It’s a boardroom topic, it’s changing the way that firms do business, and it’s unleashing innovation at an unprecedented pace. No, it’s not the new watch from Apple, it’s digital business, and getting it right is crucial to the survival of nearly every business. Mapping Your Path To Digital Mastery is also the theme of our annual eBusiness Forum, which will take place in Chicago on October 28th and 29th. Come join us!

At the event this year we’ll be tackling this fundamental tension: According to our survey with partner Russell Reynolds, 73% of firms think that they have a digital strategy but just 34% of executives that think their digital strategy is correct, and only 16% believe they can deliver their strategy.

Danger Will Robinson! Firms are in trouble: Digital innovation isn’t slowing down and customer expectations are rising. And when you think it couldn't get any more difficult to pull off a digital business transformation, digital business success requires a new, even thornier element: the creation of ecosystems of value.

This means re-envisioning your business not as a standalone entity but as part of an ecosystem of suppliers that customers assemble according to their needs and an ecosystem of collaborating businesses sharing data and services.

Do ecosystems sound complicated? Don’t panic, we’re focusing the majority of our event content on how to create internal and external ecosystems. On the main stage, Forrester keynoters Bill Doyle, Martin Gill, Julie Ask and David Johnson will outline what it takes to become a digital business leader and to create partner ecosystems.  Speakers from Walgreens, 3M, Bank of America and others will share their firms’ digital business journey and transformation stories.

In our track sessions we’ll focus on how you as an eBusiness/eCommerce leader can lead the transformation, and make sure you know all about the changing technology environment and relationship with your BT counterparts to get there. I’m particularly excited about a session with Margot McShane from premier digital recruiting firm Russell Reynolds on what firms are looking for in digital business leaders and where to find them. If you’re interested in key industry digital business insights, we’ll have analyst-led tracks for the retail, financial services, and B2B industries too. The full event agenda is here. For a taste of the amazing content and insights that come out of these events, check out Bill Doyle's recap from last year's event on Leading The Digital Business Revolution (subscription required).

I hope you’ll join us in Chicago. Early bird pricing is available through September 20th. Event information and registration can be found here on the event overview page.