In-Store Asia 2009 to be held on July 16-18 in Bengaluru

In-Store Asia, the expo, convention and awards event focusing on shopper marketing, will be held in Bengaluru from July 16 to July 18. The event has already had successful stints in Mumbai and Delhi.

The fifth edition of In-Store Asia is aimed at keeping the marketing and retail fraternity at the forefront of this ever-changing retail revolution. It will showcase concepts and ideas in shopper marketing from India and abroad across three modules -- expo, convention and awards.

"The focus of In-Store Asia 2009 will be on 'thinking outside the shopping basket' to understand how a shopper actually makes the final decisions in diverse retail formats, across diverse product categories for different shopping missions and during different economic circumstances," says Sachin Jante, marketing manager, VJ Media Works. Therefore, the theme this year is, 'Think like a Shopper. Think In-Store Asia 2009.'

The event expects to see around 18 speakers, 500 delegates and 3,000 visitors. On whether the slowdown will affect attendance this year, Jante says, "We don't expect the slowdown to affect In-Store Asia attendance. In fact, the show becomes all the more relevant for marketers during times of economic uncertainty."

The expo will be classified into four pavilions: Absolute POP, VM& Storefix, Retail Signs and Dynamic Environments.

The convention will see a long list of well-known speakers address the audience, making presentations and putting forth their thoughts and insights.

Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. and chairman, steering committee, will make a presentation on the subject, 'Every marketing problem has a Shopper-centric solution'.

Sunil Sethi, executive director, sales and customer development, Cadbury India, will discuss his thoughts on understanding shoppers and formats to create effective shopper marketing programmes -- The Cadbury Way.

Anand Singh, director, insights, Coca-Cola Inc. and Indivar Kushari, general manager, shopper insights, The Coca Cola Company will share their views on 'Shopper versus Consumer; how similar and different are they?'

Hemant Malik, chief operating officer, marketing and distribution, ITC will discuss 'Decoding traditional retail to successfully build brands and influence purchase'. Another speaker from ITC, Sandeep Kaul, strategic business unit chief executive, personal care products business, will discuss the role of shopper marketing in the success of a new brand, by sharing brand Vivel's example.

Mukesh Manik, man-in-charge, EncycloMedia Networks will discuss impact-driven sales in-store; while Samar Singh Sheikhawat, vice-president, marketing, Spencer's Retail will share opportunities and challenges for private labels in food and grocery.

Surender Gnanaolivu, vice-president, store development, Mahindra Retail will dwell on strategic store plotting and planning to meet market and business needs.

Bijou Kurien, president and chief executive, lifestyle division, Reliance Retail will discuss 'Think Like a Shopper -- The Why and the How'.

Hemant Bakshi, executive director, sales and customer development, Hindustan Unilever will talk about the science of shopper marketing in traditional retail.

International speakers include Ken Nisch, chairman of award-winning design firm JGA, who will discuss 'Mastering Retail: A Winning Combination for Consumer Domination'; Giorgio Borruso, founder, Giorgio Borruso Design, on 'Effective Design Strategies for uncertain times' and Jose Maria Bustos, president and creative director, Visual Merchandising Asia on 'Visual Merchandising Update -- A talk on the latest from the world of VM'.

Jante shares marketers' expectations from In-Store Asia this year. "In a slowdown, conventional logic would suggest that shoppers are heading straight for the discount aisle. But shoppers are looking for value, and therefore, shopper marketers will look to understand how shoppers think during these times. Marketers will be looking for products, solutions, concepts and ideas that will help them deliver value to their shoppers."

The convention will culminate with the VM&RD Retail Design Awards 2009. The awards this year will see the introduction of three new categories, namely, Best Fixture Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Visual Merchandising. Until last year, these awards were derived from the entries in the main merchandise/service categories. The introduction of these categories will enable a more systematic focus on outstanding efforts in these practices.