Two household names of the British retail industry will be represented in the MAPIC 2006 keynote addresses. Legendary department store Harvey Nichols and Company Ltd, has been in business since 1880 and has recently expanded outside the United Kingdom and Ireland to open flagship premises in Dubai and Hong Kong. Commercial Director Patrick Hanly will explain and analyse Harvey Nichols' international strategy.
Launched in 1760, the Hamleys toy store has become a major London tourist attraction and an internationally-recognised brand with plans to expand its operations beyond Britain. Hamleys' Trading Director Paul Currie's keynote speech will look at how Hamleys and British retailers are approaching cross-border expansion.
MAPIC 2006's third keynote address will be given by Anthony Stokan, of the strategic marketing consultancy Anthony Russell Inc. and author of the best-selling "Naked Consumption." Anthony Stokan has travelled the world researching consumer expectations and will share his thoughts on the future of the retail sector in the face of globalisation.
The MAPIC 2006 conference programme has been revamped and will cover 3 major themes:
Retailers
A new conference format - 'A New Brand in the City' - will launch this year. Designed as a fast, effective way to find out about new retailer brands and new concepts, these interactive sessions will allow retailers to give five-minute presentations of their products, concepts and development projects to an audience of local authorities, investors, developers and shopping centre managers. Retailers presenting this year will include:
- Gusto Italiano
- La Cure Gourmande
- Rol'it
- Maison de la gauffre
- Piz'Wich
- Xiocola
- Lézard Créatifs
- Rituals
- Thierry Lothmann
- Sela
- Bata Clothing & Fashion
- Marina Gulf
'From eRetailing to shop' is the theme of a conference based on research from Forrester Research on the influence of e-commerce on bricks & mortar shops and on the phenomenon that drives 'cyber-retailers' to open up shops in cities, towns and shopping centres.
Conference attendees will have the opportunity to find out more about specialty leasing retailers and whether they pose a threat to permanent retailers. The debate will focus on this issue by highlighting the marketing strategies driving specialty leasing.
In the luxury retail business, store location is of paramount importance. The 'Great Names Seek Outstanding New Locations' conference will discuss this issue and will provide an insight for cities and shopping centres looking to attract luxury retailers.
Consultants and designers will also review current approaches to shop design that factor in consumer demands.
Cities
Cities are increasingly aware of the importance of the retail sector in their overall urban and city-centre regeneration strategies. The 'Shop in the City' workshops will enable three European cities - Grand Lyon (France), Antwerp (Belgium) and Birmingham (UK) to discuss how retailers and city authorities have worked together for their mutual benefit.
Country Focus
India, Turkey and the United States are the stars of the MAPIC 2006 'Country Focus' conferences. Retailers and investors will be provided with an insight into the rapidly developing Indian and Turkish markets, while the need to incorporate regional specificities into retail strategies in the United States will also be discussed.
The whole MAPIC programme of conferences and speaker profiles can be found here.
