Behind the Scenes at Balkan Ecommerce Summit: An Exclusive Interview with Organiser Nikola Ilchev

🎤 Let’s start with something simple : how many countries were represented at this year’s summit?

We had participants from 23 countries. While we expected strong interest from the Balkans’ e-commerce and digital marketing experts, we were pleasantly surprised by the presence of attendees from Central and Western Europe as well as guests from China, Singapore, and India. It’s clear our region is gaining global attention.

🎤 Now, let’s dive deeper into your experience organising this year’s event. As the main organiser, what was the most surprising feedback or response you received from attendees at this year’s Balkan Ecommerce Summit?

We received a lot of positive feedback which we were hoping for, to be honest. It’s not our first year organizing the event at this scale, and we always aim to meet the high expectations of our audience. After reviewing last year’s feedback, we made it a priority to elevate every aspect of the summit. The standout praise this year was definitely for the networking zone: with 100 tables and all meetings seamlessly managed through a mobile app, it became one of the most appreciated features.

🎤 Which speaker or presentation made you rush to take notes, and why?

As I was frequently engaged in conversations and organisational responsibilities, I couldn’t attend all the presentations in full. However, I did manage to watch the sessions by Jeff Hoffman and Martin Greif. Both delivered their insights in an engaging and highly accessible manner. I found their content extremely valuable and have already noted several key takeaways that I plan to discuss with my team in the coming weeks. For me, at the stage of our business, the development of the team is a key element, and all the notes I took are related to that.

🎤 If you had to describe the future of Balkan e-commerce in just three words, what would they be?

The Balkan region is still growing in online sales and is a very attractive market for businesses from Central and Western Europe. It’s a dynamic and challenging environment due to its diverse languages and mentalities. But if I had to sum up the future of Balkan e-commerce in three words, they would be: Dynamic, Challenging, and Promising.

🎤 What’s one e-commerce trend everyone at the summit was talking about that surprised you?

While preparing for the event, I had the opportunity to review the topics and preview some of the presentations. I was pleased to see that AI was well represented, though not overwhelmingly so. What truly surprised me, however, was that almost every speaker ended up incorporating AI examples into their presentations. It clearly reflected how deeply AI is influencing the future of e-commerce.

🎤 Which country in the Balkan region do you think is leadinge e-commerce revolution right now?

In my view, Romania is currently leading the e-commerce revolution in the Balkan region. The country is home to some of the most advanced and well-developed platforms, and it often serves as an early adopter of global e-commerce trends in Eastern Europe. Its position as the largest market in the region by population also gives it a significant competitive advantage.

🎤 What’s the one piece of advice from the summit you’d text to every e-commerce entrepreneur in the Balkans?

One piece of advice shared from the stage instantly stuck with me and will influence all of my future projects. It’s something I believe can truly transform any e-commerce business in the Balkans: “To build a successful company, make sure your entire team clearly understands and genuinely connects with your future plans and goals”. When everyone is aligned, execution becomes far more powerful.

🎤 Which innovation or solution presented at the summit received the most enthusiastic response from attendees?

With so many diverse solutions showcased from innovative packaging and AI-powered e-commerce search tools to niche platforms there was strong interest across the board. However, what truly stood out was a new addition to our format: for the first time, we invited producers to exhibit private label opportunities. This caught a lot of attention, as many online store owners found potential suppliers for their next product lines.

🎤 What was your favourite networking moment that happened outside the official presentations?

At the beginning of the event, we experienced a minor technical issue with the ticketing system, which caused a queue to form at registration. What truly impressed me was the attendees’ attitude. Rather than being upset or impatient, they immediately began engaging in conversations and exchanging ideas. Many later shared that they had already entered ‘networking mode’ and that waiting in line actually turned into one of their most enjoyable and productive networking moments.

🎤 On a fun note – if you could add any fantasy feature to the summit’s mobile app for next year, what would make attendees go “wow”?

How about a ‘Brainstorm Roulette‘ feature? The app could randomly group 5–6 attendees and invite them to a 30-minute surprise brainstorming session on a hot e-commerce topic. It would spark fresh ideas and unexpected connections and definitely deliver some wow moments that are fun, valuable, and unforgettable.