Review: International Retail Design Conference

VM+SD held its seventh annual International Retail Design Conference in September at Atlanta’s InterContinental Buckhead Hotel.

Wal-Mart’s Charles Zimmerman opened the conference, detailing the retailer’s initiatives for saving energy and other operating costs through a dizzying array of energy-efficient lamping, daylighting, water and heat reclamation and white roofing.

James Damian of Best Buy and Moira Cullen of Coca-Cola closed the conference with strong approaches for the practical and emotional drivers of creativity. Damian was there to accept, for Best Buy, the 2007 Peter Glen/VM+SD Retailer of the Year award.

In between were three days of presentations, roundtables, panel discussions, hands-on exercises, networking and fun. 

The 2008 IRDC will be held September 3-5 in Seattle’s Grand Hyatt Hotel. Get regular updates on next year’s conference by signing up for the e-newsbrief at www.irdconline.com.

Click here for our in-depth Iron Merchant coverage and check out our exclusive Q&A with winner David Kepron.