(Part2) RIS NRF 2020 Preview NRF Big Show, NRF, NRF Preview, Retail Technology, Retail Tradeshow, National Retail Federation Big Show, National Retail Federation Big Show Preview. Retail Innovation

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 8:30-9:15 am WHERE: SAP QualtricsXM Theatre, Level 1 Delivering the opening keynote for NRF 2020, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will provide insights and takeaways for the future of retail and how technology can help the industry transform. He will explore how retailers around the globe can adapt to deliver on the promise of intelligent retail.

Retail’s Vision 2020: NRF Chairman’s Welcome and Opening Remarks

Chairman’s Welcome and Opening Remarks

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WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 11:30-12:30 pm WHERE: Stage 3, Expo Level 1 Robots have long been an ideal of the future, but suddenly it’s our reality. While there’s a lot of hype around the use of robots in retail, it’s not without due cause. Multipurpose robots can resolve data gaps by collecting details on everything from inventory and display compliance to safety, security, refrigeration, and more. Chris Adams, VP category management services for RBS, an Ahold Delhaize Company, will provide examples of retail robot collaborations that could set the stage for the future.

Cool Robot, Now What?

In the buzz that is the NRF Big Show, the keynote sessions set the pace for the event, and this year is no different. With sessions from executives including MIT, Microsoft, Kohl’s, Hudson’s Bay, Walmart, and more, there isn’t a discussion to miss. Topics will cover the latest hot-button issues, such as sustainability, the future of retail, how technology will transform the industry, and how retailers can keep pace in an ever-changing marketplace. In traditional fashion, the event kicks off on Sunday morning with the Chairman’s Welcome and Opening Remarks sharing inspiring stories of transformation and celebrating the grand opening of the Big Show. Concluding the show on Tuesday will be a presentation on visionary brand building, providing insight into how retailers and celebrities can leverage partnerships to create brands that foster innovation. Here, we’ve highlighted a few sessions to help you kickoff and conclude your day, shaping your time at the Big Show. Join a bevy of industry leaders as they share the pain points and opportunities that have helped them raise the bar in digital and beyond to thrive in today’s retail scene.

The store still lies at the heart of the industry, and digitizing the epicenter of the retail universe has become a top priority for savvy retailers. They are investing heavily in the resurgence of the store, while simultaneously integrating enterprise-wide operations to meet new omnichannel demands. But how are retail leaders focusing on the physical shopping experience to better engage a wide audience? How are they driving improved customer and employee experiences in their stores? What happens when a global brand, and the latest digital tools come together? From interactive digital signage to mobile checkout tech, to location technology and robots, retailers are infusing their physical spaces with next-gen tech meant to turn stores into beacons that draw shoppers in. While the trends and technology that retailers require vary by vertical, every retailer must pinpoint the specific firepower that can help them meet shopper demand, both in the store and out. Learn how successful retailers leverage digital technologies to enhance stores with creative experiences that result in memorable moments. Take a look at the top sessions at this year’s Big Show that focus on the rising need for a technology reboot throughout the store and across the enterprise.

KEYNOTES

STORE SYSTEMS

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Send in the Robots!

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Brick-and-Mortar 2.0

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Embrace the Power of the Store Associate

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Virtual Neiman Marcus Store Tour

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LEGO: Bringing Bricks to Life

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American Girl’s In-Store Micro-Experiences

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How Microservices Architecture Can Transform Stores

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Walmart CEO John Furner Speaks

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A Conversation With Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass

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Retail CEOs On Winning the Experience Economy

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Helena Foulkes Shares Vision for Growth

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Urban Outfitters’ Chief Digital Officer on Going Digital First

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 9:15-9:45 am WHERE: SAP QualtricsXM Theatre, Level 1 As the age of digital continues to evolve, retailers must adapt not only to consumer, but employee demands. Noteworthy author and MIT professor Zeynep Ton will join Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner to dive into the current retail landscape, its digital capabilities, and most importantly, the opportunities for employees. Together, the two will share how the workplace has changed and where it’s headed, as well as what retailers such as Walmart are doing to better cater to its employees.

