I hail from a family of fierce competitors. Growing up one of six kids, it was survival of the fittest – or wittiest, as it were. To this day, whenever the gang gathers, at holidays or a summer barbecue, out come the board games and, not far behind, the political volleys. (We’re just about evenly divided between conservatives and liberals and punches are seldom pulled – but we always kiss and make up afterward.)
So imagine my delight when I came on board VMSD in April and got the low-down on our Iron Merchant Challenge, the hands-on visual merchandising competition and popular highlight of our signature annual event, the International Retail Design Conference, to be held this September in Vancouver. The master of ceremonies for the much-anticipated bout, Joe Baer, owner, ZenGenius (Columbus, Ohio), is no shrinking violet, but I imagine he’ll have his hands full wrangling pumped-up designers armed with glue guns, feather boas and a passel of mute mannequins.
As fun as the Iron Merchant and other networking events promise to be for IRDC attendees, there’s some seriously productive and, dare I say it, educational opportunities on tap this year as well. And who can’t use a little of each? I’m looking forward to soaking up as much industry insight as I can. In addition to its focus on international retail trends (China, Canada and Europe will be highlighted during speaker panels and case studies), IRDC will present exclusive survey results from a national study of new in-store elements that most excite – and disinterest – consumers, courtesy of WD Partners (Columbus, Ohio).
We all know that regardless of these findings, tomorrow’s stores will be vastly different than the ones that characterized retail’s big-box era. With that in mind, we’ll hear keynote speaker Doug Stephens’s take on the store of the future, from staffing and design to technology and marketing – and how each will change dramatically. Stephens is also our featured subject this month in “Checking Out” on page 64 of the print and digital editions of VMSD.
Finally, I’m excited to visit Vancouver, a city that has come into its own on the international stage and with its varied, sophisticated retail offerings. Turn to page 38 for a snapshot of this vibrant, booming metropolis, and sure-to-be genial conference host city. I hope to see you in Vancouver.
For more information on IRDC, go to irdconline.com.