RetailVision Boot Camp Announcement

There is less than 5 weeks until RetailVision Spring 2009 arrives at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. As we get closer to the event, new and exciting things are being added everyday!

This just in...RetailVision Boot Camps have been announced!

New to the event, the boot camps offer retailers an opportunity to be taught by industry experts on how to successfully negotiate with vendors, merchandise for margins, and how to effectively utilize social networking to engage your clients and win sales in today's tough economy.

Each boot camp session will be held on Thursday, April 30th and will be 45-minutes in length. Sessions will will be taught by:

• Steve Bellow, President, The Bellow Group
• Jeff O'Heir, Editor in Chief, Dealerscope
• Janet Schijns, VP WW Channel Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions, Motorola

If you are interested in participating in the RetailVision Boot Camps, please contact Josh Auger for more information at 603-471-4215.

Dealerscope and The NPD Group Join Forces with RetailVision

Everything Channel has formed strategic partnerships with The NPD Group, the leading global provider of consumer and retail market research information, and Dealerscope, a leading industry publication for consumer technology retailers, manufacturers and distributors, to provide value-added content for RetailVision Spring 2009.

The information and industry expertise provided by The NPD Group will be used to determine this year’s winners at “The Best-Selling Retail/E-tail Product Awards” ceremony being held at RetailVision Spring 2009, April 27-30, 2009, at the Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida.

“The independent research done by The NPD Group is highly valued in the retail industry, and it adds an elevated level of significance for those who take home an award for best-selling product of the year,” said Bob DeMarzo, SVP, Editorial Director, Everything Channel. Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis for The NPD Group, added, “In these tough economic times, every step taken at retail counts, and it’s important for manufacturers to understand where they are successful, or not, and why.”

Baker will also be presenting an insight session at the event titled "Searching for growth opportunities in a declining market," showing his commitment to helping both retailers and vendors achieve success in these difficult times.

Dealerscope editors will be onsite at RetailVision Spring 2009 to cover the event for its print and online audience of retailers, manufacturers and distributors. “We are pleased to have Dealerscope on board as a Media Partner. With their resources and industry expertise they are a tremendous addition to our event” said Liz Madden, Managing Director of RetailVision. She explains the newly formed partnership will “provide additional media relationships and promotional opportunities for all participants while helping to provide new avenues of growth for RetailVision.”

Dealerscope gives retail readers the knowledge they need to make the right decisions in the fast-moving consumer technology market. It helps retailers to more profitably market and sell consumer technology. Most importantly, Dealerscope assists manufacturers and distributors in communicating best practices to retail.

The complete RetailVision Spring 2009 agenda is available at http://www.everythingchannelevents.com/rvs09_agenda. Read updated news and information from RetailVision live at the event in April by following @retailvision_09 on Twitter.

Michael London Shares His "Case for Change"

More exciting news to report on RetailVision Spring 2009! Michael London, former Executive Vice President of Merchandising for Best Buy will be delivering an Industry Insight Session. Mr. London will be sharing his experiences with the RetailVision participants and stating his “Case for Change" and how to succeed in the current retail climate.

Michael London, whose affiliations include Ryan Retail Consulting, has 35 years of retail experience with an emphasis in consumer electronics and major home appliances. He has helped build Best Buy into the number one CE retailer in the world. From 1996 to 2006, Michael London was a part of the Best Buy team where he was promoted from VP to Merchandising to EVP of Merchandising, moving onto EVP of Customer Centricity and then EVP of Global Sourcing.

His skill set has resulted from assignments including Customer Insights and Strategy, Merchandising, Procurement, Global Sourcing and Store Operations. Michael has always focused on innovation, differentiation, and execution as he works to understand customer needs, both internal and external. He strives to understand what each customer segment needs in order to be successful while anticipating fast-moving technological innovations, customer insights. His rich knowledge of retail enables him to execute ideas into reality... a solution.

Stay tuned for more information on ReatailVision by staying connected with us.

Calling All Vendors - Have Your Product Tested at RetailVision Spring ‘09

Select vendor participants at RetailVision Spring 2009 will share the stage with the technical editors from CRN (who have a combined total of 60-years of technology and journalism experience) to look at, try out and discuss hot, new products. Vendor products will be demoed by this neutral third party in front of the attending retail audience.

Why participate in the Everything Channel Test Center?

1. Its FREE advertising for vendors already participating in RetailVision – in this tough economy advertising budgets are being watched closely. Since you have already invested in RetailVision, take advantage of this additional opportunity to get your product in front of the entire retail audience. One hour of the event is solely dedicated to the Test Center Demo’s.

2. You gain a third party rating of your product – building trust in the marketplace may sometimes be challenging for both new and existing vendors. Retailers have many choices when choosing a product to put on their shelves. When a neutral third party backs your product, you instantly gain credibility with your potential buyers.

3. Each Vendor participating in the Test Center will automatically be nominated to win one of the three Best in Show awards. These awards will be presented during the “Best of RetailVision” Awards Brunch being held on Thursday, April 30, 2009.

If you are interested in participating in the Test Center, please complete and submit the Test Center Application no later than March 30, 2009. Participation is limited and will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have questions, please feel free to post them to our Twitter page or contact Ed Moltzen, Managing Editor of the Everything Channel Test Center at 516-562-7402.

"Fight for Survival" at RetailVision Spring 2009

With only ten short weeks to go, RetailVision is taking shape and ready to deliver the important information you need to stay ahead of the competition. We understand that the news in the marketplace is less than positive for many vendors and retailers, but RetailVision has created a comprehensive agenda that will deliver the information you need to keep your business running successfully!

Stephen Baker, Vice President of Industry Analysis for The NPD Group, will be one of the three featured industry experts to speak at the upcoming RetailVision in Boca Raton, Florida. Stephen’s topic, “Fighting for Survival: Searching for Growth Opportunities in a Declining Market,” will be delivered to both the participating vendors and retailers at RetailVision on Thursday, April 30 from 10:15 – 11:30 AM. Click here for more agenda highlights.

Mr. Baker offers expert insight and commentary to clients and the media about consumer technology sales and trends across the U.S. and regionally. He has been tracking and analyzing the industry for nearly fifteen years and was ranked as a leading industry analyst by AdWeek’s Technology Marketing. RetailVision is honored and excited to have him joining us again. Below is a video preview of what to expect at the upcoming RetailVision. This is a portion of Stephen Baker’s presentation from RetailVision Fall 2008.


Not a part of RetailVision? Find out more on how to join the retail community in Boca Raton, Florida on April 27th – 30th by contacting us.

Industry Insight Sessions Are In the Works

The RetailVision team is busy working on finalizing details with both CEA and The NPD Group. Each group will be presenting an Industry Insight Session at the upcoming RetailVision as well as assisting us with delivering an exciting new awards program. Stay tuned for more details...

Planning for RetailVision Spring 2009 is underway! Visit www.retailvision.com to view our new agenda.