! Below is a quick recap of the entire day.

The morning kicked off with a full lineup of Revel workshops. First up was a keynote by Adam Silverman, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, titled The Future of Point of Sale Is Digital. He provided a data deep dive and shared insight on what’s ahead for the Point of Sale industry. Below are some key stats Silverman shared on the current market outlook:

• 73% of customers expect to click and collect
• 86% of customers of expect to return online orders in the store
• 89% of customers expect to view the in-store inventory of products online
• 1/3 of customers won’t buy in-store

Silverman kept reiterating three points: 1. the need for engagement 2. everything is about convenience and 3. finding items quickly for customers is essential. With digital taking over, it is vital to deliver a retail experience that is truly omni-channel. Having a next-generation Point of Sale to connect point A to point B across every channel is key to having a true connected store and experience. With the right Point of Sale, businesses can take advantage of new opportunities provided by the digital world:

1. Use data to enable insights and make smarter business decisions.
2. Optimize profitability with new experiences such as automated backrooms.
3. Empower employees with real-time inventory checks across all locations and mobile Point of Sale systems.
4. Improve service levels and fulfill faster to the customer with shipping and inventory tools.
5. Influence sales. With 82% purchase decisions made in-aisle, this is the chance to engage customers in-aisle when they are more likely to purchase.
6. Bridge the physical with the digital and use location technology in your store.
7. Personalize the shopping experience with technology such as personal shopping via touch screen in the dressing room.

After the engaging Forrester Research keynote, Lisa Falzone, Revel Systems CEO, and Chris Ciabarra, Revel Systems CTO, had an open Q&A and fireside chat with the audience. They also shared their story behind starting Revel together and how they grew it to the massive size it is today. Afterwards, a number of Revelers provided in-depth workshops walking attendees through Revel iPad Point of Sale features, including menu building, loyalty programs, QuickBooks integration, and the Enterprise Management System (EMS). The audience was able to ask questions on the product and discover new features coming down the pipeline, including a modernized UI design.

Revel Systems' Lisa Falzone, CEO, and Chris Ciabarra, CTO, kicking off Revelry 2015

As the evening approached, it was time to dance the night away at the Revelry party held in the San Francisco Design Center. This year the event was vintage circus-themed, with a number of activities including circus performers, caricatures, tarot card readers, and much more. The event sold out, bringing in hundreds of attendees that enjoyed free music, food, and drinks. To make the celebration even more special, Lisa Falzone and Chris Ciabarra shared a major Revel announcement: the release of the Revel White Label Mobile App. This new app connects everyone within a community by enabling in-network customers to easily locate nearby stores and place orders directly from their mobile device. Key benefits include simplified ordering, full customization, central control, payment flexibility, and increased business exposure to name a few. Revel’s first customer to deploy such a unique feature is the prestigious Stanford University, connecting their entire campus with a single app: the Revel White Label Mobile App.

We thank every client, partner, and friend who has made Revel the success it is today. We’re already looking forward to Revelry 2016!