Save the Dates

Anyone who’s ever been involved in planning a conference or event knows you’re constantly challenged with raising the bar, year after year, city after city.
 

Since 2001, VMSD’s International Retail Design Conference has brought retail’s stars to the podium to share insight and inspiration, including Nike, Starbucks, Anthropologie, The Bay, Nordstrom, Whole Foods, SuperValu and Harley-Davidson, to name just a few. We’ve presented cutting-edge studies on grocery retailing, visual merchandising, in-store lighting, global markets and technology. And we’ve shared case studies from such renowned firms as Yabu Pushelberg, Callison, Gensler, Chute Gerdeman, FRCH Design Worldwide, WD Partners and so many more.

So, what’s up our sleeve for 2012? For starters, we’ve added a one-day, intensive mini-IRDC called the IRDC Roadshow: Millennial Edition. This event will be held June 7 in Cincinnati at the historic Hilton Netherland Plaza. The agenda: anything and everything retailers and designers need to know about the millennial generation, which is poised to change the face of shopping – and your brand – during the next decade.

The conversation starts with keynote speaker Marian Salzman, a trendspotter known for her insight on millennials, their buying power and shopping habits. “Telling them how to live or being prescriptive is a turn-off,” says Salzman. “They want a dialogue of mutuality, not a one-way discourse.”

For more insight from Salzman, check out the June issue's Checking Out interview . Also, be sure to register for the June event at irdconline.com/roadshow.

The excitement continues in September, when VMSD hosts its 12th annual IRDC, September 5-7 at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown. We’ve lined up speakers to talk about such topics as thriving in store design today, sustainability, retail trends in Australia and Mexico, shopper insights on the grocery sector and in-store technology. You’ll get the chance to hear from and mingle with such top-notch brands as Starbucks, Whole Foods, Hershey’s, Target, Liverpool Department Store, GM and McDonald’s.

As we lead up to this year’s conference, we’ll preview some of these topics and speakers in our magazine and online. So look for the IRDC Topic icon (above). And for more insight and perspective, sign up to become an IRDC Insider at irdconline.com for newsletters, program updates and early-bird discounts. Also, check out our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn conversations and give your input – you may win a free registration to IRDC 2012.