Shop! MarketPlace Sessions
Main Stage Keynotes
Claire Coder
Founder and CEO of Aunt Flow
Main Stage Session- Opening Keynote: Claire Coder, Founder, CEO, Aunt Flow
April 9, 2025, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Founded in 2016, Aunt Flow is the brainchild of its Founder and CEO Claire Coder. Ensuring everyone has access to period products, Aunt Flow has free-vend, ADA-compliant menstrual product dispensers across thousands of bathrooms in the U.S. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and driven by a remote-based team across the nation, this isn’t Coder’s first foray in businessat just 16 years old, she launched her first company, designed a bag for Vera Bradley that sold out in 24 hours and has her own line of gifs. Come kick off Shop! MarketPlace 2025 in Charlotte, N.C., with Coder, whose story has beenfeatured in Forbes, TeenVogue, TLC and more.
Michael Kubinski
Founder and Principle, ID Automotive

TBA speaker
Cue Gravity
Main Stage Session - Driving Luxury: The Evolution of Modern Automotive Showrooms
April 9, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Meredith Glansberg
Chief Revenue Officer, quip

Leon Nicholas
VP, Retail Insights & Solutions, Smurfit Westrock
Main Stage Session- Fireside Chat: How quip is Staying Ahead as an “Established Insurgent"
April 9th 1:00- 2:00p.m.
Now entering its 10th year, the brand quip is an established innovator in the oral care category. Driven by innovative product design and merchandising, quip has maintained its “insurgent” status despite many years of market success. Attend this in-depth fireside chat between Meredith Glansberg of quip and Leon Nicholas of Smurfit Westrock to explore how quip has continued its pace of innovation. Discover how it navigates an always changing market landscape through its holistic, omnichannel approach, leveraging its strengths even as its scale grows.
Takeaways:
• Understand how emerging brands can navigate a challenging marketplace
• Discover how an omnichannel approach is still key to brand successes
• Learn how these practices and principals can be applied to your own brand or company

Lisa Wynne
EcoScapes Sustainability Solutions, LLC
Main Stage Session - Making Sustainability Tangible: The Importance of Retailer-Brand-Supply Chain Partnership
April 9, 2025, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Culture, stakeholder demands and legislative requirements are driving the notion of sustainability in North America and around the world. It's created a necessity for retailers and brands to make sustainable design tangible, from concept to documented proof. With a majority of their environmental impact, including organizational emissions, residing in their supply chains, sustainability adds a critical component to their already meaningful partnerships with their suppliers. In this in-depth panel presentation, discover how suppliers can support retailers and brands in meeting their sustainability objectives.
Takeaways:
• Discover how retailers and brands can work with suppliers to achieve sustainable objectives
• Examine the growing need for sustainable design across retail
• Learn how to apply these practices and principles to your own brand
Marcelo Kertesz
Chief Marketing Officer, Manscaped

Bevan Bloemendaal
Industry Consultant
Main Stage Session - Manscaped: For All Your Mancare
April 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
For nearly a decade, Manscaped has been committed to giving men the quality tools and routines they need for reliable personal grooming and has become known internationally for its creative marketing, messaging and brand presentation. In this in-depth discussion between Marcelo Kertész, Chief Marketing Officer at Manscaped, and Bevan Bloemendaal, learn how Manscaped disrupted men’s grooming by using humor, grassroots campaigns and digital integrations to create a brand presence that truly sets itself apart. This keynote presentation will explore how the brand meets its customers where they are and how you can communicate with your customers through unique experiences that transcend traditional strategies. (Bonus: Get to watch the winning team of the 2024 Ideation Conference & Retail Challenge build out a Manscaped-themed brand activation IRL on the show floor during Shop! MarketPlace.)
Takeaways:
• Discover how unique marketing approaches can expand your customer reach
• Learn how to create a strong and consistent brand messaging
• Hear about how the brand set itself apart through digital and in-store experiences
Doug Zarkin
Chief Brand Officer of Good Feet Holdings, LLC

Bob Mitchell
Principal, Mitchell Partnership Alliances
Main Stage Session - Closing Keynote
April 10, 2025, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
SmartTalk! Sessions
Jean-Didier Allongue
Senior Director of Global Store Design, Harry’s Inc.

