design:retail - March 2014 - (Page 12)

editor's note 012 Show Time ALISON EMBREY MEDINA EXECUTIVE EDITOR alison.medina@emeraldexpo.com @dretaileditor T HERE IS A MOMENT, before the director yells "PLACES!," before the actor takes the stage, before the lights come on and certainly before the curtain opens. There is a moment there when you close your eyes, listen to the subtle murmur of the quieting crowd behind the fabric, and try to calm the sound of your heartbeat in your ears. It is in that moment, that great actors are able to bring the stage to life. As a young thespian, I learned quite early the power of a live audience. Feeding oﬀ of the eye contact, laughter, shock and awe of the crowd makes a good performance turn great-and it's a community effort. The energy of the crowd around you, the connection that happens there, is why live theater has always spoken to me and is still very much a part of my life. Granted, these days my stage involves talking about trends and stores and retail, but the feedback from a live crowd still makes it exciting for me, and it's why I enjoy doing what I do so much. I recently took my 3-year-old daughter to see her ﬁrst live musical, a high school production of "The Little Mermaid." She sang along to every song and squealed with delight each time a new character walked on the stage. And, of course, she had to take a picture with every single mermaid at the end (we were there until the memory on my camera gave out). She was amazed that these characters- formerly only in two-dimension on our TV screen- were now "real" and could stoop down and give MARCH 2014 DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM her a hug. The magic of it all quite captivated her, I think. I'd say she's caught the bug as well. As a student of the art and science of retail, I am constantly on the lookout for retail experiences that are able to capture this same live, ﬂuid energy in the store environment. And it happens, every day. Like at Home Depot this past weekend, where a store associate showed me how to ﬁx a shoddy chair leg with toothpicks and wood glue. Or at the Publix by my house, where the woman who cooks sample meals knows us by name and will ﬁnd me in the store for a taste, even if we miss each other on the way in. Or at Freemark Abbey in Napa, where the wine steward there told such romanticized stories about grapes and soil and seasons that I've since been trying to figure out how I can someday make a living writing about wine. All examples of magic at-retail certainly at its best. Many industry veterans have been trained to groan at the word "tradeshow," but I have always found tradeshows and conferences a fascinating source of energy and inspiration. Just being away from my desk, out in the world, I am able to physically enter new realities and gain exposure to things only previously seen through a Mac computer screen. The story ideas ﬂow in tenfold when you communicate with your mouth and ears, versus your typing ﬁngers. The "realness" and energy of it all is something I always look forward to, and I'm truly excited for what this year's GlobalShop has to oﬀer. The connections, the handshakes and the hugs bring a year's worth of emails onto a live, plausible stage ﬁlled with acts and intermissions-and certainly plenty of energy. In the coming weeks, the exhibitors will begin assembling their booths-their own mini stages, if you will-and the attendees will begin to ﬁle onto the ﬂoor. With the right mix of presentations and personalities, the energy is sure to be palpable. I feel like we are all standing on the stage, just waiting for the lights to beam down and for the curtain to open. Hope you enjoy the show! Illustration by JESSE LEFKOWITZ http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - March 2014

design:retail - March 2014
Contents
Editor's Note
Show Talk
On Trend
We Love This!
Designer Picks
Innovation
Postcard
Before & After
How'd They Do That?
Have You Heard?
Perspectives
The Visual Eye
Searhing for Steve Jobs
2014 Markopoulos Award
Come & Play
McDonald's
Starbucks
Beyman
Hointer
Smart Tech
Retail
Design Leaders Listings
GlobalShop 2014: The Ultimate Show Guide
Products
Backstory

design:retail - March 2014