Leading Retailers to Offer Insights About What's 'In'
The UA's 20th annual Global Retailing Conference will be held April 14 and 15 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences
Feb. 16, 2016


The Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing at the University of Arizona has announced the 2016 presenters at its 20th annual Global Retailing Conference, which will be held April 14 and 15 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson.

Given the rapid evolution in retailing, this year's conference will focus on what's "in" — trends that are reshaping an industry that is increasingly challenged to be intimate, innovational and instant.

The annual event has evolved over the past two decades to be one of retailing's premier platforms and think tanks for emerging ideas in a setting that fuses business and academia.

Attendees include retail company executives, industry analysts and observers, and some of the country's most engaged faculty and students.

Among the speakers are senior executives from retailing, consumer brand and technology companies such as Macy's, Nike, Walgreen, Lucky Brand, GameStop, Intel, PetSmart and Tuesday Morning, as well as Stacey Bendet, chief executive officer and creative director of the fashion brand Alice + Olivia.

Speakers for the event include:

  • Terry J. Lundgren, chairman and CEO, Macy's Inc.
  • Stacey Bendet, CEO and creative director, Alice + Olivia
  • Christiana Shi, president of direct to consumer, Nike Inc.
  • Richard M. Ashworth, president, pharmacy and retail operations, Walgreen Co.
  • Carlos Alberini, chairman and CEO, Lucky Brand
  • Tony Bartel, chief operating officer, GameStop Corp.
  • Rachel Mushahwar, head of global retail, hospitality and CPG enabling team for Internet of things, Intel
  • Michael J. Massey, president and CEO, PetSmart
  • Melissa Phillips, president and COO, Tuesday Morning
  • Stephen Craig, chief executive officer, Blanco
  • Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president, market insights, MasterCard Advisors
  • Jane Buckingham, founder and CEO, Trendera
  • Piers Fawkes, founder and president, PSFK
  • Deborah Weinswig, executive director, Fung Business Intelligence Centre
  • Beck Besecker, co-founder and CEO, Marxent

Details on the conference, including a complete agenda, are posted on www.globalretailingconference.org, with event pages on Facebook (keyword Global Retailing Conference) and Twitter.com/globalretailcon. 

"New ideas are driving business today, and the Global Retailing Conference is one of the primary places where the freshest concepts in retailing, wholesaling and fashion are presented and discussed. The University of Arizona, one of retailing's top training grounds for upcoming talent, is a great environment to discuss what's in and what is coming," said UA alumnus Lundgren, chairman and CEO of Macy's Inc., who will deliver opening remarks.

"This is the conference's 20th year and it has proven time and again to be an exceptional experience for everyone who attends — whether they be industry CEOs, executives, consultants, suppliers or students of business, retailing and innovation," Lundgren said. "What makes this conference special is the interaction between business, faculty and high-potential students from the University of Arizona and other colleges. This conference is where many bright minds come together."

Registrations for a limited number of attendees are currently being accepted.

The Global Retailing Conference is presented through the support of sponsors that include Macy's, SAP, MasterCard, SPI, AirWatch by VMWare, American Express, First Insight, Fung Business Intelligence Centre, Hudson River Group, Intel, Kenneth L. Mink, ShopperTrak, Supima, ThoughtWorks Retail, Walgreens, Winston Retail, Zebra Technologies, Dick's Sporting Goods, Gordon Brothers Group, Leonisa, PetSmart, RetailNext and Defero.

For more information on attending the event, visit www.globalretailingconference.org and go to the registration page. Or email Kimberley Brooke, associate director of the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing, at kbrooke@email.arizona.edu.

The Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing is part of the UA's John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences. It brings together the resources and expertise of academia and the retail industry, with a shared goal of developing strong future retail professionals. The school's Retailing and Consumer Sciences Program undergraduate degree is considered one of the top retail business programs in the country. About 500 students currently are enrolled in classes.

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Kimberley A. Brooke

UA Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing

520-626-7952

kbrooke@email.arizona.edu