Grow! 2024 Recap

Grow!, Znode’s annual customer event, took place from September 29 to October 2, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Attendees had the chance to connect, learn from Znode’s growing community of customers and partners, and explore what’s next in B2B ecommerce.

Key Takeaways

1. Customer Success Stories - Customers demonstrated winning ways to leverage Znode’s B2B ecommerce platform to deliver better ecommerce experiences, empower channels, and drive more commerce.

2. Partner Insights - Znode partners shared successful strategies for navigating the nuances of B2B ecommerce, from building scalable React components, integrating content and ecommerce platforms, and addressing the evolving needs of B2B customers with data-driven personalization and streamlined workflows.

3. Znode 10 Arrives – Znode revealed upcoming features in Znode 10, including AI enhancements, expanded CMS capabilities, and new developer tools for even greater flexibility and scalability.

Event Highlights

Monday, September 29

Partner Day

Znode's partner network is expanding, and we hosted our first Partner Day—an exclusive event for system integrators, business consultants, and technology partners. Attendees gained insights into Znode's latest product enhancements, networked with industry peers, and explored shared growth strategies. Znode creates an ecosystem where partners can leverage our tools, connections, and expertise to drive success.

Grow! 2024 Welcome Happy Hour & Dinner

Grow! 2024 kicked off with a Welcome Happy Hour and Dinner at Il Cervo on the rooftop of The Trade Hotel. Customers, partners, and the Znode team came together for an evening of networking, setting the perfect tone for the days ahead.

Tuesday, October 1

Opening Remarks

Znode’s CEO, Rupesh Agrawal, and CCO, Tom Flierl, officially opened the event, welcoming attendees and previewing the day’s agenda, including a lineup of presentations, inspiring customer success stories, and winning strategies for B2B ecommerce.

Polyconcept North America (PCNA) Success Story - Digital Experiences Empowering Sales and Distributors

Brennen Volbeda, PCNA's Director of Digital Experience, shared insights on empowering sales and distributors through digital experiences.

Watch the full replay of the PCNA presentation:

Understanding B2B Channel Needs: Essential Insights for Manufacturers and Suppliers

Jessica Greene, Senior Strategist & Strategic Services Manager from Ntara, presented insights into the evolving needs of B2B manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, emphasizing the role of data and personalization. According to Greene, “the data behind personalization is critical,” advising businesses to build a solid foundation for collecting and aggregating data to create personalized experiences that meet industry demands.

Watch the full replay of the Ntara presentation:

Sitefinity: Up Your Content Game and Sell More

Peter Filipov, Senior Product Manager from Progress Sitefinity, and Scott Snowden, Partner from Flywheel Strategic, explored how Sitefinity and Znode work together to deliver rich, flexible, and creative digital experiences that drive conversions. This session showcased how integrating Sitefinity's content capabilities with Znode's product data enables businesses to enhance their digital strategies, unlocking new potential for content and ecommerce. As Filipov noted, the synergy between the two platforms allows digital content managers to “do whatever they can imagine” without being restricted by design limitations. With Sitefinity Insight’s actionable data, companies can also optimize user journeys, transforming inspiration into reality.

Watch the full replay of the Sitefinity presentation:

Conquering the Shiny Object Syndrome

John Pehler, Chief Digital Officer from Fractional, delivered an inspiring keynote on overcoming “Shiny Object Syndrome.” Pehler emphasized that while new tools and technologies can be exciting, they should complement—not distract from—key business priorities. He introduced a formula, “(Time + Focus) ^ Outcomes,” underscoring that meaningful progress requires sustained attention to what truly matters. Pehler encouraged organizations to harness the potential of shiny objects without allowing them to derail their core objectives, reminding attendees that a balanced approach is essential for achieving long-term goals.

Wagner Success Story - From Vision to Reality – Wagner’s Integration of Znode and Sitefinity

Jackie Heinrichs, Business Solutions Manager, and Paul Brangwynne, Digital Marketing Manager from Wagner, shared their journey of integrating Znode and Sitefinity to support B2B and B2C customers. This strategic integration and Epicor’s cloud-based ERP have streamlined Wagner’s technology roadmap, enabling the company to innovate and drive revenue growth. Heinrichs expressed excitement about Znode's evolving features and Wagner's plans to leverage them further. At the same time, Brangwynne emphasized the importance of aligning ecommerce and CMS platforms with ERP and other third-party systems. Their live demo highlighted the tangible benefits of this integration, showcasing how Wagner is transforming its digital capabilities to exceed customer expectations and support sustained growth.

Watch the full replay of the Wagner presentation:

Rawlings Sporting Goods Success Story - All the B's in Baseball

Danielle Arnold, Digital Product Manager from Rawlings Sporting Goods, introduced Rawlings' innovative platform designed to streamline team outfitting for coaches and athletes. Powered by Znode and Artifi, this platform simplifies ordering custom uniforms and equipment, making it easy for coaches to gear up their teams. Rawlings’ solution ensures teams can seamlessly access top-quality gear tailored to their specific needs by setting a new standard for efficiency and customization. With a focus on functionality and user experience, this platform represents the future of team outfitting in the digital age.

Znode Vision and Roadmap

Znode’s CEO, Rupesh Agrawal and Director of Product Marketing, Frank Connelly, concluded Day 1 by sharing Znode’s vision and roadmap, centered on flexibility and scalability. Upcoming innovations include automatic updates for faster growth, best-in-class B2B features with native configuration and personalization, and AI-powered enhancements for search and content. Agrawal also introduced Znode’s partner-focused ecosystem, featuring tools like a developer academy, enhanced CMS with a visual editor, an improved media library, and a plugin marketplace designed to simplify B2B complexities and drive success.

Watch the full replay of the Znode Roadmap and Vision presentation:

Dinner Party sponsored by Luminos Labs at Vagabond

Following the presentations, attendees enjoyed a casual evening at Vagabond, mingling over tacos and the Luminos Labs “Digital Maturity Mule” signature drink.

Wednesday, October 2

Artifi Product Customization

Artifi’s Yash Shah, Chief Technical Officer, and David Willey, Technical Project Manager, demonstrated the platform’s advanced capabilities, including 360-degree rendering, headless shop design, and generative AI for lifestyle previews. Artifi is the most scalable and flexible platform for mission-critical product customization.

Fast-Tracking Your Digital Commerce Maturity Beyond An IT Project

Jacobi Zakrzewski, VP of Technology Strategy & Solutions from Luminos Labs, presented frameworks and building blocks for advancing digital commerce maturity beyond just IT projects. He emphasized that organizations are not alone in their digital transformation journey and encouraged taking gradual steps. “Taking baby steps is the right approach,” he noted, rather than attempting to tackle too much at once.

Watch the full replay of the Luminos Labs presentation:

Znode 10 Readiness and Upgrade Path

Znode’s Frank Connelly, Director of Product Development, and Yash Shah, Chief Technical Officer, previewed Znode 10, covering new features, differences from Znode 9, and readiness steps for a smooth upgrade. Customers left with valuable insights on preparing their teams for the transition. Stay tuned for more updates!

Check out the video replays from Grow! 2024 on Znode’s YouTube channel. Subscribe for updates!