More than 2,000 eBay sellers recently gathered in Las Vegas for three days of inspiration, insights and networking at the annual eBay Open conference.
Sellers heard directly from eBay executives, while picking up advice and demonstrations from eBay employees and industry experts through a series of unique workshops, pop-ups and one-on-one business consultations. A team of 325 eBay employees across various functions staffed the event, providing attendees with expertise, support and a warm welcome throughout the week.
President & CEO Devin Wenig kicked off the event in a conversation with entrepreneur and eBay seller Corri McFadden. As Corri surfaced questions from fellow sellers, Devin shared what’s in the pipeline for payments on the platform, while outlining eBay’s strategy to acquire the next 100 million customers.
Scott Cutler, SVP, Americas, announced two new partnerships –– the first with Square Capital to provide greater access to funding for our small business sellers, and the second with Apple Pay as one of the first forms of payment offered as part of our new end-to-end payments experience.
Attendees heard updates on eBay’s latest initiatives from a range of eBay leaders, including Chief Marketing Officer Suzy Deering, SVP of Global Operations Wendy Jones, VP of Seller Marketplace Bob Kupbens and VP of Core Product Experience Mohan Patt, who debuted eBay’s new visual shopping feature.
Open was also a moment to recognize some of eBay’s most inspiring sellers. The Shine Awards for Small Business were announced during the event, with Cori O’Steen, owner of UpakNShip, taking home the Small Business of the Year Award. Cori is actively involved in her community and through eBay for Charity, donates a proceeds of her sales to help fund addiction recovery centers. (Read more about this year’s finalists and winners here.)
“Everywhere you turn, people are sharing their experiences, encouraging others, motivating them to do more and go farther,” Cori said of her experience at eBay Open. “I absolutely love this community, because we all support each other.”
The event closed with inspiration from special guest Guy Raz, host of NPR’s entrepreneurial podcast How I Built This, who shared words of wisdom from successful business owners he’s interviewed over the years.