A New Era of Workforce Transformation

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 9:45-10:15 am WHERE: SAP QualtricsXM Theatre, Level 1 Bold changes are allowing Kohl’s to thrive in today’s dynamic retail scene. During this fireside chat, CEO Michelle Gass will share how she is embracing the ebb and flow of the omnichannel landscape to drive growth. Through a bevy of new partnerships with innovative players and brands, the retailer is ramping up its digital capabilities, online operations and buckling up for growth ahead. The recipient of the NRF Foundation’s The Visionary 2020 award, Gass will comment on where retail leadership is headed in 2020, how Kohl’s is taking risks to keep the pace, and what innovative ideas are fueling the industry.

The Visionary 2020: A Conversation with Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 3:30-4:30 pm WHERE: SAP QualtricsXM Theatre, Level 1 Consumer demand for a seamless shopping experience, creates an increasing need for retailers to be able to identify shoppers whether they’re in-store, online, or at home. In this keynote, Neela Montgomery, CEO of Crate and Barrel; Philip Krim, co-founder and CEO of Casper; and Ron Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Enjoy will share how they are creating a vision that raises the bar to meet the demands of “me-commerce.”

Winning the Experience Economy: How to Raise the Bar in a World of Raised Expectations

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 3:30-4:30 pm WHERE: SAP QualtricsXM Theatre, Level 1 Hear from Helena Foulkes, CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company and Tim Steiner, CEO, Ocado Group as they share the evolution of tackling growth challenges, reimaging customer strategies, and living up to the "change agent" persona. In this keynote presentation, the retailers will provide thoughts for leading enterprise transformation, examine the company's landscape, offer ideas to solve or disrupt industry challenges, and share a vision for future growth.

Global Retail Mindset: Bold Moves from Leaders Fueling Future Growth

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 3:30-4:00 pm WHERE: SAP QualtricsXM Theatre, Level 1 In this session, innovative leaders Dave Hayne, chief digital officer at Urban Outfitters; Anthony Marino, president of thredUP; and Charles Gorra, founder and CEO of Rebag, share how they are disrupting the industry and transforming into digital-first companies to meet consumer needs.

Recommerce Revolution: Upcycling Retail’s Future

WHEN: Saturday, January 11 | 11:00-11:30 am WHERE: The FQ Lounge, Expo Level 1, Back of 1100 Aisle Online shopping has reinvented the retail world, but the one thing that will always remain at the center is that the customer comes first. Brick-and-mortar stores offer retailers an opportunity to develop deep relationships between the customer and the brand. Andrea Fasulo, global head of retail marketing for Viacom Nickelodeon consumer products and Parinda Muley, VP innovation and business development for Macy's will provide insight into how industry leaders focus on the physical shopping experience to better engage a wide audience.

Brick-and-Mortar 2.0: Making Every Customer Count

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 1:00-1:30 pm WHERE: Stage 3, Expo Level 1 Today’s retail store teams are tasked with prioritizing activities to enhance the customer experience and drive results. They’ve been charged with duties such as gatekeeping, ensuring balance and coordination of tasks, effective and efficient execution of priority initiatives, and communicating key strategies, product knowledge, and directives. Jeremy Arnold, senior director of North America for Ralph Lauren, and Mark Qualls, VP of U.S. operations at GameStop, will share strategies that have helped drive customer and employee experience in their stores.

Enhancing the Customer and Employee Experience by Engaging and Empowering Your Store Associates

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 11:15-11:45 am WHERE: Shyft Stage, Level 4 Store tours are always a highlight of any conference, but now attendees can do it from the comfort of their chair in the Javits Center. Step inside some of New York’s most noteworthy locations to uncover how retailers are using the latest, greatest technology to connect with the consumer in-store in a purposeful way that delivers a memorable experience. Neiman Marcus's VP of creative Yujin Heo will guide the session, highlighting the features and technology behind the retailer’s first Manhattan location.

