Lisa Wynne, Founder of EcoScapes Sustainability LLC, talks about the pain points most retailers, suppliers and designers face when incorporating sustainability into their practices.

Local Providence magician and mentalist Jonathan Vale wowed the audience with his slight-of-hand and mentalist illusions that tied back to the importance of human connection.

Attendees and sponsors networked following the opening day’s content at the Ideation welcome reception.

Attendees and sponsors networked following the opening day’s content at the Ideation welcome reception.

Attendees and sponsors networked following the opening day’s content at the Ideation welcome reception.

German-based retailer SNIPES was the focus of this year’s 2025 Retail Challenge.

Retail Challenge teams spent the day creating a new experience for German-based retailer SNIPES, to be presented by the late afternoon to the full audience.

Judges of the Retail Challenge met to discuss their top picks of the Retail Challenge teams.

Retail Challenge teams comprised retailers, designers, suppliers, attendees and sponsors and worked all day to create a new retail experience for German-based retailer SNIPES.

The second day of the event was spent ideating and planning a new experience for SNIPES.

The second day of the event was spent ideating and planning a new experience for SNIPES.

Retail Challenge teams comprised retailers, designers, suppliers, attendees and sponsors and worked all day to create a new retail experience for German-based retailer SNIPES.

Retail Challenge teams comprised retailers, designers, suppliers, attendees and sponsors and worked all day to create a new retail experience for German-based retailer SNIPES.

Retail Challenge teams comprised retailers, designers, suppliers, attendees and sponsors and worked all day to create a new retail experience for German-based retailer SNIPES.

Retail Challenge teams comprised retailers, designers, suppliers, attendees and sponsors and worked all day to create a new retail experience for German-based retailer SNIPES.

Retail Challenge teams comprised retailers, designers, suppliers, attendees and sponsors and worked all day to create a new retail experience for German-based retailer SNIPES.

Retail Challenge teams comprised retailers, designers, suppliers, attendees and sponsors and worked all day to create a new retail experience for German-based retailer SNIPES.

Teams presented their planned experiences to the full audience at the end of the day, as well as to the SNIPES team in attendance.

The Retail Challenge team led by ZenGenius’s Johan Kiszonak took home this year’s win. The team will have a chance to showcase their design IRL during the 2026 MarketPlace trade show and conference in New Orleans, May 6-7.

The art installation troupe WaterFire burst through the doors during the closing Ideation Conference & Retail Challenge dinner to lead guests to the closing reception/welcome reception for IRDC 2025.

Equipped with instruments, puppets and flashing lights, the WaterFire troupe led attendees to the closing celebration.

Sponsors to the WaterFire event boarded a boat equipped with a fire twirler and lit braziers to officially close out Ideation 2025 and welcome IRDC 2025 attendees and sponsors.

Sponsors to the WaterFire event boarded a boat equipped with a fire twirler and lit braziers to officially close out Ideation 2025 and welcome IRDC 2025 attendees and sponsors.