How do you build a digital experience worthy of an £8,000 bag?

That was the question at the centre of this live podcast recording at Soho Works, 180 Strand hosted by Live Story and Marketing in the Madness.

Bringing together leaders from Bottega Veneta, Merkle and across luxury retail, this conversation explores what’s really happening behind the scenes as brands rethink how digital experiences are built, managed and scaled.

From slow, rigid platforms to more agile, content-led approaches, this episode looks at why many brands are struggling to deliver the kind of experiences customers now expect and how solutions like Live Story are helping teams take back control of the frontend, enabling faster launches, more creative freedom and less reliance on development.

Featuring Francesca Ricci Bitti, Global Digital Business Director, Bottega Veneta, Marta Bevilacqua, Head of Global Ecommerce & Omnichannel, Bottega Veneta and Billy Hanna, Head of Experience & Commerce Platforms, Merkle and hosted by Katie Street.

• Introduction and why luxury ecommerce is changing
• Why digital experience now defines luxury brands
• Moving beyond transactional ecommerce
• Personalisation, exclusivity, and customer expectations
• The challenge of consistency across channels
• Why traditional platforms are slowing brands down
• How Live Story enables faster, more flexible digital experiences
• Speed vs perfection: how teams are changing how they work
• AI in luxury: real use cases vs hype
• Why content is the foundation for AI and personalisation
• Breaking down internal silos and operational friction
• What brands still get wrong about customer experience
• The rise of agentic commerce and what comes next
• Final advice for luxury and ecommerce leaders

This episode was recorded live at Soho Works, 180 Strand, as part of a private breakfast event hosted by Live Story, bringing together luxury brands and digital leaders to share practical insights on how ecommerce is evolving and what brands need to do next.

Connect with us: Billy Hanna LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyhanna/

Francesca Ricci Bitti LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-ricci-bitti-4a29568/

Marta Bevilacqua LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-bevilacqua-5759b441/

Live Story: https://livestory.nyc/ Merkle: https://www.merkle.com/ Bottega Veneta: https://www.bottegaveneta.com/en-gb

Katie Street LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestreet/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetmate/

Marketing in the Madness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-in-the-madness-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketinginthemadness/

Street Agency https://street.agency/ https://www.instagram.com/street.agency/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/streetagency/

Artificial intelligence is transforming hospitality but how can luxury brands use AI without losing the human touch?

In this episode recorded live at Shoptalk Luxe in Abu Dhabi, Katie Street sits down with Sean Sear, SVP of Strategy, Technology & Innovation at Langham Hospitality Group, to explore how one of the world’s most historic luxury hotel brands is embracing AI to create better guest experiences.

From AI-powered booking assistants to staff training tools and data-driven strategy platforms, Sean shares how Langham is building a “family of AIs” designed to increase bookings, empower hotel staff and deliver truly personalised luxury hospitality.

They also discuss why successful AI adoption starts with defining the right business problem, how to balance startup innovation with enterprise technology, and why data is the foundation of any effective AI strategy.

If you’re interested in AI in hospitality, luxury hotel innovation, digital transformation or how brands can implement AI across large organisations, this conversation is packed with insights.

00:00 - Introduction from Shoptalk Luxe 01:15 - The history and innovation legacy of Langham Hospitality Group 02:25 - Why Langham is investing heavily in AI 03:10 - Meet the “family of AIs”: Sam, Jarvis and Zoe 05:45 - How to identify the right problems for AI to solve 07:30 - Building an AI-first culture across a global organisation 09:20 - Choosing the right AI technology partners 11:20 - Why data quality matters for AI success 13:30 - Sean’s advice for businesses starting their AI journey

And because this series is part of our partnership with Shoptalk Luxe, if conversations like this one spark ideas then you'll definitely want to be in the room next time!

Shoptalk Europe 2026 is already shaping up to be HUGE. If retail, tech and innovation sit anywhere in your world, now's the time to get your ticket and get it in the diary here: https://europe.shoptalk.com/home?utm_source=mediapartner&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=marketing-in-the-madness-podcast

Don't forget to like, comment and follow so you don't miss the rest of the series 🔔

Connect with us: Sean Seah LinkedIn

Katie Street LinkedIn Instagram

Marketing in the Madness LinkedIn Instagram

Street Agency https://street.agency/ https://www.instagram.com/street.agency/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/streetagency/

Recommerce, resale, circular fashion… whatever you call it, the way we buy luxury is changing!

In this episode recorded live at Shoptalk Luxe in Abu Dhabi, Katie Street sits down with Kirsty Keoghan, GM of Fashion & Luxury at eBay, to talk about the explosion of pre-loved luxury, the changing psychology of luxury buyers and why trust is everything in resale marketplaces.

From authentication technology to Love Island partnerships and the rise of live shopping, this conversation explores how eBay is shaping the future of luxury recommerce!

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, comment and subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping the future of retail.

And because this series is part of our partnership with Shoptalk Luxe, if conversations like this one spark ideas then you'll definitely want to be in the room next time!

Shoptalk Europe 2026 is already shaping up to be HUGE. If retail, tech and innovation sit anywhere in your world, now's the time to get your ticket and get it in the diary here: https://europe.shoptalk.com/home?utm_source=mediapartner&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=marketing-in-the-madness-podcast

Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2UUIgMdZ6FdSCrux5BY7PI?si=c48bdbecb5be4a6e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-in-the-madness/id1688996981

Connect with us: Kristy Keoghan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsty-keoghan-05464517/

Katie Street LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestreet/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetmate/

Marketing in the Madness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-in-the-madness-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketinginthemadness/

Street Agency https://street.agency/ https://www.instagram.com/street.agency/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/streetagency/