BREAKTHRU
PROGRAMS

• Build your profile using 100+ data points. The more detail, the better the AI matches. All profiles are made available to other participants at the start of the Request Meetings stage on August 31.
• Include your Calendly link (or equivalent) in your profile — it will be included in any emails triggered when you use the Request Follow Up feature in the mobile app.
• Upload your organization's logo to make your profile stand out.
• Set your availability or default to fully available. More availability = more meetings. You can update until September 11 at 5:00 PM PT.
• Post on Social to tell your X and LinkedIn connections you're attending.
• Make an Announcement about new products, partnerships, funding, or research to thousands of participants.
• AI Target-Finder pinpoints the RetailClub attendees you should meet — a live engine that learns from hundreds of thousands of past Breakthru meeting selections and adapts to the current event's emerging trends and your own meeting requests in real time. The more detailed your profile, the easier it will be for the right people to find you.
• Hosted Retailers & Brands: Must be available for at least 16 of 20 time slots.
• Org Admins: Can edit and complete profiles on behalf of participants.

• Recommended: make requests equal to at least 4× the number of slots you're available for.
  • Not every request becomes a scheduled meeting, so requesting broadly improves your chances of building a full and impactful schedule.
• You can request multiple people from the same org, but meetings with unique orgs are scheduled first.
• Use Filters, Predefined Lists, and Bookmarks to work efficiently alongside the AI view. Don't leave it to the last minute.
• Mark "Very Interested" to prioritize those selections over "Interested" ones — this affects scheduling order.
• Meetings Reps:
  • Select ALL Hosted Retailers & Brands you'd like to meet (these become Hosted Meeting requests).
  • Minimum: requests equal to 4× your org's number of purchased Hosted Meetings.
  • You can also make Non-Hosted Meeting requests for additional connections — these will not be counted towards your Hosted Meetings.
• Org Admins can request meetings on behalf of participants.

At this stage you will be reviewing and opting into inbound requests from people you did not originally request yourself.

• Opt in to every inbound request from someone you'd spend 15 minutes with. More opt-ins = more meetings scheduled.
• Hosted Retailers & Brands:
  • Must opt in to Hosted Meeting inbound requests from at least 24 organizations.
  • Multiple requests from the same org count as only 1 organization.
  • Max 8 Hosted Meetings will be scheduled regardless.
• Meetings Reps: Opt-ins from Hosted Retailers & Brands default to Hosted Meeting requests.
• Org Admins can opt in to inbound requests on behalf of participants.

• You get meetings with people who mutually selected you. Not accepting disappoints others!
• Hosted Retailers & Brands: Accept all Hosted Meetings (max 8). Not penalized if the other party doesn't accept.
• Meetings Reps: Must accept all Hosted Meetings. Unaccepted or Rejected Hosted Meetings will not be refunded to your org.

• Additional meetings are either replacements for meetings that were not accepted by the other participant, or new meetings from your previous selections where others have become available.
• If you previously rejected (or didn't accept) a meeting, you won't be eligible to get an additional meeting in that time slot.
• Your final confirmed schedule and calendar invites for all Breakthru Programs will be released on Friday, September 18.

• Meetings: If you cannot attend a meeting, you must email breakthru@retailclub.com directly — do not simply decline the calendar invite, as this does not notify us or your meeting partner. Meeting times cannot be changed.
• If a meeting you accepted at the Accept Provisional Meetings stage is not in your final schedule, it's likely because the other party did not accept it.
• Breakthru Talks: If you cannot attend a Talk, email breakthru@retailclub.com — declining the calendar invite alone is not sufficient.
• Experiences: If you cannot attend an Experience, you must cancel via the RetailClub app or platform — do not simply decline the calendar invite. This ensures organizers can plan accordingly.
• Mutual Match Leads (if purchased) will also be shared on September 18.

Breakthru Meetings

• Where? Dedicated Breakthru Meetings area (size of a football field!). Each meeting has an assigned table number — check the app or your calendar invite.
• When to arrive? 5–10 minutes before your first meeting. No check-in required; Q&A desk available.
• No-shows? Wait 5 minutes, then tap "Mark as No Show" in the RetailClub app.
• 15 minutes per meeting with a 3-minute transition. Table numbers change each slot — always check.
• Add a colleague: You can add any registered colleague who is available at the meeting time.
• Download the RetailClub app in advance to take notes and request follow-ups.

Meetings Reps — please note:

• Do not contact any attendee prior to your meetings in relation to Breakthru Meetings, or use confidential information from any stage of the program to reach out via non-program channels.
• Do not assume attendees have prepared for the meeting or know your company — they may have agreed to meet based solely on categories or filters. Be ready to deliver a complete pitch in 15 minutes and leave time for Q&A.
• Do not bring materials that cannot fit on the table (e.g. free-standing structures, pop-up signage) or leave any materials at the table after the meeting.

• Feedback Survey (everyone): You will receive an email on September 25. Complete by October 7 at 5:00 PM PT. Completion is required to be eligible for expense reimbursement. After submitting, download a summary of your meetings including notes and contact details of everyone you met.
• Expense Reimbursement (Hosted Retailers & Brands only): Submit starting October 9, deadline November 3 at 5:00 PM PT. Claim up to $1,250 in travel and hotel costs via the RetailClub platform. Processed on a rolling basis.

• Event Summary — a personalized PDF summary of your event participation, including:
  • Breakthru Meetings attended
  • Breakthru Talks attended
  • Breakthru Experiences attended
  • Notes taken during meetings or sessions
  • Any attendees, speakers, or agenda items you bookmarked or interacted with
• My Contacts — all attendees whose badges were scanned onsite, along with any notes saved about those contacts.
• Meetings Report — a detailed export of your scheduled Breakthru Meetings, including participant information and any meeting notes captured during the event.