Sephora Svp to Keynote IRDC

ST Media Group Intl. (Cincinnati), the parent company of VMSD, has announced the program for its 13th annual International Retail Design Conference this September in Vancouver.

Retail design leaders from Sephora and Microsoft will speak at the event, September 17-19 at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver.

Paul Loux, Sephora’s senior vp of store design, will keynote the annual conference, discussing the brand’s integration of technology, exploration and interactivity into its more than 3300 locations with its online store.

Other keynoters include Toronto-based retail futurist and business advisor Doug Stephens, author of “The Retail Revival: Reimagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism,” and retail industry veteran and VMSD editorial advisor Peter Dixon, senior partner and creative director at Prophet Brand Strategy (New York).

Stephens will outline “The Future of the Retail Store” – from staffing and store design to technology and marketing – while Dixon will address the challenges of translating retail brands in foreign markets in “Your Brand Abroad: Adventures in Cross-Cultural Retail.”

International expansion—particularly to growth markets such as Canada and China—is a recurring topic in the 2013 IRDC program, themed “Culture Shop” by conference planners. More than 30 speakers, representing retailers such as Vancouver-based lululemon athletica, will share experiences and insights on understanding foreign shopper cultures, maintaining the essence of a brand and building community around a store.

Other highlights of the 2013 program include networking roundtable discussions, sponsor/client case studies, the annual Iron Merchant Visual Merchandising Challenge, guided tours of the Vancouver retail scene and more.

Conference registration is underway at irdconline.com. Hotel reservation cutoff is Aug. 16, 2013.