IRDC 2020: Call for Presenters

The 20th annual International Retail Design Conference, the premier educational and networking event for store designers and visual merchandising executives, moves to the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Sept. 22-24, 2020. The VMSD editorial team invites industry experts to submit proposals for presentations at IRDC 2020; if you're interested in speaking, or recommending a topic or speaker for IRDC, please complete the submission form below.

The submission deadline has been EXTENDED
to February 24, 2020

About IRDC

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020, the International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) offers a unique educational and networking experience for visual merchandising and store design professionals. Targeted specifically to the retail design community, IRDC is two jam-packed days and evenings of inspiration, education and interaction with more than 400 retail, design and architecture professionals from across the U.S. and abroad.

Our program includes thought-provoking keynote presentations intended to challenge the norms and promote new ways of thinking to our retail design audience. Industry-focused breakout sessions are devoted to exploring emerging trends; translating the latest, most innovative retail experiences; and looking ahead to what the future holds for this constantly changing industry. Hands-on workshops and interactive sessions provide attendees with inspiration and new networking experiences.

A few things to keep in mind when submitting your proposal.

We're looking for presentations that…

• tackle high-level, strategic topics with broad relevance (across channels, job functions)
• broaden our horizons beyond the world of retail…what can we learn from other industries?
• break the boring “talking head(s) at podium” case study mold
• address the migration of digitally native brands into physical stores and the growing importance of "phygital" considerations in the built environment
• share original consumer or market research that drives the narrative on consumer trends, future proofing, predictive analytics, etc.
• engage and involve the audience (challenges, workshops, interpretive dance: if it’s fun and educational with a dash of team-building, let’s talk!)

Please note: We receive more proposals than we can accommodate in our program, therefore, not all submissions can be accepted. Some of the factors we consider in reviewing submissions include presence and involvement of a retail brand, originality, interactivity, skills and credentials of speaker presenting, timeliness of topic or project and relevance to our retail design audience.

IRDC is a peer-to-peer event. Design/architecture firms must co-present with one or more representatives of a retail brand; solo presentations from design firms will not be considered. Unless you are proposing a panel discussion, please, no more than two speakers per session.

Please secure the participation of all presenters and the organizations they represent prior to submitting a proposal. Presentations that have been given previously, particularly at other U.S. retail industry events, are also ineligible for consideration.

Please note that vendors, manufacturers and suppliers are not eligible to speak at IRDC. Vendors are eligible to participate in a sponsorship capacity only. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Murray Kasmenn at murray.kasmenn@stmediagroup.com or at 770.578.2577.

For questions about proposal requirements, please contact IRDC Conference Chair Jennifer Acevedo at jennifer.acevedo@stmediagroup.com or visit irdconline.com/agenda.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL.