Field Report: Takeaways from the Inaugural Amazon B2B Summit

Enceiba held the inaugural Amazon B2B Summit last week in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona at the fabulous Fairmont Princess Scottsdale resort. Attended by 75+ industry leaders, including directors, VPs, and C-level executives, this was the first time B2B manufacturers, distributors, and others have gathered for in-depth discussions about the challenges and opportunities of selling their products on Amazon.

Chris Schallot from the Enterprise Business Development team at Amazon Business took the stage to share the platform’s latest developments and features designed to meet B2B buyers’ needs, including several AI-driven initiatives and tools to better target B2B buyers in specific industry cohorts on Amazon. 

The agenda also featured case study interviews with companies that are driving considerable success on the platform, including:

• Adam Kupek, Senior Director of Ecommerce & Omnichannel from Sloan Valve Company, shared how his firm built and launched a Seller Central (3P) Amazon program that is now the fastest growing and most profitable channel for this market-leading plumbing equipment manufacturer. 

• Trent Guyer, VP of Marketing & Digital Strategy for Grasshopper Lawn Mowers, discussed how his company launched a profitable Amazon program while mitigating concerns about conflict with its global base of dealers and distributors.

• Kathryn Payette, Senior Ecommerce Channel Manager from Watts Water, shared how her firm created a successful 1P/3P hybrid selling approach to Amazon that leveraged multiple brands in the company’s portfolio.

The event featured numerous lively round table discussions on a variety of key topics, such as identifying the optimal selling approaches, Amazon B2B advertising, and practical methods for maximizing operational efficiency and profitability on Amazon. Attendees walked away with pragmatic actions they could immediately implement in their business to improve Amazon performance and how to create the business case for Amazon, including ROI models, selling approaches, and others.

Perhaps best of all, participants made new connections with peers, Amazon representatives, and industry experts. "The Amazon B2B Summit was incredibly interactive,” said Amy Ashcraft, Director of Marketing at Majestic Glove. “It was a great opportunity to engage with other businesses while learning about both the highs and lows of selling on Amazon. The open discussions and shared experiences were especially valuable."

Ryan Willis, Vice President of Ecommerce at Integrated Supply Network added, "We enjoyed ourselves and took away some tangible action items to elevate our Amazon Business presence."

We at Enceiba would like to thank all the attendees, speakers, Amazon Business, and our sponsoring partners, including TrackStreet, SmartScout, KJK, ThreeColts, and Connex for joining us in Scottsdale. We look forward to hosting additional Amazon B2B Summits in the future.