Thousands of ebay sellers and staff from around the world converged on San Jose California last week September 10 and 11 for a 2 day Seller Summit to celebrate ebay’s 20th anniversary hashtag #ebay20.

Happy Birthday ebay!

ebay and eCommerce have gone through massive changes in the past 20 years. Pierre Omidyr ebay’s founder remarked to me that in the beginning you had to have your own server to host pictures!

Pierre Omidyr spoke with me about ebay’s early history

Many different kinds of sellers with many different kinds of products are currently on ebay’s global platform.

ebay greeted all of its sellers with an open embrace.

Warm greetings from ebay staff at #ebay20!

From start to finish in every presentation the sellers and the entire selling community were acknowledged and thanked profusely by every speaker from ebay CEO Devin Wenig and ebay’s founder Pierre Omidyr to each of the Vice Presidents and then every leader of the 2nd day break out session workshops.

ebay CEO Devin Wenig & ebay Founder Pierre Omidyr Photo: ebay for business

Starting with the event’s opening video ebay turns 20 to the closing remarks the ebay team with CEO Devin Wenig at the helm turned backward to acknowledge ebay’s roots in social eCommerce and ebay’s heart to empower small and medium business.

ebay’s core values of empowering people were reaffirmed to be the same today but with different challenges and hurdles than what founder Pierre Omidyr faced not so long ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFexG37TbU8&feature=youtu.be

Devin Wenig set the tone by speaking to ebay’s powerful and vibrant selling platform that values people over drones.

ebay spoke to it’s sellers and ebay partied with it’s sellers!

ebay 20 party Thursday Night!
Photo – CampaignGo

I enjoyed one to one access to many ebay senior staff including VP of Seller Experience Jordan Sweetnam, Sr VP of  North America Hal Lawton , VP of Local and Seller Experience Heather Friedland, Laura Chambers VP of Global Customer Trust and more!

Chatting with ebay VP’s Hal Lawton & Heather Gordon Friedland

I wasn’t alone in gaining access to ebay senior staff! They made themselves accessible to sellers in the various public areas of the 2 day summit!

So now that the event full of information and parties is over, what do I think?

#ebay20 was over so fast!

I think ebay is in a very good place steered by informed and compassionate people that are taking a great deal of time to listen and respond to it’s global seller community. 

Seller after seller I spoke with liked the details of ebay’s Fall Seller Release and noted the openness and the consistent easy access to the senior staff. The Fall Seller release is full of actions by ebay to empower it’s sellers.

Over the next few weeks ebay is hosting numerous community chats and events to explain all the details of the Fall Seller Release and it’s impact on seller’s businesses.

Pinterest Board with Upcoming Events for ebay’s Fall Seller Release!

I’m left feeling very happy, full of information, tips, email addresses and hugs. I am very optimistic with a bit of caution in my mind.

ebay has started a massive reaching out to it’s sellers. It has opened the door to talk and listen. This is going to be some job! ebay staff spoke of using snap polls, surveys and social media to listen and engage with the seller community regularly. 

I’ll be watching to see how the ebay selling community
responds. I want to see the what and how of ebay’s corporate energy to continue and maintain this vital conversation. 

Well done ebay to remember ebay started with a man whose heart was to believe in people and to reaffirm that essential value.

I look forward to seeing how Devin Wenig and his team orchestrate a vibrant and ubiquitous ebay.

Happy birthday ebay! And thank you Pierre!