The Future of Retail Includes Brilliant Audiovisual Experiences

— Sponsored Content —

As the Presenting Sponsor of the International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) 2017, Sept. 5-8, in New Orleans, InfoComm International supports the retail design theory that audiovisual technology puts the “experience” in today’s in-store shopping experiences. For brands to stay relevant in the eyes of today's digital-first consumer, integrated AV experiences should be as important as other design factors. With rapid advances in technology – and AV professionals who know how to use them – the sky’s the limit when it comes to creating experiences that attract and engage customers.

At IRDC 2017, InfoComm will host a Thursday morning Case Study Breakfast on Sept. 7, featuring three visionary designers who will tell attendees how they create engaging and successful in-store retail experiences with cutting-edge audiovisual technology.

Bespoke Coworking, Westfield San Francisco Centre / Courtesy of InfoComm Intl.

Jeremy Rosenblum of Britelite Immersive (an experiential design and creative technology agency) will talk about the spectacular audiovisual experiences his company created for The Mall of the Future at Westfield San Francisco Centre's Bespoke Coworking. Over the past few years, Bespoke has garnered national media attention and attracted hundreds of thousands of additional visitors to Westfield San Francisco. This technology-focused innovation center is part event space, part co-working space, and part retail lab, where ideas are tested and often quickly deployed as pop-up stores. Audiovisual experiences drive traffic to retail platforms and raise brand awareness.

Britelite's cohesive, digital layer delivers high-impact, interactive content to a variety of video walls and screens. Technologies used include motion capture for gestural screens, virtual reality and real-time 3-D wayfinding.

Comcast's Studio Xfinity, Chicago / Copyright Andy Ryan

Gideon D’Arcangelo, who oversees conceptual design and creative strategy for ESI Design (an experience and interaction design firm), will demonstrate how Comcast's Studio Xfinity Flagship Store in Chicago has transformed the dreaded visit to the cable store into an immersive, fun and exciting experience that delights consumers.

Drawing on a variety of specialized disciplines – from digital interactive development, to physical design, to live program scripting, and more – ESI created both a store and a retail lab, featuring more than 800 square feet of LED screens, large-scale media installations, tablets and touchscreen surfaces. In three studios outfitted with oversize screens and theater-style seating, customers can play single- or multiplayer games and participate in live demos, experiencing the full range of Xfinity’s products and services – and have fun while they learn.

City Walk, Dubai, U.A.E. / Courtesy of InfoComm Intl.

Alexandre Simionescu, the passionate and inspiring leader of Float4 (an experience design and creative technology firm), will take us for a virtual tour through City Walk Dubai, an immersive digital experience for a new exterior retail environment that covers an aggregate canvas of more than 680,000 square feet – the equivalent of 12 football fields. With more than 100 million pixels meticulously integrated into the architecture, City Walk operator Meraas and Float4 have created a luxury tourist and consumer destination of spectacular scope and appeal.

Companies like Britelite Immersive, ESI Design, and Float4 are true experiential trailblazers, building engagement – and better business outcomes – using audiovisual technology in new and exciting ways. For brick-and-mortar retail to thrive in the digital age, brands need to provide experiences that can’t be had online. We hope our panel of experts opens your eyes to new possibilities for using audiovisual experiences to spur the next generation of in-store retail

David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, who will moderate Thursday's Breakfast Case Study panel, is Executive Director and CEO of InfoComm International, the global trade association of the commercial audiovisual industry. Learn more at infocomm.org.

For more information about IRDC 2017, please visit irdconline.com.