Virtual Store Tour: Using Technology to Reinvent the Purpose of the Store

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 12:00-12:30 pm WHERE: Medallia Stage, Hall E, Level 1 What happens when a global brand, human imagination, and the latest digital tools come together? Lauren Thomas, retail reporter, CNBC and Martin Urrutia Islas, head of global retail innovation at The Lego Group, dive into the creation of the LEGO Store experience. Discover how the retailer leverages digital technologies to enhance brick-and-mortar with fun, creative experiences that result in memorable moments that bring the brand and products to life. Personalization is a unique experience for LEGO shoppers. For example, shoppers can create their own LEGO Mini figures or personalized portrait built with 2,304 LEGO bricks.

Bringing Bricks to Life: LEGO Knows the Child in All of Us

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 10:15-10:45 am WHERE: Medallia Stage, Hall E, Level 1 American Girl’s senior director of global creative services, Barbara Carlson; Sarah Hoffmann, CMO, Drybar; and Robyn Novak, VP, managing creative director, Frch Nelson discuss the rise of micro-experiences and how physical retailers must create in-store experiences that simply cannot be replicated online in today’s digital-first culture. Uncover why small moments of in-store engagement have a big impact on the customer and brand loyalty. She will discuss the criteria of a successful micro-experience – digital, data and design – and how to leverage unique services or products to create a differentiated, meaningful in-store interaction.

Delivering Micro Experiences for Major In-Store Impact

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 9:15-9:45 am WHERE: Stage 1, Expo Level 1 It may be all the buzz, but microservices is having a real impact on the innovative customer experiences that retailers can bring to stores. In this fireside chat, Gerald Charles, VP of global IT operations and strategy for Under Armour and Nikki Baird, VP, retail innovation, Aptos share how the innovative brand is in the process of transforming its store architecture. Discover why the company embarked on the journey and what it hopes to achieve along the way.

How Microservices Architecture Will Transform Stores

TON

FURNER

MONTGOMERY

JOHNSON

KRIM

FOULKES

STEINER

HAYNE

MARINO

GORRA

Change in retail is not slowing down anytime soon – and it’s becoming even more complex. As artificial intelligence, analytics, voice commerce, and more offer retailers new capabilities at speeds that are nearly impossible to keep up with, the possibilities of what retail can be are changing rapidly. Meanwhile sustainability is becoming a hot topic in need of solutions. Retailers that are able to navigate the path to true innovation and meet consumers’ ever-changing demands will stand the test of time, while others get left behind. Today’s retailers are tasked with finding new ways to improve the shopper connection, create memorable moments, and provide valuable services. The key is to not only inspire the customer, but also the associate to drive these interactions. Meanwhile, new ways of doing business are creating revolutionary retail models. To highlight the importance of innovation in retail, the National Retail Federation dedicates an entire section of the show floor to its Innovation Lab, showcasing exemplary technologies that are already helping retailers deliver fresh and thoughtful customer experiences. Check out all the top sessions that will provide inspiration to forge forward with your own innovations.

INNOVATION

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 12:45-1:45 pm WHERE: Medallia Stage, Hall E, Level 1 With all the success found in DTC and influencer brands, this panel, including Gabby Cohen, SVP marketing and brand, Rent the Runway; Sally Mueller, chief brand officer, Who What Wear; and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin, co-founder, Summersalt will share how successful strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and investments are creating new alliances to help pave the road to new business models. These new ways of doing business are bridging the gap between DTC and brick-and-mortar for businesses who exist in both.

Food for Thought - The Future Is Now: How Retailers Can Utilize Digitally Native Talent (and Brands) to Revitalize Growth

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 1:30-2:00 pm WHERE: The FQ Lounge, Expo Level 1, Back of 1100 Aisle Lowe’s CIO Seemantini Godbole and FullBeauty Brands’ SVP of e-commerce Christiane Pendarvis will explore how retail leaders are leveraging the power of AI and other digital tools to get closer to the consumer. After all, there’s still no algorithm that substitutes for human connection.

