Snapshot of the 2025 CG Sales & Marketing Tech Summit

The 2025 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Tech Summit, held Oct. 28-29 in Chicago, centered on one crucial theme: Elevating Experiences. As consumer goods organizations navigate relentless pressure from evolving expectations and rapid technological advancements, the summit provided a clear roadmap for success: leveraging technology, especially AI, to create exceptional, seamless experiences — for retailers, consumers and employees alike.

Keynotes: Blending Data, Humanity and AI for Transformative Experiences

The event was anchored by two powerful keynotes that focused on putting data and intelligent technology at the service of human connection and strategic transformation.

• Transforming the Enterprise for Amplifying Customer Experiences, Sales & Marketing: Alan Wizemann, chief digital officer at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, kicked off the event by emphasizing that fostering customer relationships is paramount to earning loyalty. He detailed how organizing teams for faster time-to-value, aligning sales and marketing messages, and leveraging human-centered AI can enhance the customer journey from start to finish.
• Data-Fueled, Human-Led, AI-Enabled: The Experience Enterprise of Tomorrow: Day two’s keynote, delivered by Ekta Chopra, CDO of E.l.f. Beauty, provided a vision of the future. She explored how E.l.f. Beauty uses data to power precision, AI to scale personalization and human creativity to craft experiences that drive both emotional connection and market success. The message was clear: the future of growth lives at the intersection of data, humanity and intelligent technology.

The Rise of AI: From RGM Synergy to Self-Optimization

Artificial intelligence was arguably the central nervous system of the entire summit, with numerous sessions showcasing its immediate, transformative impact across the commercial value chain.

• From Insights to Impact: How AI Is Unlocking the Synergies Between Revenue Growth Management (RGM) & Marketing: This panel — featuring leaders from HGS, Shure and Beam Suntory — explored how AI is breaking down traditional silos. They discussed how a unified, AI-driven approach creates a "triple win" for manufacturers, retailers and shoppers by harmonizing RGM (via AI-enabled trade promotion optimization) and marketing (via CDPs and performance marketing).
• AI Unleashed: Maximizing Business Impact: Sue Sonday, VP of commercial technology at Reynolds American, offered a blueprint for success, detailing how a business-led AI strategy rooted in organizational readiness and reusability helps initiatives scale quickly and drive measurable impact, avoiding common pitfalls.
• The Path to Self-Optimization: Speakers from Tiesta Tea and Combe showed how CPG brands are moving beyond manual adjustments. This session explored how leveraging AI, automation and real-time data dynamically refines targeting, creative, promotions and spend to unlock smarter, more responsive strategies.
• Agentic Commerce: A Walkthrough of the Future: Luca Cian, an AI strategy and psychology expert, provided a fascinating look at agentic commerce — where AI agents could fundamentally reshape how consumers discover and purchase products, forcing brands to rethink loyalty and customer control.

Connecting Strategy to the Shelf 

The agenda also provided deep dives into the changing retail landscape and the evolving consumer mindsets influencing sales and marketing strategies.

• From Insight to Action: Driving In-Store Results With Smart Data: Rifka Bernstein of Trax and Mora Ambrey of Diageo examined the critical role of actionable data in strong retail execution. The conversation highlighted how leading brands use timely information to identify gaps on the shelf, prioritize actions and turn insights into immediate, in-store results.
• Mealtime, Mindsets and Market Shifts: Winning With the Changing Consumer in 2026 and Beyond: Cara Loeys of Circana offered a close look into the evolving behaviors shaping what, where and how consumers eat and shop. She provided actionable insights on how to connect with today's choiceful consumer amid shifting mealtime routines, economic pressures and the growth of premiumization and private brands.
• Creating Emotional Omnichannel Connections With Consumers: Leaders from Kellanova and PepsiCo shared strategies for integrating e-commerce, retail media and in-store activations into a cohesive consumer experience, blending storytelling and community engagement to drive loyalty across all touchpoints.

Building High-Performing, Experience-Led Teams

A consistent theme was the internal transformation required to deliver exceptional external experiences.

• Empowering Teams for Excellence With AI: A panel of speakers from Kimberly-Clark, Conair and BIC explored the necessity of aligning marketing, sales and IT. The discussion focused on how marketers are using AI and other technologies to empower their teams, moving away from siloed functions to more collaborative employee environments.
• Operating Models That Power Experience-Led Growth: Executives from Breakthru Beverage Group, Danone North America and Kellanova examined how to rethink operating models to support dynamic, end-to-end consumer journeys. They shared best practices for building the alignment and agility needed to consistently create value at every touchpoint.

Collaborative Learning and Networking

Attendees maximized their time with a full schedule of high-value networking and collaborative learning opportunities.

• Power Hour: This exclusive event provided structured, fast-paced 1:1 introductions with leading marketing peers and influencers, ensuring attendees could instantly expand their networks for maximum value.
• Share Group: What Shoppers Really Want: Turning Consumer Feedback Into CPG Growth: CPG leaders from Revuze hosted an interactive session to explore how brands are currently turning unstructured consumer feedback into product decisions, messaging strategies and real-time business action.
• Lunch + Sales & Marketing Research Study Panel: The event unveiled CGT’s newly released Sales and Marketing Benchmark Research Report. A panel of industry experts, including leaders from Publicis Sapient, Sciemo and UpClear, examined the current state and forecast the future of sales and marketing technology investments, providing tactics to future-proof investment strategies.
• Cocktail Reception: The two-day Summit hosted a celebratory reception, providing an opportunity for colleagues and new contacts to relax, network and discuss the actionable insights gathered.

Wait...there's more! Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage from the Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit in the coming weeks.