White Plains, N.Y. –– Charting the future for retail and mastering the language of color are vital topics for participants in the art and design market attending Surtex, the leading trade show for the art and design market, to be held May 19 to 21 in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Among the trends looming over the retail landscape are: the move to private label; the battle between big box and specialty retailers; how ecommerce competes with and complements in-store shopping, plus overseas manufacturing. Mike Tesler, founding partner of consultancy Retail Concepts, will chart how these and other changes impact design, product manufacture and distribution decisions in unprecedented ways.
Because visual cues determine 75% of human experience, color plays a critical role in design and brands, as well as connecting with consumers. Keith Recker, color strategist of Pantone, will explore the power of color to differentiate a product or brand, as well as convey a mood that may even provoke a physiological response.
“Designers, manufacturers and retailers attend Surtex to take the pulse of the marketplace and ensure their artwork and products accurately capture consumer mindsets and wants,”said Penny Sikalis, vice president of GLM and manager of the Surtex show. “As the retail landscape changes, designers must respond to meet the needs of manufacturers. Plus, the integration of color into the design, manufacture and packaging process is key to successful sales. Tesler and Recker will present timely and essential information for all designers, artists, manufacturers and retailers active in the licensing and sale of original design.”
Tesler will address “The Future of Retail: Attitudes, Trends and Hardcore Facts” at the annual B to B marketplace on Tuesday, May 21 at 10:00 am.
Recker’s talk, “Design Leadership: Developing Winning Color Strategies in a Global Marketplace,” is scheduled on Tuesday, May 21 at 1:00 pm and is the closing presentation of the 10-session Surtex conference program held during the three-day show.
Mike Tesler is a leading consultant on retail strategy; as founding partner of Retail Concepts, he focuses on retail business start-ups plus marketing/merchandising plans to regenerate existing businesses. He co-founded Gatepost, a specialty clothing store which operated fourteen stores in three states. As COO, Tesler managed all facets of the business, allowing him to understand the unique challenges that independent retailers face. He also served in corporate retail, as an executive with Filene’s and Filene’s Basement involved in retail merchandising and management. Tesler teaches retailing at Bentley University, and has served as a board member for the Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association, the Prince School of Retail at Simmons College, and the Fashion Advisory Board at Fisher College. Tesler is also a member of the Council of Advisors and a RetailWire BrainTrust panelist.
Keith Recker, color strategist of Pantone, is recognized globally as a color and trends consultant at. He is co-author of Pantone: The Twentieth Century in Color (Chronicle, 2011) which was published in eight languages and is in its second printing. Recker’s work on color and culture has also been published in exhibition catalogs published by the Studio Museum of Harlem and the Museum of Art and Design, and others. Recker is also the founder and editor of HAND/EYE Magazine, which profiles forward looking creators, faraway cultures, ancient craft traditions, and cutting edge design innovation. Previously, as director of product development at Granet and Associates, Recker helped create relationships between creative brands and manufacturers and marketers serving the retail sector and the design trade. Clients included Clodagh, Jamie Drake, John Barman, Richard Mishaan, Campion Platt, Suzanne Kasler, Pantone, John Varvatos and many others.