The Age of AI: Women Shaping the Future of Retail

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 10:15-10:45pm WHERE: Stage 1, Expo Level 1 In an effort to improve supply chain, inventory and waste management, retailers are harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning. Hardeep Kharau of Loblaw, Lars Gunnarsson of IKEA Foods, and Brad Coons of Save A Lot explain how to better leverage AI/ML to help make profitable decisions and deliver a seamless customer experience. Rucha Nanavati of Albertson’s, Lars Gunnarsson of IKEA Foods, and Brad Coons of Save A Lot explain how to better leverage AI/ML to help make profitable decisions and deliver a seamless customer experience. During this session, the panel will create a roadmap to drive real results that bring retailers to the cutting edge.

AI/ML at Work - Make Retail Seamless

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 11:45-12:15 pm WHERE: Stage 2, Expo Level 1 Belk’s VP allocation and replenishment, Tim Carney, explains how the retailer’s team trusts and collaborates with AI and machine learning to solve problems and make quicker, more accurate (and more profitable) decisions. The virtual assistant helps support the end-to-end merchandising demand management process, which delivers customer preferences, automates assortment and allocation, and delivers incremental revenue to drive better customer experiences.

Minimize Markdowns with Pricing and Inventory Analytics

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 11:45-12:15 pm WHERE: Stage 1, Expo Level 1 Sustainability is of growing importance to consumers, and therefore, retailers. Arti Zeighami, head of AI and sustainability for H&M will share the retailer’s sustainability journey. From why it’s important to how technology can help drive it, Zeighami will discuss how the company is empowering the initiative.

Retail 2020: The Dawn of Sustainability

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 1:00-1:45 pm WHERE: Stage 2, Expo Level 1 Office Depot is in the middle of transforming from an office supply retailer to a business services company. Office Depot’s Deb Roth, senior director, retail systems, PMO and Ops excellence and Jonas Stillman, director retail systems and omni channel initiatives share how the company is embracing technology and automation to increase operational efficiency and upend the supply chain in an effort to allow associates to focus on developing customer relationships rather than performing mundane tasks. The session will take a deep dive into how the organization is bringing together siloed, segmented channels under a single banner, so Office Depot is Office Depot, no matter which channel a customer shops.

Office Depot is Turning Business as Usual, Upside Down

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Blending Physical and Digital

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Target’s Reimagined Loyalty Program

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Tractor Supply’s Omnichannel Wins

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The Secret to Dick’s Multi-Channel Success

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Real-Time Personalization at Scale

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Implementing a Unified Approach

Retailers in 2020 are tasked with meeting the needs of the new what-I-want-when-I-want-it shopper culture. E-commerce, mobile commerce, and stores must come together to create a new integrated, channel-less shopping experience for modern consumers. Omnichannel capabilities are an essential retail function which retailers must execute to near perfection in order to succeed. However, few truly do it well. In a fully functional and efficient omnichannel flow, the customer needs a real-time view of inventory, product information, and orders wherever they are, whenever they want it. They should receive personalized offers, recommendations and alerts all based off their online and offline shopping data. They should be engaged both online and in the store, by professionals and digital spaces that recognize who they are. This unified approach must include order management, store fulfillment, and DC operations. Now more than ever, customers are cultivating change. Retailers are making their own rules, experimenting with new store models and revamping the supply chain to revolutionize the way they cater to the customer. These sessions will give you new ideas on how to master what every retailer needs to succeed in the new retail.

OMNICHANNEL

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 10:30-11:00 am WHERE: Kustomer Stage, Hall E, Level 1 Retail reimagined – throw out the old playbooks, retail 2020 is writing its own. Tal Zvi Nathnel, co-founder and CEO of Showfields, and Winston Fisher, CEO of Area15 are playing by their own retail rules. The companies are experimenting with models that blend physical and digital retail in a way that truly revolutionize the brick-and-mortar experience. Join this session to discover how these retail models prove that traditional retail is not dead, it’s evolving – and it’s evolving in very different ways.

