From Playboy to Penney's

Pamela Fields, senior vp, worldwide consumer products licensing, for Playboy Enterprises Inc. (Chicago), will be a featured speaker at VM+SD's StoreXpo in New York in December.

Fields, a brand marketing expert, will outline Playboy's new retailing initiatives on Friday, Dec. 5, 2003, at 9 a.m., at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Before joining the international publisher and products marketer in 2002, Fields was president of her own firm, where she worked on turnaround and brand repositioning programs for such companies as The Gap, Swiss Army Brands, Bulova Watch Co. and Del Laboratories.

Joining Fields on the StoreXpo program will be Michael Cape, vp, director of visual merchandising and store design, for J.C. Penney Co. Inc., who will speak on Saturday, Dec. 6; and Melissa Hoffman, vp of business development, Fitch:Worldwide in North America (New York), who will speak on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Cape will discuss “The Renaissance of Visual Merchandising and Store Design: Are You Ready for It?” He will address the future of the industry and how it can help re-shape itself as he shares his journey of the past two years in rebuilding the J.C. Penney brand through visual merchandising and store design — initiatives begun at Penney's by long-time retail executive Allen Questrom.

Hoffman will discuss the growing influence of art on retail design. She had previously been vp, business development and strategic marketing, at Gensler's 585 division (San Francisco), focusing on branding, graphics and retail design. Prior to that, she had been principal of business development and strategic marketing of graphics, retail, architecture and product for dg group (New York, the former Desgrippes Gobe & Associates); director of business development and marketing for Pentagram Design (London and New York); and executive vp and creative director for Esquire magazine.

StoreXpo, produced by VM+SD and sponsored by the National Association of Display Industries (NADI), is the current iteration of the 50-year-old New York winter market tradition and includes participating Manhattan showrooms. It will be held Dec. 5-7, 2003, at the Javits Center.

NADI, based in Hollywood, Fla., is an international, not-for-profit association representing the visual merchandising industry since 1942. The association's membership includes manufacturers, suppliers and retailers involved in the visual merchandising industry.

Attendees may learn more about the show, and download a free pass, at www.storexpo.info. Companies interested in sponsorship or exhibiting opportunities should contact Jennifer Robinson at 800-925-1110, ext. 367, 513-263-9367; fax: 770-416-0337; or e-mail her at jennifer.robinson@stmediagroup.com.