Meet Our Exhibitors: Ali Hart, Optimizely
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As eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing approach, Optimizely shares perspectives on practical AI adoption, creative intelligence and personalisation at scale, and why honest, peer-to-peer conversations matter more than ever in marketing.
What industry trends are you looking forward to seeing at this year’s eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing?
AI governance and real-world AI adoption are at the top of my list. We've spent two years talking about what AI could do. Now the conversation is shifting to what it's actually doing, and how brands are keeping it honest and on-brand. I'm also watching the creative intelligence space closely: how teams are using data not just to optimize, but to tell better stories. That intersection of intelligence meeting creativity feels like the most energizing place in marketing right now.
In your opinion, what are the biggest tech challenges facing marketers today?
AI adoption is hard when the tools you're using require technical knowledge that marketers were never expected to know before. Marketers have too many tools that don't integrate, data that doesn't connect, and AI promises that require an IT ticket to actually deliver. The real challenge isn't finding AI technology but being able to use it in a way that helps you do better marketing. At Optimizely, we think about the marketer experience constantly: how do you get from data to decision to deployed experience without needing to rely on a developer (or 500 browser tabs for different tools)?
What is most exciting to you about the eCommerce and digital marketing industry right now?
Personalization at scale has gone from aspiration to something real teams are actually shipping. For years, "1:1 experiences" meant a <first-name> tag. Now, with the right platform and data in place, you can genuinely adapt the experience to the individual and measure whether it worked. Add agents into that loop and suddenly the ambition matches the execution. That shift from "we want to do this" to "we can do this" is what's super exciting.
Why is it important to bring the industry together at events like eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing?
It's so important. At a time where everyone is claiming to be an AI expert or screaming AI cliches from the LinkedIn rooftops, we need industry events that promote peer-to-peer conversation. A place where real practitioners can share what's actually working (and even more critically, what flopped), and safe space for peers to ask questions. That kind of discussion doesn't happen in virtual events or even on social media.
What’s the best piece of advice you would give to new people joining the industry?
The marketers who grow fastest do things differently. Don't follow the status quo. Always be on the lookout for ways to do things better. Whether it's process or testing a new message, it's okay if something doesn't land as long as you build from the results. And learn to love data because it turns gut instinct into something you can actually prove.
If you got the chance to reboot any ‘90s or 2000s brand for 2026 eCommerce, which one are you bringing back and how are you marketing it?
Blockbuster! And I'd market it almost entirely on nostalgia because it's a great conversion tool, especially at a time when people are trending towards wanting more simplicity in their lives. I'd bring it back and test a curated eCommerce experience, pulling on the emotional hook of nostalgia and throwback creative. Nostalgia would get people in the door, and a great digital experience would keep them there.
Join us on the 'Next Era of Marketing Stage' to learn 'How to Prioritize When Anything is Possible: Discovering High-impact AI Use Cases for Marketing.'
Description: For marketers, content leaders, and digital experience teams that want to find where AI will actually move the needle in their day-to-day work.
Speaker: Ali Hart, Product Marketing Director, AI - Optimizely
Date: 23rd September 2026
Time: 12:20 - 12:45
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