We’ve all been there before: the expo hall. You feel the rush and invigoration as soon as you walk in — this is the place where some of the best companies in the world come together! But your excitement quickly turns into inundation. The rows upon rows of booths all start to blend together. Nothing is standing out or inspiring you to interact or collaborate. You quickly feel defeated and exhausted.
I know the feeling well.
But what if there was a better way to incorporate fun spaces and collaborative moments that excite and invigorate you? What if you were able to learn about some key industry trends and best practices, and then see them in action on the expo floor?
That’s the experience we’re trying to bring to life at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo! We’re making great headway thanks to some of our incredible partners, but I can promise you, this is only the beginning. See some of the great activations and experiences we have lined up this May in Chicago.
The Cannabis Pop-Up Experience
The cannabis market is chock-full of innovative business models and in-store experiences. In fact, some of the most creative and memorable store models have come from this fast-growing category. We can’t wait to share one incredible example from our friends at CS Hudson and Cookies. Together, the companies are crafting an incredible experience that combines high-touch service, cutting-edge technology and even some exclusive products. We’ll be sitting down with one of Cookies’ top execs during the Design:Retail Conference to dig deeper into the brand’s story.
Clicks 2 Bricks
CPG and DTC brands are exploring new ways to build customer engagement across all channels. Our CPG Go-to-Market Summit and the DTC Innovation Forum are two tracks during the Internet Retailer Conference that will dig into some of these key trends. We’re welcoming top executives from brands like SmileDirectClub, Brooklinen, Brilliant Earth and so many more! But if you want to turn this inspiration into action, the Clicks 2 Bricks activation is for you! Learn how to create a consistent and compelling journey for your customers, whether they’re shopping on your direct ecommerce site, through a marketplace or in a retail partner’s store. Our friends at Menasha will be powering the experience.
PAVE Student Mentorship & Activation
The Retail Innovation Conference & Expo is a proud partner of PAVE, the Planning and Visual Education Partnership. The core mission of PAVE is to provide great opportunities for students in the visual merchandising and design industry to network with established leaders and find new ways to contribute their talents to community-building initiatives. PAVE is our key student and mentorship partner, which means their booth will offer plenty of opportunities for you to connect with emerging talent, and even offer your wisdom to budding talent. Now more than ever, members of the community need to connect and share their experiences. The PAVE booth will have a dedicated space for these mentorship meetings and will even include an awesome activation built by the student members.
BNPL Place
Buy now, pay later is taking the retail industry by storm. During the BNPL Summit, developed in partnership with Canadian Lenders Association, we’re digging into the latest trends in payment experience, including “embedded payment” and using BNPL as an acquisition channel. Once you get informed and inspired by the incredible content in the track, stop by BNPL Place to chat with top players and get additional insights and thought leadership at the BNPL Theater.
We know that you have access to more content and information than you could possibly need online. Why travel to Chicago when you can register for a virtual event or read an E-book? Incredible weather and Chicago-style pizza aside, the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo will combine unique learning experiences through pre-event workshops and our 16 tracks, and also create a once-in-a-lifetime moment to test the latest and greatest and technology.