Retailing Thought Leadership Conference

Conference Theme:

What’s Next for Retail - Research Opportunities and Challenges’ Academic and Practitioner Perspectives’

Retail is a dynamic and vibrant sector of the U.S. economy. National Retail Federation estimates that retail directly and indirectly supports 42 million jobs and provides $1.6 trillion in labor income and contributes $2.6 trillion (about 16%) annually to U.S. GDP. In the State of Arkansas, retail sector is the largest employer of its residents.

Program Venue Lodging and Travel Registration Contact

2019 Conference Highlights

The Retailing Thought Leadership Conference served as a forum for retail industry practitioners and retail focused academics to get together in different teams and brainstorm research issues and strategies concerning several key topic areas. The end objective of this collaborative effort was to generate fresh research ideas for publication in a special issue of the Journal of Retailing.

Dates and Location

October 11 and 12, 2019

Conference Venue:
Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development
Sam M. Walton College of Business
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Conference Sponsors:

Sam M. Walton College of Business
Retail Advisory Board
Retailing & Pricing American Marketing Association SIG
Retail Supply Chain Institute at Babson College

Keynote Speeches from Retail Leaders

Cecilia Wu, Vice President, Customer Science
Erin Campbell, Senior Vice President at Saatchi & Saatchi X
Andres Mejia, Vice President, Sam’s Club Team Lead at the Coca-Cola Company
John Karsberg, Head of Tests and Insights at H&M
Suzanne Jervis, Director, Product Insights and Decision Sciences at Sam’s Club
Rida Moustafa, Distinguished Data Scientist at Walmart
Jonathan Novallo, Director of International Real Estate at Walmart
Rand Waddoups, Senior Director, Omnichannel at Walmart
Renee Brandon, Field Agent, Vice President, Research & Data
Tom Duncan, Associate Brand Director at Proctor & Gamble

Breakout Topic Areas

Private Label Revolution
Retail Formats of the Future
How Technology is Changing Retail
Artificial Intelligence in Retail
CRM: Firms, Brands, Customer Relationships
Challenges and Opportunities of Fashion and/or Luxury Retailing
Communicating and Promoting Offers in Today's World of Retailing
Sustainability in the Supply Chain

University of Arkansas

Participating Companies

Participating Colleges and Universities

University of Arkansas
Babson College
Southern Methodist University
Arizona State University
Dartmouth College
Drexel University
ESCP Europe
Florida State University
George Mason University
Georgetown University
Georgia State University
Indian School of Business
Loyola Marymount University
McGill University
Ohio State University
Purdue University
Rice University
Santa Clara University
Texas A&M University
Tilburg University
University of Bath
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Houston
University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Miami
University of Muenster
University of North Carolina
University of Tulsa
University of Washington

Program

The program began Friday, October 11, with breakfast and introduction at 8:00 am in Donald W. Reynolds Center at Walton College.
(view map).

Day One: October 11, 2019 (Friday) Main Program (For All Guests)
7:00am-8:00am	Conference Registration & Breakfast
8:00am-8:30am	Introduction (by Provost Jim Coleman & Dean Matt Waller)
8:30am-10:00am	Keynote Speeches - Trends in Retail
10:30am-1:00pm	Presentations by Industry Leaders on Select Topics
1:00pm-2:00pm	Lunch
By Invitation Only (following program is by invitation only)
2:00pm-5:00pm	Breakout Sessions
6:00pm-8:00pm	Dinner (Place TBD)
Day Two: October 12, 2019 (Saturday)
8:00am-9:00am	Breakfast
9:00am-10:00am	Breakout Sessions ctd.
10:30am-12:30pm	Breakout Group Presentation
12:30pm-1:30pm	Lunch
1:30pm-5:00pm	Walmart Distribution Center and Walmart Store Visit

Venues

Experience Fayetteville

Fayetteville continues to be recognized by national business magazines and quality of life publications for its extremely healthy economy. Northwest Arkansas is bustling, with three of Arkansas' top five employers—Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt—headquartered less than a half-hour drive from Fayetteville. Learn More.

Sam M. Walton College of Business

The Business Building is the central hub of all things Walton College. All academic departments are located in the Business Building along with the Dean's Office, Accounting Center, Technology Center and associate deans. Learn More.

Reynolds Center

The 41,000-square-foot Reynolds Center, funded by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in 1996, offers cutting edge technology in its meeting spaces and 300-seat auditorium. Home to the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, it is ideal for conferences, workshops, board meetings, executive retreats, guest speakers and special events. Learn More.

Transportation Services

View transportation options located within the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA)
http://www.flyxna.com/getting-around/buses-shuttles-taxis/

The totals listed are the fees for shuttle service to and from the airport. There are also the phone numbers listed in case any transportation is needed while visiting Fayetteville.

Directions

Contact

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Retailing Thought Leadership Conference, please contact Prof. Dinesh Gauri at dkgauri@uark.edu or (479) 575-3903.

For registration questions, contact Shannon Bullock at University of Arkansas Conferencing Services: sbullock@walton.uark.edu or (479) 575-7328.

For lodging questions, contact Gail Williams at Staybridge Suites: (479) 856-6803.