DDi - April/May 2013 - (Page 12)

12 | From the Show Director Your must-sees for GlobalShop 2013 A prospective attendee called me the other day to get information on GlobalShop 2013. She’s from a fast-growing specialty retailer and had not been to the show before, but she had read about it in DDI and wondered if it would be worth her while to attend. As you might imagine, I answered in the affirmative. She then asked me to suggest a basic itinerary. Not wanting to overwhelm her, I suggested a few highlights. You might find these beneficial as well. First off, arrive early and explore Chicago. Shop the Magnificent Mile or visit State Street. Get a cup of coffee at Intelligentsia. Check out Reckless Records on Madison. Go see the Cloud Gate (The Bean) at Millennium Park. Visit the Planetarium or the Shedd Aquarium. Have a steak at Rosebud or try the vodka rigatoni at Café Bianda. Have a cocktail at the Big Bar at the downtown Hyatt. POPAI’s pre-conference starts on Monday, April 15. So does GlobalShop Exchange, our exclusive invitation-only, speed-sourcing event. DDI’s Reader Appreciation Party (RAP) kicks off the week’s social events on Monday night at EPIC. Connect with industry acquaintances or start your own tweet-up. Try to get to bed kind of early, because tomorrow’s going to be a big day. If you’re a runner, you won’t find many better cities for a morning workout—just bring warm clothes. Alternately, grab breakfast at the Wildberry Café on Randolph. But be sure to arrive at McCormick Place in time to attend Herb Sorensen’s keynote address on Tuesday morning, April 16 (don’t forget to pre-register online!). For the first time, our keynote, along with select conference sessions, will be translated into Portuguese and Spanish. Definitely consider attending some of the conference sessions, as they’re full of actionable ideas you can take home and put to use. Now, it’s time for the expo floor. You have a few days, so take your time! There are more than 600 exhibitors, and each has something unique to offer. Make sure to visit our feature areas, like the Retail Design Collective Showcase at the front of the hall, or the Design Inspiration Showcase, Best of GlobalShop and Innovation Theater located centrally in the Hub area under the restaurant. Day one concludes with the A.R.E. Design Awards at the Hard Rock, followed by the the industry’s biggest party, the GlobalShop Opening Night Party at Enclave, sponsored by United Displaycraft. Day two, April 17, starts with the Retail Roundtable, sponsored by Reeve Store Equipment Co. This is a very popular event exclusively for retailers and brand marketers, and allows you to connect and network with a huge gathering of your peers. A few hours later, make sure you attend the Power Lunch, another great opportunity to mix and mingle while experiencing a presentation on Retail Hot Buttons by Nielsen’s Todd Hale. Day two wraps up with POPAI’s OMA Awards gala in the evening at McCormick Place’s Skyline Ballroom. The new Brand Breakfast takes place on Thursday morning, April 18, and features a panel from top brands discussing their views on the industry. Here’s one final chance to learn from your peers and meet new people in your industry. I could have gone on, but I think she was already sold—and she told me she’d see me in Chicago. I hope to see you, too! Tim Fearney GlobalShop Show Director tim.fearney@nielsen.com | April/May 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - April/May 2013

DDi - April/May 2013
Table of Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Visual Perspectives
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Design Snapshot
Markopoulos Award
Tazo Tea
Tiffany & Co.
Experience Makers
Piperlime
Mattel Experience
CookHouse
Aéropostale
Paris Kids Department
Technology & Customer Engagement Section
Technology Trends
Big Data Column
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Design Leaders 2013
Right Light
GlobalShop Coverage
Special Events
Conference Schedule
Chicago Retail
Exhibitor Products
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - April/May 2013