Immersive...Reimagined...Revolutionary: The Future of Shopping Beckons

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 12:00-12:30 pm WHERE: Shyft Stage, Level 4 Loyalty 2.0: shifting the conversation away from points acquisition and into a broader ecosystem. This new outlook optimizes the rewards system and invites customers into the world of the brand, engaging with tools across the journey and adding value through exclusive experiences or services. Join Rick Gomez, EVP and chief marketing and digital officer at Target, and Matthew Blonder, VP marketing and digital brand commerce at Reebok, for insight into these best-in-class loyalty programs.

From Points to Passports: Reimagining the Loyalty Program

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 3:15-3:45 pm WHERE: Stage 4, Expo Level 3 With a growing network of 1,800+ stores across the U.S., Tractor Supply has found its formula for merging in-store and online customer experiences. Letitia Webster, the retailer’s VP omnichannel will share how a clear customer vision and an iterative approach can drive transformational change.

How Tractor Supply Cultivates True Omnichannel Wins

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 10:15-10:45 am WHERE: Stage 2, Expo Level 1 Today’s what-I-want-when-I-want culture means shoppers demand convenience, accessibility and most importantly, flexibility. In this panel, Barrie Carmel, chief value optimization officer for Bed Bath & Beyond, and Moussa Coulibaly, VP pricing, merchandising analytics and reporting for Dick’s Sporting Goods will share how to price smarter, not harder. Most importantly, the retailers will share pain points, successes, strategies, and more to address a variety of opportunities across channels no matter where the customer begins.

Price, Strategies and Agility: Thriving in a Multi-Channel Retail Environment

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 10:15-11:00 am WHERE: Stage 3, Expo Level 1 Boosting omnichannel performance is critical to driving the shopper experience. Paul Lazorisak, SVP performance marketing for Coldwater Creek; Sue Beckett, VP digital and direct marketing for LoveSac; and Chris Dargis, SVP e-commerce and CRM at Talbots come together to offer insight into how they leverage customer data. Offering tips and tricks, the retailers will explain how to create a dynamic customer journey and provide real-time personalization at scale.

3 Top Retailers Share How Customer Data Powers Differentiated Customer Experiences

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 1:00-1:45 pm WHERE: Stage 1, Expo Level 1 The term omnichannel is becoming extinct, as it has simply become “the way things get done.” Yet, for many reasons, retailers still wrestle with how to make omnichannel profitable. Brianne Murphy, DSW’s director of fulfillment and Bill Woodall, director, retail performance and customer experience, Hibbett Sports share their journeys into cross-channel inventory visibility and how to make anytime/anywhere/anyhow fulfillment a reality. This session will delve into the integration points of a unified approach, including order management, store fulfillment, dropship and DC operations.

Omnichannel Power Discussion: Integration From Product Availability to Delivery

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How Wegmans Is Crossing Over

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Sephora’s Take on Monetizing Social

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Fostering a Customer Obsession Culture

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Leveraging Data to Better Serve Customers

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Celebrating Customer Diversity

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Building a Deep Emotional Connection With Shoppers

While the retail experience may look different than it did a decade ago, delivering a personalized experience remains at its core. Retailers that connect emotionally with shoppers have a better chance of developing loyalty — an incredibly important factor in succeeding in retail among today’s fierce competition. Loyal shoppers mean improved volume and frequency of purchases and, hopefully, increased recommendations. To engage with customers, retailers are upping their game, gathering customer information from a number of sources in order to make the shopping experience as easy and personalized as possible. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, CRM and more are redefining the level of engagement possible. The ability to shop on social platforms is now a vital part of the path to purchase and has become a vehicle for not only driving sales, but connecting with customers more directly. Winning retailers are experimenting with these new technologies to uncover how to best deliver unique customer experiences that bring shoppers meaningful interaction. Learn how retailers are engaging with customers both in-store and online, and how to bridge the data gap. This selection of sessions reveal what’s on the horizon, how to keep up, and what pitfalls to avoid.