Carlotta Dove
Director of Consumer Experience, IA Interior Architects
SmartTalk! Session - The Next Era of Consumer Goods: Insights Driving Store Innovation
April 9, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. (SmartStation 1)
Dive into digestible consumer insights that help redefine the future of CPG development, display and store design. In this Smart Talk session, Jean-Didier Allongue of Harry’s Inc., and Carlotta Dove of IA Interior Architects, will explore what consumers are looking for in terms of personal care and how design can meet them where they are. Discover how Harry’s translates its rich brand strategy onto physical environments and see how insights impact design.
Takeaways:
- Discover the importance of consumer insights when it comes to CPG design
- Understand how CPGs can influence the built environment
- Learn actionable steps that can be applied to your own brand
Andrea Magno
Benjamin Moore
Faith Huddleston
NELSON Worldwide
SmartTalk! Session - TBA
April 9, 2025, 10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. (SmartStation 2)
Bryan Meszaros
CEO & Founder, OpenEye Global
SmartTalk! Session - How AI Transforms Digital Signage into Personalized Experiences
April 9, 2025, 12:00 p.m. - 12:20 p.m. (SmartStation 2)
Explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing digital signage and elevating the in-store experience to meet evolving expectations. This session will dive into how AI adapts to audience movements, preferences and behaviors within a space, enabling digital signage to deliver real-time, relevant content that resonates As the demand for dynamic, intuitive experiences grows, learn how AI-driven digital signage is transforming screens into personalized moments that connect with each viewer.
Takeaways:
- See how AI translates personal preferences into real-time content
- Find out how AI can enhance digital signage
- Learn how AI can be integrated in-store to meet consumer needs

Joe Baer
Creative Director and CEO, ZenGenius Inc.
SmartTalk! Session - 25 Years of Visual Merchandising
April 9, 2025, 12:30 p.m. - 12:50 p.m. (SmartStation 1)

IV Dickson
Chief Innovation Officer, SageNet
SmartTalk! Session - Reimagining Retail: Seamlessly Integrating Unique-Shaped Displays into Fixtures
April 9, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m. (SmartStation 1)
Albert Gilkey
Senior Vice President of Store Design & Visual Merchandising, Victoria’s Secret & Co.
SmartTalk! Session - Innovative Strategies, Memorable Environments: Key Trends from Victoria’s Secret
April 9, 2025, 2:30 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. (SmartStation 2)
Discover how innovative strategies and cutting-edge technologies are reshaping the in-store experience to meet evolving customer expectations. From personalized shopping journeys to immersive digital interactions, Albert Gilkey will discuss key trends and successful case studies that highlight how Victoria’s Secret is enhancing engagement, streamlining operations and creating memorable shopping environments.
Takeaways:
- Leave with actionable insights into implementing practical
- Learn about new customer-centric solutions that drive loyalty
- Discover the latest strategies to boost sales in a competitive retail landscape
Gwen Newland
Director · Chick-fil-A Corporate
Jennifer Abernathy-Felix
Senior Principal Team Leader, Design, Chick-fil-A
SmartTalk! Session - Innovation Projects – What Happens After a Grand Opening?
April 9, 2025, 4:00 p.m. - 4:20 p.m. (SmartStation 1)
"You’ve designed an innovative retail project, and your store design just launched. What happens next? In this Smart Talk session, Gwen Newland and Jennifer Abernathy-Felix of Chick-fil-A will explore lessons learned after launching an innovation project. Discover some of the challenges faced when doing something different or innovative in terms of store design, and answer the question of what happens after a store’s grand opening? Understand who is impacted after a store opens and how you can support them.
Takeaways:
- Understand the challenges faced by retailers post-opening
- Learn how to support those impacted by potential challenges after a store’s opening
- Discover some of the roadblocks faced when implementing an innovation project

Lisa Wynne
EcoScapes Sustainability Solutions, LLC
SmartTalk! Session - The Proof is in the Pudding: Successfully Assessing In-Store Element’s Sustainability
April 10, 2025, 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. (SmartStation 1)
Proving an in-store element's sustainability is no small feat, but it's becoming a legislative requirement for retailers and suppliers. As climate disclosures, and in some cases, carbon taxing, are implemented in the US and around the world, accurately assessing an in-store element for its emissions will hit everyone's bottom line. Considerations include raw materials’ characteristics and processing, in-store element production, length of life, end of life and transportation required between each stage. Learn more about how to minimize your organization's bottom line while efficiently and accurately determining an in-store element’s sustainability.
Takeaways:
- Understand the considerations for assessing an in-store element’s sustainability ○ Learn about potential requirements for retailers and suppliers to prove an in-store element’s sustainability
- Discover how to determine an in-store element’s sustainability with your organization’s bottom line in mind

Jo Abbot
NELSON Worldwide

TBA speaker
NXTNOW Agency
SmartTalk! Session - TBA
April 10, 2025, 12:00 p.m. - 12:20 p.m. (SmartStation 2)

Leon Nicholas
VP, Retail Insights & Solutions, Smurfit Westrock
SmartTalk! Session - Emerging Brands 2.0: Navigating Evolving Market Dynamics
April 10, 2025, 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (SmartStation 2)
"The power of emerging brands to transform categories and drive shopper conversion is well established. As emerging brands enter their next growth phase, new success principles have emerged as category leaders and private labels are taking heed and responding to this ever-changing landscape. This Smart Talk presentation will explore the dynamics of the next phase of growth for emerging brands – such as success criteria and proven merchandising and design principles – alongside real-world examples that are setting new standards for innovation.
Takeaways:
- Learn how emerging brands are pushing the envelope in terms of innovation
- Discover what the next phase of growth is for most brands
- See real world examples of companies setting new standards for design and experience "