C O UR T E SY OF T HE R ITZ-C AR LTON, NE W OR LE ANS T he International Retail Design Conference (IRDC), a three-day knowledge feast of retail design best practices and trends, network- ing and inspiration, presented annually by VMSD, traveled to New Orleans this Sept. 5-8. It proved yet again to energize and engage the more than 400 creatives in attendance from the U.S. and abroad. A quick search of the conference hashtag, #irdc2017, on social media reveals countless inspirational quotes from influential speakers, attendee banter and snapshots of retail, culture and cuisine (beignets!) discovered (and eaten!) during selfguided tours of the enigmatic city. VMSD.COM | NOVEMBER 2017 31http://www.VMSD.COM