New York, NY, Jan. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 
The National Retail Federation will use Conversa AI’s conversational video platform to enable President and CEO Matthew Shay to answer questions from more than 40,000 visitors to this year’s Big Show via the ASK MATT app. The technology, developed by StoryFile, will also enable visitors to have conversations with Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America and Rob Grimes, CEO of the International Food and beverage Technology Association. Visitors to NRF and the Foodservice Innovation Zone will be greeted by near-lifesize videos of the executives introducing them to the Conversa AI app and the opportunity to have their own conversations.
“One of the most exciting aspects of NRF’s Big Show is showcasing the latest technology and innovations that are transforming the retail industry,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “This year, I had the opportunity to work with the Conversa team to use me and create an interactive hologram. Big Show attendees will be able to experience this cutting-edge technology and how it can be used to benefit their brands.”
PepsiCo is a major sponsor of this year's Foodservice Innovation Zone at the NRF Big Show, and Williams will answer questions about PepsiCo Foods via the ASK STEVEN app. The Foodservice Innovation Zone profiles leading companies and innovations in food production, automation, and service, including drive throughs, security and automation.
“Conversa AI was created to enable people to have meaningful asynchronous conversations and NRF’s Big Show is a perfect use case – CEOs Matthew Shay, Steven Williams, and Rob Grimes couldn’t be everywhere at once before, but now they can,” said Stephen Smith, Founder of Conversa AI. “Visitors will be able to experience these executives’ expertise and guidance wherever they are at the most important retail and foodservice show of the year.”
Conversa is also pleased to announce its partnership with the International Food and beverage Technology Association (IFBTA). The partnership will support foodservice organizations with Conversational Video AI to improve communication and access for teams and customers. ASK ROB provides an opportunity for visitors to the Foodservice Innovation Zone to meet IFBTA CEO Grimes via Conversa conversational video AI. ASK ROB guides guests around the entire Food Service Innovation Zone.
“A year ago, at CES 2023, the IFBTA met Conversa and instantly recognized how their innovative technology would impact the foodservice, hospitality, and retail industries by bringing back direct conversations between operators, guests, customers, and staff; something lost during COVID19,” said Rob Grimes, CEO of IFBTA. “Conversa puts the hospitality back into hospitality, by changing the way we communicate where differentiation means being able to present your concept and story, to a growing international audience.
Conversa AI is the original AI-powered conversational video platform in use by major corporations around the world across enterprise, finance, medical training, retail and more. It is also the underlying technology of StoryFile, which has been featured on 60 Minutes, the BBC and in The New York Times. William Shatner is an investor and it has recently made global news when the VR + AI experience “Tell Me, Inge” created with Meta and UNESCO debuted at the United Nations and the upcoming launch at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
For more information about NRF and Conversa AI’s partnership at NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show contact: owen@thoughtgangmedia.com
About StoryFile: StoryFile is keeping artificial intelligence human. Founded in Los Angeles in 2017, its patented, award-winning Conversational Video technology, Conversa AI, now powers SaaS products for both enterprise and consumers and is in use by Fortune 500 companies, and cultural institutions all over the world. In contrast to most of the field of AI today, StoryFile’s technology is always at the service of people.. Wherever there is a question to be asked, there’s a use case for StoryFile. To learn more, visit StoryFile.com.
Attachments
- Conversa AI logo
- NRF's President Guides Visitors to the ASK MATT app by Conversa AI
- PepsiCo Foods North America CEO Steven Williams at NRF via AI
- NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay with his app and Conversa AI Co-Founder Stephen Smith
