Although the 2021 conference will be held virtually instead of the city of Las Vegas, this year will officially mark the 10th anniversary of the Magento Imagine/Adobe Summit conference. As we reflect upon the past 10 years of spectacular speakers, presentations, and parties, here are some of the most unforgettable moments from this epic 3-day event:
Steven Levitt’s 2013 Message
At Magento Imagine 2013, economist and co-author of Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics Steven Levitt led a captivating morning session on the third day of the event. Levitt’s books are revered as a few of the best-selling economics books of all time, and from his speech, it was understandable why. Levitt entertained and inspired the audience with personal anecdotes, stories, and poignant advice to focus on developing high-quality ideas rather than a high quantity of ideas. ideas. “Even one or two breakthrough ideas per year from each of us can help bring about great change,” Levitt stated.
2014 Q&A with Malcolm Gladwell
Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell was featured as a keynote speaker in 2014, and he concluded his time onstage with a live Q&A session with Mark Lavelle, who was then the Senior Vice President of Product for eBay Enterprise. Gladwell is renowned as a fantastic lecturer, and his impressive track record of inspirational best-selling books includes:
- The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
- Outliers: The Story of Success
- What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
- David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
- Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Mark Lavelle’s 2016 Presentation
In 2016, Mark Lavelle was the CEO of Magento and presented a winning speech about the future of the eCommerce platform. “Beyond a company and a platform, Magento is the universe of possibility that is unleashed when this incredible community comes together,” said Mark Lavelle. He continued to discuss the reasons why Magento was the #1 eCommerce solution in the marketplace, which included the following statistics:
- Over 250,000 Magento merchants in total
- 3,100 Enterprise customers
- 300 Top-Tier Solution and Technology Partners
- Over 1,000 Solution Implementers
- 125,000 Magento developers
- Over 5,900 Certified Magento developers
2016 Keynote Speech by Earvin “Magic” Johnson
“Magic” Johnson, a 6’9” former NBA athlete, prepared for lifelong success beyond the world of professional sports. His competitive drive, self-discipline, and passion for making the world a better place led him to launch numerous business ventures, as well as the Magic Johnson Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing issues facing urban minority communities. In his Magento Imagine presentation, Johnson discussed these tips for success:
- Understand who your customers are and how to best meet their needs.
- Go above and beyond when you make promises to your customers.
- Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of your business to continuously grow and improve your company.
2017 Fireside Chat with Serena Williams
Champion tennis player, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Serena Williams joined Andrea Ward, Magento’s CMO, for a fireside discussion at the 2017 Magento Imagine event. Williams opened up about her personal journey and shared some tips for success in and out of the business world. She emphasized the importance of authenticity in developing a brand, identifying your target market, and relating to others on a daily basis. “The ‘Serena’ customer is someone who’s strong, proud, confident,” Williams explained. “She wants to show the world ‘I’m happy looking the way I look and being who I am.’”
Williams also warned merchants and retailers about the dangers of complacency and encouraged them to try new things. “People tend to copy the best product. It’s important for us to set new goals and keep trying to innovate,” said Williams.
Jamie Foxx’s 2018 Performance & Discussion
Jamie Foxx is a comedian, producer, actor, musician, and the winner of both an Academy Award and a Grammy Award, so his 2018 Magento Imagine presentation was far more exciting than a PowerPoint or a simple speech. As the keynote speaker, Foxx delivered an outstanding performance that included elements of stand-up comedy, singing, and dancing, all while sharing highlights from his fascinating life. To close out his keynote address, Foxx made sure to plug his eCommerce store, proudly telling the audience that “We run it on Magento!”
Adobe Summit & Magento Imagine Go Virtual in 2020
In 2020, Magento Imagine was going to be integrated into Adobe Summit, creating a truly unique and all-encompassing experience for attendees. However, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Adobe administrators and event organizers sadly had to cancel all in-person events, and they quickly moved the conference to an online format instead.
Despite the rapid change in plans, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen took it in stride and began to create videos from his home to share during the virtual event. “We are obviously living on exceptional occasions,” noted Narayen. “COVID-19 is making a huge difference in our life and work as we probably are aware of it. Everybody is reevaluating the manner in which they work at Adobe.” Narayen also pointed out how important digital is to our everyday lives, and Adobe released its first Digital Economy Index (DEI) that analyzed trillions of eCommerce transactions to determine what consumers and businesses are really buying.
Digital Economy Index dissects trillions of online exchanges across 100 million items in 18 categories. The thought behind the Digital Economy Index is to reflect what consumers and organizations are really purchasing.
The 2021 Adobe Summit/Magento Imagine conference will once again be held virtually, but did you know you can register and attend for free? Click here to sign up and view the hundreds of classes, sessions, and networking events that will take place from April 27-28!
