I had the privilege of speaking at the Sellers Conference in Philadelphia last week.

This event, formerly known as the Seller's Conference for Online Entrepreneurs, or SCOE, was and has always been the leading U.S. conference for people who sell merchandise on Amazon. But last week's event demonstrates how a virtual team headed by event organizer Rhonda Schneider has successfully adapted to change in this marketplace.

First of all, the event is no longer just for Amazon sellers. The majority of programs focused on tools for selling across multiple platforms (eBay, Amazon, Etsy, etc.) and challenged attendees to explore relatively new venues, such as jet.com and Google Shopping.

Second of all, the event is no longer just for West Coast people. Originally an annual event held in Seattle, the Sellers Conference is now held twice a year, in Philadelphia in the spring and in Seattle in the fall. But most importantly, the event organizers have made an entrepreneurial decision — an extremely brave one — not to try to be "all things to all people."

When it comes to conferences for internet retailers, there are two basic flavors:

—Large-scale events, such as the Internet Retailers Conference and Exposition held in Chicago each June, which offers dozens of programs for sellers at all experience levels. Frankly, it can be a bit overwhelming.

—Smaller-scale events, such as the eBay Open held in Las Vegas each July, which focuses strictly on eBay selling and primarily targets newbies and early-stage sellers.

Looking at this landscape, Schneider and her team realized that there was no event for serious intermediate sellers or advanced sellers with annual sales in the six figures or seven figures (or beyond). Taking a gamble, they rebranded SCOE as the Sellers Conference and targeted high-end sellers by imposing a $699 per-person fee for the three-day event.

As a result, only about 100 people attended. But from what I heard, no one was complaining. Most of the speakers, exhibitors and event sponsors I spoke to said they were delighted by the quality of the attendees. One exhibitor said, "It's a pleasure to speak only to people who can actually use our services and understand what we're about without a lot of explanation."

Some of the program titles demonstrated the event's focus on sophisticated sellers, such as:

—"Flywheels and Feedback Loops" (if you have to ask what these are, you probably didn't belong at the conference) by e-marketing consulting firm Efficient Era.

—"How to Plan for a Winning Exit with Your e-Commerce Business" by London-based business brokerage firm FE International.

—"Trademark Law for e-Tailers" by attorney C.J. Rosenbaum, author of the "Amazon Law Library" series of legal guides.

—"Expanding Internationally" by Gianni Munday, founder of Extra Direct U.K. Ltd.

—"Stop Making Private Labels; Make Private Products!" by Tim Jordan, co-founder of Hickory Flats, a firm that helps U.S.-based web retailers source product in China and elsewhere in Asia.

Speaking of private labeling (buying generic merchandise and putting your trademarked brand on it), which was a major topic at the conference, branding consultant Anthony P. Fichera advised the following:

—When starting white label/private label product projects, regardless of the channel you choose to sell on, start with a reasonable, low-exposure quantity like 24 to 96 units.

—Have a plan in place to differentiate your product with great images, excellent well-thought out bullets and content/description.

—Think about a creative, easily printed label (with your logo!) that you can apply to the box and upload as a secondary image.

—Create instructions or an insert that also has your brand logo. Have a clean photo of that insert and use that as one of images.

—Create a value-added document that you upload as an additional image, along with recipes and tips on how it may be used to get the best value.

—Create a short 'eBook' PDF (with your brand logo included) that is offered as a follow-up to purchases and can be emailed to the buyer.

I spoke on legal and tax issues for web retailers and focused specifically on dealing with accusations of your firm selling counterfeit merchandise online. In many cases, these letters are sent by product manufacturers (or their attorneys) who are upset you are selling their merchandise outside of their authorized chain of distributors.

A 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case, Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons Inc., gives web retailers broad defenses against such claims, and often, if a seller asserts its rights under the Kirtsaeng case, the offending letter simply goes away.

The Sellers Conference is now positioned as the must-attend event for advanced and professional web retailers. Congratulations to Rhonda Schneider and her team on a job well-done.

Cliff Ennico ([email protected]) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt." This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our webpage at www.creators.com.