CONSUMEr ENGAGEMENT

WHEN: Saturday, January 11 | 2:55-3:15 pm WHERE: Marriott Marquis, Soho Complex, 7th Floor The lines of retailer, delivery and foodservice have been significantly blurred over recent years and sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s what, and who’s who. However, when these industries come together for a single comprehensive experience, we create happy customers. Ben Abel, director of digital for Wegmans Food Markets, shares the successes and pain points of delivery, as well as the potential crossover of food and beverage with retail.

Where Will Delivery Go Next?

WHEN: Sunday, January 12 | 10:30-11:00 am WHERE: Medallia Stage, Hall E, Level 1 The ability to shop on social platforms is a vital part of the purchase journey. Social has become a vehicle for efficiently driving sales and connecting with customers more directly. Amy Eschliman, SVP of e-commerce, Sephora; Asher Rapkin, head of messenger & emerging platforms, global business marketing, Facebook; and Layla Amjadi, product lead, Instagram Shopping will focus on how brands and retailers alike can leverage social media in innovative ways. From selling products to communicating with customers, social is taking the friction out of the buying process with buy buttons, apps and e-commerce plug-ins. Uncover the best ways to engage with Gen Z for social selling, and how retailers can drive traffic to physical stores with the right social interactions. The session will feature examples of engagement and loyalty-building via social media that delivers sales growth, promotes the brand mission and reaches new customers in interesting ways.

Next-Gen Social Shopping: Sephora, Facebook and Instagram’s Take on Retail’s New Sales Channels

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 12:00-12:30 pm WHERE: Kustomer Stage, Hall E, Level 1 Alex Genov, research manager, user experience, Zappos.com; Heidi Isern, senior director, customer experience innovation, Gap; Alexa Geovanos, brand president, North and South America, Chloé; and Marc Dench, CFO, Joules explain why there is no single recipe for success. While some retailers create personal and emotional connections with customers, others focus on empowering employees with access to customer knowledge. In the quick retail environment, learning comes more from failures than from successes. Uncover the secrets to ensuring that customers remain at the heart of the business, and how a culture of innovation will drive them forward.

Learn How 4 Leading Global Retailers Have Harnessed A Culture of Innovation and Customer Obsession to Deliver Outstanding Experiences

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 2:30-3:00 pm WHERE: The FQ Lounge, Expo Level 1, Back of 1100 Aisle Success is hinged on a retailer’s ability to understand its target audience. Janet Sherlock, CIO of Ralph Lauren, and Sbeen Mian, EVP of merchandising for IPSY, will dive into how leaders are using data to better serve customers, employees, and partners alike.

Deep Dive Into Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 2:45-3:15 pm WHERE: Shyft Stage, Level 4 Retailers are taking a vocal point of view on some of the biggest social and cultural issues of our time to create authentic, personal relationships with consumers. Bonobos offers “a fit for every man and a place where all men fit.” Micky Onvural, CEO of Bonobos will share how the company is raising the bar to be more in sync with today’s consumer.

Rewiring Retail Thinking to Celebrate Diversity

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 | 2:00-2:30 pm WHERE: Medallia Stage, Hall E, Level 1 Building a successful brand is more than just marketing – it requires a purpose, a bond, a valued product, an experience. Pooja Agarwal, chief operating officer for Birchbox; Annie Agle, director, impact and brand, Cotopaxi; and Kelly Cobb, VP, community and giving, Bombas explain how success lies in building a deep emotional connection with consumers around shared values. The brands that adopt community as a core business strategy are finding that shoppers do more than consume – they root for a company’s success.

