American adventures of X-Cart team: IRCE and Beer Meeting in Chicago, 2Checkout HQ in Columbus, Colo Data Center in Atlanta, Miami vacations and NYC impressions

Hi Guys! Now that the Summer Sales are over – both your and ours 😉 – let’s just relax and talk about something not related to sales at all. For example about our trip to the United States – to Internet Retail Conference and Exhibition aka IRCE, meeting with X-Carters in Rock Bottom, visiting partners in Columbus and Atlanta, and after all – relaxing in Miami and NYC.

IRCE and Beer Meeting in Chicago

These two were the main purpose of our long journey to America – all year we were preparing to this annual event. Frankly speaking, I will not tell for sure which one is of higher importance for us.

IRCE is a huge exhibition, where new business acquaintances are made, where the latest eCommerce trends are discovered, where the best speakers show their vast experience. PayPal, Authorize.NET, Chase Paymentech, Total Server Solutions, KOUNT, Bongo International, Stamps.com, BCS Engineering, Avalara, DIgital River and X-Cart.es – dozens of partners came to our booth to say hi and grab a cute orange creature, oXtopus.

Beer Meeting is much more private, almost a “family” event where old friends hang out together. (Thanks to the sponsors who made this event possible: PayPal and Total Server Solutions). The relaxing atmosphere, jokes, billiards – yet a perfect place to strengthen the business connections. Mike, Emerson and Eric, Carrie and Brandon, Kimberly and Conor, Matt and Sandi, Dhvanit, Kyle, David, Chi and Eric, Hubert – I’m so happy I met these wonderful people in person. Max, Alex, Tony, Lesy, me – the X-Cart delegation was quite large. Ruslan Fazlyev paid a visit to X-Cart Beer Meeting at “Rock Bottom” too.

When IRCE and the Beer Meeting were over, one more day in Chicago was left. The breathtaking view from the 94th floor, U-boat at the Museum of Science and Technology, and to top it up – the Brazilian steakhouse “Fogo de Chão” (thank you Emerson!) with the most tender, juicy, melting, delicious meat ever. Max and Alex were lucky to get tickets to a baseball match. Lesy and I “unlocked the new skill”: the “Happy Llama,Sad Llama” song =)

Where “X-Payments” live: Data Center in Atlanta

Many a time did Emerson Nogueira demonstrate his unforgettable charisma. In addition to it – a cheerful mind, easy-going manners and wonderful hospitality. A year ago, per his invitation, Alex Mulin even visited the Colo@ Data Center in Atlanta. Powerful generators, servers, thousands of cords – everything in order, fancy spare parts… But since photography is not the strongest point of Alex, I had to ask Emerson&Eric to share a couple of images so that you could have a better idea of what makes our partners so good! Upon arrival Alex confirmed without hesitation, the hosted X-Payments accounts are in reliable hands.

2Checkout HQ in Columbus

Alex continued his journey to pay a visit to another industry partner of X-Cart: 2Checkout welcomed him warmly. You expect to see whatever different (and needful, for sure!) stuff in the headquarter of a major payment gateway, but not a boxing belt? Still, it’s there!

Miami Vacations and NYC impressions

Lesy and I followed Alex’s example – Lesy hurried to New York City, I – to Miami.

For sure, it was an excellent decision. I had wonderful vacations. Florida, the state of the Sun, beaches and wonderful flora. Villa Vizcaya, deep sea fishing, thousands of flourishing plants, so many lizards and iguanas. Thank God, I have not seen any snakes, are there any?

Lesy wasn’t wasting her time either: “If the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable symbols of America, the Empire State Building is most probably one of the main symbol of New York. I visited both – and so will every tourist do, right? But 9/11 Memorial Museum – this is what impressed me most of all. Almost 3,000 victims, almost 3,000 portraits, and one can read about each of them. This was an awful tragedy, one of the deadliest ever, but only here you realize the entire scale and horror. It should never happen again”.

Bottomline

Each of us brought a lot from this trip. But I think the main is the understanding: we’re on the right track. Meeting you guys face to face, live conversations, shaking hands – it is important and so inspiring! Returning back to the X-Cart HQ, we’re eager to make X-Cart even better. Hope to see you next year!

PS: Many thanks to Mike White for everything he did before, during and after the this trip – for X-Cart as brand and for each of X-Carters.