IRDC 2012: Call for Speakers

VMSD is beginning the process of assembling our program for the International Retail Design Conference 2012 (September 5-7, Chicago). Now in its 12th year, IRDC is the premier educational and networking event for the store design and visual merchandising community, drawing several hundred attendees from the U.S. and abroad. This one-of-a-kind conference is three days of inspiration, education and conversation, targeted specifically to the retail design community. To be considered for a presentation spot, please send a proposal for a session topic and how you would address it.

Please follow the instructions below when submitting your proposal. We cannot guarantee we will contact all who submit ideas for the program. For more details on IRDC and on the types of sessions/presentations we’ve done in the past, go to IRDConline.com, where you’ll find a full lineup from last year’s conference.

**PLEASE NOTE: Vendors, manufacturers and suppliers are not eligible to attend or speak at IRDC unless they do so in a sponsor capacity. If you’re interested in sponsorship opportunities, contact Murray Kasmenn at murray.kasmenn@stmediagroup.com or at 770-578-2577.**

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submissions should be emailed to info@irdconline.com. To ensure your proposal reaches the right person, put “speaker proposal” in the subject line. The body of the email must include:

• The speaker’s name, title and organization. Design or architecture firms are strongly encouraged to co-present with a representative from a retail brand; solo presentations from design firms are rarely selected. Please include all speaker and brand names in the proposal.
• Proposed title of the presentation or session.
• An overview of the topic, including a list of talking points to cover.
• A description of the type of visuals that would accompany the presentation. (Visuals are very important.)
• A description of why this topic is of interest to IRDC’s specific market: in-house and contract retail designers and visual merchandisers.

If you have video, audio and/or a list of references that demonstrate your speaking experience, these are enormously helpful.

All proposals must be received by February 13, 2012. After this date, the VMSD editorial staff will choose sessions based on content, industry relevance, presentation approach and “buzzworthiness,” as well as how the proposed session would fit with the rest of the program already in place.