The Duo is happy to see the return of face to face, actual real people, in real life, in person conferences! Nothing says networking better than face to face interaction and hearing from top industry leaders at any of the given organized events, which are designed to leave one feeling inspired, educated, and connected. Of course, being online does have its perks such as convenience in terms of timing and saving on travel costs, and one can still enjoy the opportunity to connect in a way that has made our world a bit smaller.
Building a speaker portfolio over the years has taken some time, dedication, and creativity but there have been some memorable travels and topics along the way!
Where We've Been
IRDC - New Orleans, LA - 2017
Nostalgic Notes
Click on the link to view a blog overview of this talk: https://vmsd.com/nostalgic-notes-days-gone/
IRDC - Seattle, WA 2018
Let’s Play - An interactive workshop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BohpWYYF2eX/
Video overview of the talk: https://vmsd.com/interactive-workshop-let-s-play/
PAVE - Coffee Chat Series (virtual), 2020
Future Nostalgia
A casual conversation with real life examples of Nostalgia in design.
Link to chat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZuyIihmkck
Shopify - Toronto, ON (virtual), 2020
Covet Change Post Covid
A specially designed presentation to Shopify internal staff from across Canada. This provided a curated snapshot of how buying segments changed and consumer patterns shifted during COVID-19.
Retail Council of Canada - Toronto, ON (virtual)- 2021
Retail Re Set
What was New, Now, and Next in terms of what could lay ahead for the retail sector as people tried to navigate through and out of the pandemic.
CanGift - Toronto & Alberta, 2016-2018
Retail Resource Centre
Retail seminars offering takeaways on such topics as Merchandising Basics, Buzzwords, and Digital Elements. Followed up with one-on-one retailer consultations in the Retail Resource Centre, which supported retailers from across the country. Joint blogs to support retailers as well!
Fusion Retreat - Ontario, 2017
Merchandising 101
(Karen)
Merchants and dealers joined the creators of Fusion Mineral Paint for a retreat located at the beautiful Hockley Valley Resort & nearby Adomo Winery. A detailed merchandising session, with a Q&A was provided, along with an overview on the retail industry and trends during the opening dinner.
Where We're Going
Bernina University – Palm Springs, July 2022
Mastering Merchandising & Mastering Retail TrendSpotting
BERNINA brings together a dynamic community of quilters, sewists, embroiderers and artists. Along with their variety of hands-on classes, BU 2022 provides their attendees the unique opportunity to have industry experts (like The Retail Duo), motivate and share their wisdom and strategies for growing a successful retail business.
And coming soon... IRDC - Columbus, 2022
Retail Gets Weird!
It’s no secret that in a quest to lure people back into physical spaces, retailers have had to stretch their creativity to the limits and truly think outside the box. In this full audience, interactive workshop, attendees will get a chance to tap into their five senses, discover the fun in problem-solving, reinvigorate their creative thinking chops and get a chance to network with likeminded participants. Using a prompt, provided materials and a quirky mystery item, teams will map out their ideas to be voted on by other IRDC attendees. (The lucky winners may even get a discount to IRDC 2023 as their prize!)
To register for IRDC 2022 click on the link: https://www.vmsd.com/irdc/
Let THE DUO know what conferences and events you enjoy attending, and what to keep on our radar!