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‘GLOBAL RETAILING CONFERENCE 2008’ FEATURES INDUSTRY LUMINARIES WHOSE IDEAS ARE CHANGING THE FACE OF RETAIL

University of Arizona’s 13TH annual event brings together international executives, authors, students and economists to discuss issues affecting global retail industry

TUCSON, Ariz. (MARCH 7, 2008) – The world’s top retailers, technology experts, authors, economists, and students from the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing at the University of Arizona, will gather at Global Retailing Conference 2008, April 10 – 11 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, to discuss issues impacting the future of the industry.

The theme of this year’s conference, the 13th produced by the U of A’s Center for Retailing, is “Brand New Thinking: The Innovation Leaders.” The center has about 350 students pursuing retail careers, and it is recognized as one of the top five retail business programs in the country. “Our goal is to provide attendees with access to technology, marketing and business ideas that are changing the face of retail worldwide,” said Melinda Burke, executive director of the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing. “And, thanks to the ongoing support of our many sponsors and business partners, we have 15 A-list speakers who will share stories about life in the trenches and examples of how retailers of all sizes can implement changes that will enable their companies to thrive.”

Highlight’s of the April 10 agenda include an opening keynote by Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s Inc. Lundgren is a graduate of the U of A, and the university renamed the Center for Retailing in his honor in 2005. He will be followed by Carl E. Steidtmann, chief economist with Deloitte Research, who is a recognized expert on economic forecasting and will discuss “The Consumer-Driven Recession.” Other presenters will include: Inovis president and CEO, Sean E. Feeney, whose topic is a look “Beyond the Four Walls of Retail;” and an examination of the impact of emerging technologies on customers, by Jan de Jong, Microsoft’s worldwide retail industry solutions manager, and Christophe Heurtevent, marketing director, Microsoft France.

High-tech phenom and CEO of Zapppos.com, Tony Hsieh, also is making an appearance at the conference on Thursday. Hsieh will share the “Top 10 Lessons Learned in E-Commerce.” He co-founded Venture Frogs, an incubator and investment firm that helped launch Ask Jeeves, Tellme Networks, and Zappos.com. Hsieh joined the online shoe retailer when he was 26, and grew gross merchandise sales from $1.6 million in 2000 to $597 million in 2006.

On April 11, Roger Farah, president and chief operating officer of Polo Ralph Lauren, kicks off the program with a discussion about “Development of a Global Brand in Europe.” Other presenters include: Dr. David Ginsberg, vice president, SAP Industry Solutions, who will discuss “Balancing Financial Performance with Shopper Needs;” and Daria Myers, president of Origins Natural Resources, will speak to “Sustainable Innovation: Doing Well by Doing Good.”

Marc Ecko, creator of a rhino logo that can be found in almost every retail corner of the globe, will be the closing speaker on Friday. From humble beginnings as a high-school student creating custom graphic designs in his parent’s garage, Ecko parlayed his passion for youth into unrivaled business success that today spans publishing, multimedia, philanthropy and fashion. He is chairman and chief creative officer for Marc Ecko Enterprises.

“Our smaller conference size and more intimate resort setting will provide attendees with unparalleled access to some of the greatest and most creative minds in business today,” said Kim Brooke, assistant director, Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing. “We’re confident that all attendees – students, new retail employees, and executives – will walk away with ideas that will help them successfully navigate today’s challenging retail environment.”

The Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing is part of the University of Arizona’s John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences. It brings together the resources and expertise of academia and the retail industry, with the shared goal of developing strong future retail professionals. To learn more about the center, or to view the complete conference agenda and speaker roster, please visit: www.globalretailingconference.org or www.terryjlundgrencenter.org. ###

Media contacts:
Nina Bondarook
Nina Bondarook & Associates
nina@bondarook.com
650.533.3367

Kimberley A. Brooke
Assistant Director Marketing & Program Development
Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing
kbrooke@u.arizona.edu
520.626.7952