The 2010 SPIRE Educational Program is sponsored by:

Monday, February 22

8:00-8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:30-9:00 a.m.
Introductions

9:00-10:00 a.m.
The Drivers of Green Retail and Your Opportunity
In this eco era, brands and retailers are creating business value by incorporating environmental and social strategies into their business. From cities, to buildings, to products and finally people, the leaders of green are building retail brands for the future, yielding successes all along the way. Why are some retailers embracing it and what does green mean for your company and your specific role. This discussion will address the market drivers that have brought change within the key impact areas in retail, operations, design & construction and supply chain, and talk about how companies can benefit within the sustainability dialogue.
 
Justin will discuss sustainability efforts from a retail perspective and how SPIRE members can improve their competitive positions by partnering in these efforts.

Justin Doak, CEO & GreenTelling™ President, Ecoxera. As the Founder of Ecoxera, Mr. Doak melds a passion for sustainability with keen business acumen to provide visionary leadership and leads the team in green communications. Justin was previously the LEED Retail Manager at the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), affording invaluable experience to provide a similar service for today’s retail leaders. In his role at the USGBC, Justin collaborated with retailers, developers and manufacturers working to become environmental stewards through the discovery and implementation of integrated green practices.

10:00-10:30 a.m.
Abercrombie and Fitch – Multinational Brand Expanding
This session will introduce us to the brands Chris Ritter oversees and discuss how his responsibilities and goals change as the brands continue to expand. Chris has been charged with reducing annual costs without diminishing quality and effectiveness. Join us to understand some of his challenges executing print nationally and internationally, the trends he sees emerging in print technologies, how he candidly views working with large format offset verses digital companies, and his criteria for selecting print partners.
 
Chris Ritter is the Senior Director of Marketing Production at Abercrombie & Fitch. His responsibilities focus on the production of marketing, including all interior and exterior graphics, in-store signage, and packaging for Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie (kids), Hollister, and the newest brand, Gilly Hicks. Chris has led the A&F brands through successful marketing rollouts in 1082 North American stores, and now internationally with Flagships in London, Milan and Tokyo, and 12 Hollister stores in UK and Europe. Chris’ responsibilities include maintaining each brand’s unique brand identity across multiple print mediums while balancing budget constraints and maintaining the highest level of quality.
 
 
10:30-11:00 a.m.
Refreshment Break

11:00 a.m.-12 noon
Changes in the Retail Supply Chain, Customer Strategies and Execution
This session will focus on current trends in retail - strategy, implications, future. What are retailers focused on/worrying about, and potential areas of value add for the audience.

Tom Schaumburg, Worldwide Industry Principal, Retail and Consumer Goods, Hewlett-Packard Company (formerly EDS), is an industry principal with HP’s Worldwide Goods and Retail Industry Practice, where he provides advice about execution and strategy, helping companies strengthen their competitive position, increase market share, improve customer satisfaction, and streamline expenses, in addition to transformational outsourcing. Mr. Schaumburg brings 20 years of operational experience in supply chain management including procurement, logistics, vendor management and compliance, and distribution. He brings demonstrated international expertise in applying the techniques of business process reengineering and total quality management to improve supply chain performance. He has been directly responsible for major supply chain systems and re-engineering projects for a large international retailer, and has written extensively on the effect of fuel costs on the supply chain.

12 noon-12:30 p.m.
Effectively Integrating Sustainability – the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership Program
Sustainable business practices can make a difference, both with your customer base as well as internally. This session provides a brief update on the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership Program and how it can help you differentiate your facility within the marketplace.

Marcia Y. Kinter, Vice President, Government & Business Information, for the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association International. Ms. Kinter oversees the development of management resources for the Association and represents the screen printing and digital imaging industries, as well as their associated supplier base, before federal and state regulatory agencies and the U.S. Congress on environmental, safety and other government issues directly impacting the screen printing and graphic imaging industries. She is responsible for directing the activities of not only the government affairs portion of the Association’s activities, but the development and implementation of business resources for the membership.

12:30-1:30 p.m.
Luncheon

1:30-2:15 p.m.
Sponsor Presentations

2:15-3:30 p.m.
Optimizing Social Media Tools
Social media is an important communication tool that not only generates new business but strengthens existing customer relationships. Social media communication tools will increase in importance as more people employ these tools to build diverse networks. Heather will help SPIRE members shape their strategies to maximize the effectiveness of social media as well as improve their search engine optimization.

Heather Lutze, Nationally-acclaimed search marketing authority, Internet Marketing speaker, SEO speaker and Search Engine Marketing speaker, and author of The Findability Formula: The Easy, Non-Technical Approach to Search Engine Marketing. Heather Lutze teaches businesses of all size how to successfully market themselves on the Internet.  

 Tuesday, February 23

8:00-9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

9:00-10:15 a.m.
Increased Regulations on Temporary Signage and Graphics
We can expect a major increase in the permitting and zoning controls for temporary signage and graphics such as POP products. The rules are changing fast. We’re bringing David Williamson in as a new service partner with SGIA to help members with permitting and zoning questions. He is on the forefront of this issue. David will share his view of what the graphics community can expect as tighter controls are implemented.

David L. Williamson, an Ohio-based attorney and a veteran of the sign and commercial graphics markets. His law practice is focused on sign law, and business law. He is the principal of The Visual Information Group LLC, a strategy consulting and market research firm.




10:15-10:45 a.m.
Refreshment Break

10:45 a.m.-12 noon
Maximizing Service Based Business Opportunities in a Product Focused Marketplace
SPIRE members will be lead on an exploration of business expansion opportunities and the techniques for maximizing profitability of value added services. The session will also address the differences in marketing product and services and will recommend performance metrics for service based business models.

  Points addressed will include:

• Why Value-added services are critical to all businesses
• Differences between Product and Services Marketing
• Tools for actively pursuing possible new services
• The value of looking far outside the SGIA world
• Motivating the employees to be "business creative" as compared with plain creative
• Value pricing services 
  

Sam Klaidman is the Principal Adviser at the Middlesex Consulting Group. He applies his nearly 45 years of hands-on experience in Engineering, Manufacturing, Customer Service, Consulting and General Management to help small and medium size Clients grow their business and win Customer Loyalty.