Hello, My Name Is…

It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention, and given the recent trajectory of the retail industry, it’s no surprise that we regularly bring you examples of retailers who are flipping the script in an effort to reinforce the experience of shopping in physical stores.

VMSD recently underwent a similar exercise with the rebranding of our annual International Retail Design Conference (IRDC). The event’s familiar logo has been in place for more than 10 years, and given some of the changes we’ve made to maximize the value to attendees and align more closely with the VMSD brand and content, the team decided it was time for a refresh.

As an editor, it’s always rewarding to be able to execute the strategies we advocate to our readers. In every issue, we bring you stories of brands who have pushed the envelope with their built environments, engaging their customers and prospective customers anew.

This, too, is our goal with the new logo and branding we’ve introduced in advance of this year’s IRDC, which will be held Oct. 2-4 in Seattle. Working with Cincinnati-based graphic design firm TOMMYINK and creative agency Reveal Concepts, the VMSD editorial team began the exploration of the IRDC brand, both what it currently represents and how we see it evolving. Amid a lot of humor and some wonderful discussions, we settled on our vision and handed the reins to the designers to execute.

We are thrilled to unveil the result of our efforts, which you can see in full in our April 2018 issue, complete with a new tagline, “Come Experience What’s Next.” The new identity celebrates IRDC as an experiential brand with a bold new brand mark in dark blue and muted gold that emphasizes the premium positioning of the conference and aligns with the look and feel of the publication. The tagline expresses the brand’s excitement about the future of retail as well as its mission to provide a space for retailers and designers to collaborate and exchange ideas.

We hope to see you in Seattle this fall to experience all that is new at IRDC 2018. See you in the Emerald City!