International Retail Design Conference

ICYMI: Registration for the 2024 International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) in Kansas City, Mo., taking place Oct. 9-10, is NOW OPEN on irdconline.com! Be sure to register today for the Early Bird rate. The agenda is being updated regularly with intriguing industry experts on the roster. Between our Offsite Retail Inspiration Tours, the 18th annual Iron Merchant Challenge, and a range of keynote speakers and hands-on workshops, this event is one you don't want to miss! New this year, IRDC attendees can attend the Retail Challenge (Oct. 8) as part of the co-located Shop! Ideation Conference & Retail Challenge for just $95 USD. Learn more on IRDC's website or while registering for the event. See you in KC this fall!

Back by popular demand at #IRDC2024, Sarah Quinlan delivered an insightful update on the retail economy in her session, ‘Still Not Dead – Yet’. Attendees gained a better understanding of the current state of the retail landscape, explored new strategies for their brands, and learned about potential challenges on the horizon toward the end of 2024 and early 2025.

Why do attendees love IRDC? A first-time attendee shared how the event exceeded their expectations with fantastic networking opportunities, inspiring speakers, and an Iron Merchant Challenge that left them truly impressed. Don’t miss your chance to join the fun—experience it for yourself at #IRDC2025! Gina Walton IIDA, NCIDQ, RDI

We are still amazed by the incredible creativity showcased at the Iron Merchant Challenge! This year’s event invited teams to craft stunning window displays that celebrated nature and brought joy to our busy lives. The impressive before-and-after transformations capture the imagination and teamwork that made this event truly unforgettable! ZenGenius, Inc. #IRDC2024

At #IRDC2024, Michael Hingson delivered a powerful keynote on the importance of trust and teamwork, sharing his incredible story of escaping the North Tower on 9/11. His insights on how collaboration and trust can help us navigate even the toughest challenges left a lasting impact on attendees. Michael’s message about rethinking accessibility in retail and leaning into teamwork resonated with everyone in the room. Stay tuned for more highlights!

In a breakout session at #IRDC2024, Foot Locker examined how the brand is ‘Powering Up the Portfolio’ and bringing the ‘Heart of Sneakers’ to life through elevated in-store experiences. Attendees learned how retailers can connect with communities to facilitate growth, discovered how in-store experiences help customers unlock their passion for a brand, and understood the importance of being an inclusive and empathetic brand. Sarah Wexler Jordan Taylor

#IRDC2024 showcased the vibrant spirit of our community, bringing together retail design peers for high-quality educational content and fresh perspectives. Attendees engaged in meaningful conversations, igniting their professional passion for retail design, while enjoying moments of fun, laughter, and vibrant networking! ??

What a great experience our team had at Shop! Ideation and International Retail Design Conference events last week! ? From exceptional speaker sessions to design competitions, it was a thought-provoking and high energy week. Some highlights include hearing from brands such as Foot Locker, Chick-fil-A Restaurants, H?agen-Dazs Shops, Google, Walmart, The Hershey Company, Levis’Store, and more. ? The Shop Retail Challenge and Iron Merchant Challenge always add some fierce but friendly competition to the week, and this year was no exception. The creativity was definitely flowing for both for these competitions. We are proud that our own, Candace Kubicek, was on the victorious Green Team that won the Iron Merchant Challenge! ? Thanks to Shop! Association and International Retail Design Conference for hosting these events and continuing to support innovation in the retail design community! #retailexperience #retaildesign #retailinnovation

What an action-packed week at Shop! Ideation and IRDC in Kansas City! It was a great combination of networking, competitions, speaker sessions, and fun times with an amazing group of retail industry professionals! ? ? It was so enjoyable to co-lead our team for the Retail Challenge featuring the MANSCAPED brand. A fun and intense 5-hour competition to create a new interactive experience for the brand. I loved the energy, creativity, and collaborative spirit on our team. While we didn’t have the winning concept, we had an exciting day! ? Another highlight was spending the afternoon on a retail tour of Kansas City’s Union Square – a beautiful and historic shopping area filled with experiential moments and creative experiences. ? Last, but not least, the grand finale was participating in the Iron Merchant Challenge. We had 1 hour to create a window display using biophilic design principles and create a moment that calmed the busy mind, connected the viewer with nature, and provided a moment of joy. Our team had a blast creating this and we couldn’t be happier that we were voted the WINNER by all event participants! ???? Shop! Association International Retail Design Conference #retaildesign #retailinnovation #retailexperience #IRDC2024

Congratulations to Team Green for taking home the 2024 Iron Merchant title! This year’s Iron Merchant Challenge offered a captivating “biophilic” experience, inviting teams to craft stunning window displays that celebrate nature and evoke joy in our busy lives. All the participating teams displayed incredible creativity and hard work! We’d like to give a huge thank you to ZenGenius, Inc. for their invaluable support in making this event a true success, and to Florasource KC for providing the beautiful flowers that brought each display to life. A special shoutout to Cue Gravity for supplying this year’s secret ingredient sound, which truly enhanced the overall experience.