Los Angeles, CARegional Executive Dinner
- November 18, 2026
- Invitation-led evening, Los Angeles
An intimate, invitation-led evening built for meaningful conversation among senior retail and brand leaders and a select group of GELF sponsors.
Events · Insights · Media
The Only Retail Community 100% Focused on International Growth
GELF connects senior retail and brand executives actively navigating cross-border and international growth. Our formats are intentionally high-touch: peer learning, candid exchange and relationship-building — not expo-floor volume.
- Founded
- 2014
- Reach
- Partners in 20+ markets
- Members
- Senior executives, not an audience
Events
Upcoming GELF Events
Regional Executive Dinners are intimate, invitation-led evenings for senior retail and brand leaders. Global Experts Workshops are small-format working sessions where experienced global operators compare playbooks, pressure-test decisions and surface practical lessons.
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NYRegional Executive Dinner
- January 20, 2027
- Invitation-led evening, New York City
A high-touch dinner for senior retail and brand executives navigating cross-border and international growth — peer learning and candid exchange, not expo-floor volume.
Las Vegas, NVU.S.–Australia Summit & Workshop
- Monday, March 22, 2027
- Las Vegas — before Shoptalk Spring
An invitation-only afternoon workshop for senior-executive, peer-to-peer learning, followed by an evening networking party co-hosted with the Australian Online Retail Community — bringing together U.S., Australian and New Zealand retailers, brands and ecosystem leaders.
Los Angeles, CARegional Executive Dinner
- May 19, 2027
- Invitation-led evening, Los Angeles
A second Los Angeles gathering for senior retail and brand leaders and a select group of GELF sponsors, built around relationship-building and candid exchange.
New York, NYGlobal Experts Workshop
- June 9–10, 2027
- Two-day working session, New York City
A small-format working session where experienced global operators compare playbooks, pressure-test decisions and surface practical lessons on international growth.
New York, NYRegional Executive Dinner
- October 27, 2027
- Invitation-led evening, New York City
Closing the 2027 dinner series with senior retail and brand executives focused on cross-border and international growth.
Past gatherings have been hosted in New York, Los Angeles and other global commerce hubs, with international partners in 20+ markets.
GELF Quarterly Ecommerce Research
Help Shape the Conversation
GELF turns community conversations into useful market intelligence. Our Quarterly Global Trends Report (beta, target launch Q1 2027) surveys senior retail and ecommerce leaders on the issues shaping international growth — from AI and customer acquisition to market expansion, technology platforms and marketplaces.
Members of the GELF Research Community are invited to participate in short executive surveys and receive the findings.
What we explore
AI & Ecommerce
How are retailers preparing for shopping experiences driven by AI assistants and agents?
Customer Acquisition
Where are ecommerce leaders shifting investment as traditional digital marketing economics change?
Global Expansion
Which markets, platforms, and operating models offer the greatest opportunities for international growth?
Commerce Technology
How are retailers evaluating their ecommerce platforms and technology stacks for the next generation of commerce?
GELF research comes from executives talking to other executives.
Join the GELF Research Community
Membership is reviewed. We keep the community senior so the findings stay useful.
About GELF
A forum built before cross-border was a priority
The Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum was founded in 2014 as the only retail community 100% focused on international growth.
Long before cross-border ecommerce became a mainstream strategic priority, GELF created a forum where retailers, brands, technology companies, and industry experts could share what they were learning about international ecommerce.
Today GELF spans events, insights and media: executive dinners and workshops, a quarterly Global Trends Report, and the Global eCommerce Leaders Podcast and YouTube channel — with active senior-executive members and speakers, not a passive audience.
GELF is designed to create conversations you won't find on a typical conference stage.
Leadership
The people behind the forum
Jim Okamura
Co-Founder
Jim is a retail strategy consultant with more than two decades of experience focused on omnichannel retail, international ecommerce, and strategic planning. His research has explored international ecommerce expansion, cross-channel retailing, and organizational best practices among leading global retailers.
LinkedIn
Scott Silverman
Co-Founder
Scott is a longtime ecommerce industry leader and community builder. He spent ten years as Executive Director of Shop.org, where he launched the Shop.org Annual Summit and multiple industry research initiatives. He was one of the creators of Cyber Monday in 2005 and later co-founded CommerceNext, the annual ecommerce growth conference in New York.
LinkedIn
Michael Leblanc
Co-Founder
Michael is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and award-winning media entrepreneur. He brings 25+ years of brand, retail, marketing and ecommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel, and the Retail Council of Canada. He produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and is a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year running.
LinkedInCommunity
A Community Built Around Better Conversations
GELF brings together executives from retailers, consumer brands, marketplaces, technology companies and solution providers already committed to international growth.
- Global Retailer
- Apparel Brand
- Marketplace
- Commerce Platform
- Beauty Brand
- Logistics Provider
- Payments Network
- Consumer Electronics
- Grocery Retailer
- Agency Group
- Growth Investor
- DTC Brand
Placeholder categories shown pending supplied logos. Attendance by an individual executive does not imply an organizational endorsement of GELF.
Join the Global Ecommerce Conversation
Participate in GELF research, receive our latest findings, and hear about upcoming executive dinners, workshops and special events across 2026–2027.
Questions or a speaking idea? Contact GELF