The biggest gathering this year of the retail design, marketing, visual merchandising, architecture and shopfitting sectors will take place in London next week.

Retail Design Expo, now in its second year, is expected to see more than 16,000 key industry players from across the world arrive at its home in London’s Olympia. The event, which takes place from 9-10 March, is co-located with RBTE (Retail Business Technology Expo) and the newly-launched Retail Digital Signage Expo.

Retail Design Expo is doubling in size for 2016 to showcase more than 250 market leading suppliers – from global players to innovative smaller suppliers covering every aspect of the in-store journey.
A blue chip conference programme has attracted massive industry attention. Over 75 sessions from top retailers, brands and visual merchandisers will include speakers from Arcadia, New Look, B&Q, John Lewis, Liberty, Selfridges, Prada and many more. A new addition for 2016 is the Shopper Marketing Conference, run in association with POPAI, with speakers from Tesco, Coca Cola, Unilever, Pepsi and HJ Heinz Company to name but a few.

To highlight the dynamic products and services on display, the new Innovation Trail and Awards, sponsored by design agency 20.20, will help visitors navigate the most cutting edge exhibitors. A shortlist of eighteen new products and services designed to help retailers and brands better engage with customers, has been selected by an expert panel. The overall winner will be announced at a special champagne reception, hosted by 20.20, at the show on Thursday 10th March at 1pm.

Making a welcome return to the 2016 show, the Retail Design Students Awards, sponsored by ITAB UK, will be joined by the inaugural VM Student Awards, sponsored by Harlequin. Entrants have tackled briefs from Topshop, Speedo, Oasis, Browns and Liberty, and been mentored by leading retailers, designers and visual merchandisers. All shortlisted work will be on display at the show, with winners announced in lunchtime conference sessions on both days of Retail Design Expo.

If that’s not enough, trends expert Stylus will be on hand, providing design and marketing insights to businesses looking for inspiration, innovation and best-practice case studies. And the Designer Pavilion will house cutting-edge design consultancies and architects

With so much going on, the Retail Design and VM Visitor Lounges, sponsored by Alphaled, a brand of Lumenpulse, are the perfect venues for visitors to relax and network. Alternatively, visitors can grab a drink in the Designer Coffee Shop or in the Champagne Bar.

The unmissable Big Party, also in the Champagne Bar, starting at 4.45 pm on the opening evening, is the perfect way to round off a busy day at the exhibition and conference programme, raising a glass or two with friends, colleagues and new contacts.

In addition to all this, visitors to Retail Design Expo can also visit the co-located Retail Digital Signage Expo and RBTE.
REGISTER FOR FREE – Retail Design Expo, March 9th and 10th 2016 – www.retaildesignexpo.com

About Retail Design Expo
Retail Design Expo is the specialist retail event from Legend Exhibitions Bringing together the very finest exponents of retail design, visual merchandising, branding and in-store experience, it is a clear reflection of how the retail sector is responding to the increasingly discerning consumer.

Showcasing solutions from designers, architects, shopfitters and specialist contractors it focuses very clearly on innovation and inspiration in retail design, marketing, visual merchandising, architecture and shopfitting. Retail Design Expo encompasses additional features such as trends labs, student awards and roundtables as well as a full programme of conferences and seminars.