The Franklin County Retail Summit presented by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce will take place next Wednesday, June 8 from 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Columbus at Easton, 3900 Chagrin Drive.
“The main goal is to share current trends and predict what’s next in retail,” says Chamber Marketing & Communications Director Dilara Casey. “Because Columbus is one of the largest retail cities in the world, our partnership with Franklin County helps the Chamber recognize that these insights don’t just have local implications—they’re predictive of what is happening nationally and globally.”
The event will include:
- Insights from industry experts
- Results of the 2016 Franklin County Retail Report
- A snapshot of the industry’s progress in Franklin County
Three featured presenters represent retail on a national and local level. Joining the summit is Carleen Kohut, executive vice president & COO of the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association. Yaromir Steiner, founder & CEO of Steiner + Associates, will share information on Insight 2050’s retail initiatives. Maureen McAvey of the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. will also explore her report on Retail in Underserved Communities.
The featured presentation will tackle Bricks & Mortar in an Omni Channel World. Steve Morris of Asset Strategies Group will moderate the panel featuring:
- Jude Reter, VP, Digital Customer Experience, Express
- Nita Rollins, PhD., Director of Cultural Insights and Thought Leadership, Resource
- Marcie Merriman, Business Strategist, Cultural Anthropologist and Brand Builder, Ernst & Young
- Dan Hinkel, Director, Transformation Team, DSW
- Lee Peterson, EVP, Brand Strategy & Design, WD Partners
The 2016 Franklin County Retail Summit features a new addition of targeted topic discussions that especially focus on retail at a local level.
“The goal of the topic discussions are to share local insights from experts here who represent some of the top retailers in the world,” Casey says. “Columbus is an open, collaborative city and we want to use our panel discussions as a way to keep the dialog going, allow people to connect, and to share insights on what they’re experiencing in the retail sector.”
Topics include:
- Virtual Reality– The Future of Retail, featuring insights from Infinite Impact
- The Evolution and Future of Design, featuring insights from Ernst & Young, WD Partners and Luxottica Retail
- The Culture of Retail = Talent + Loyalty, featuring insights from Homage, Thirty-One Gifts and King Business Interiors
In addition to restaurant and retail owners and managers of operations large and small, representatives of industries that serve retail, economic development officers and leaders interested in the future of Franklin County are encouraged to attend.
“Our goal is that everybody will walk away with new insights, and at the very least will make valuable connections during the networking breaks,” Casey says. “As Franklin County and the Columbus Chamber continue to focus on growing this event, we’ve seen a positive response not just from Columbus, but from people all over the country. Retailers from New York City are flying in to join us this year for the Retail Summit. That’s a simple example of how our city has grown into a respected retail authority.”
Single tickets are $50.00 for Chamber members and $75.00 for non-members.
For more information and to register for the 2016 Franklin County Retail Summit, click here.
— The Columbus Chamber of Commerce provides access to the connections, resources and solutions you need to help start and grow your business. Learn more about the Chamber at columbus.org. —