It Takes a Community to Build a Brand

NRF convenes the largest community of movers and shakers in the retail industry together to reveal what retail is now and could be in the future. As with previous years, attendees will need nothing short of a miracle to help them tackle the expansive show, but the effort will leave attendees inspired to start 2020 off with a bang. Just when you think your day is over, and you’re ready to kick up your feet, remember, you’re in the city that never sleeps – and let’s face it, neither does the retail industry. With must-attend events both on and off the show floor, the Big Show is home to thought leaders that will inspire and invoke ground-breaking concepts. Before you get overwhelmed by the retail firestorm, remember to keep a balance of the needs and opportunities for your organization with a little bit of fun networking for yourself. From pre-show events to after parties, topic tracks to store tours, your time in the Big Apple will be well spent. Here, we’ve outlined the top events that are worth your time and attention while you’re in town.

CAN’T MISS EVENTS

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SuperSaturday

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Store Tours

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Kickoff Party

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Tour the Floor

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Female Networking

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Innovation Lab

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Startup Zone

WHEN: Saturday, January 11 | 8:00 am-4:00 pm WHERE: SAP Hudson Yards, Manhattan, NY The pre-Big Show event that is sure to blow you out of the water, RetailROI will host its annual SuperSaturday event on January 11, at SAP Hudson Yards. Bringing together top analysts and C-level executives, this IT conference provides the retail community a positive way to help kids. Celebrating its 11th year, the fast-paced RetailROI event offers promising insight on the latest data and trends in the retail industry to help prep you for the show floor. In the first 10 years, the proceeds from sponsorships have helped more than 250,000 children worldwide in 25 countries. While this event require separate registration, you can help bring meaningful change to children around the world. For more information, visit www.retailroi.org.

RetailROI’s SuperSaturday

WHEN: See NRF agenda for multiple dates/times WHERE: Location to be provided during registration These two-hour guided walking tours provide a behind-the-scenes look at NYC’s cutting-edge retail locations. Discover how these retailers are utilizing changing customer behavior and new technology to their advantage. Each tour visits five selected locations, so choose your tour wisely (although none will disappoint). At each location, a store administrator will speak about the features, innovations, store experience, customer service enhancements and brand stories. Each store visit is approximately 15 minutes, chock full of information you won’t want to miss. Separate registration and additional fee required.

Guided Retail Store Tours

WHEN: Saturday, January 11 | 6:00-7:30 pm WHERE: Marriott Marquis, Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor Let your hair down and unwind before the craziness of the expo begins. Enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres for a warm welcome to New York and NRF 2020 Vision. Reconnect with old friends and colleagues, and make some new ones while you’re at it. This is a great time to touch base with people before hitting the show floor.

Opening Party

WHEN: See agenda for multiple dates/times WHERE: Location to be provided during registration In partnership with CIM Tours, the National Retail Federation is providing four different Expo Tour experiences, including artificial intelligence, customer experience, digital experience & e-commerce, and future & in-store tech. Each two-hour tour will visit exhibitors that deliver the latest in retail technology across different businesses. The tours are open to retailers only and require a separate registration.

Expo Tours

WHEN: Everyday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm WHERE: Expo Level 1, Back of 1100 Aisle Back for the second year, The FQ Lounge is ready for Retail’s Big Show. In partnership with The Female Quotient, The FQ Lounge brings together women to connect, collaborate, learn, and activate change together. This year’s lounge offers sessions of its own, allowing attendees access to exclusive Q&As, networking areas and special experiences, including free professional headshots.

The FQ Lounge @ NRF 2020

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 9:00 am-5:00 pm WHERE: Innovation Lab, Level 4 An immersive exhibit with more than 50 visionaries from around the world, displaying the latest and greatest retail’s tech transformation.

NRF Innovation Lab

WHEN: Monday, January 13 | 9:00am-5:00 pm WHERE: Startup Zone, Level 4 Get hands-on with new and emerging tech from some of the industry’s best startups. Get familiar with everything from AI and AR, to machine learning, robotics, and more.

Startup Zone

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