Trade interest in Retail Vision is ‘overwhelming’

Retail response for the forthcoming pan-European trade show Retail Vision has been ‘overwhelming’, according to organiser Gartner, which has unveiled its new refined strategy to ensure the show is the best yet.

One of the guiding principles of the event – which takes place from May 14th to the 16th in Rome – is getting the right people on the show floor, as Pete Prentice (pictured), vice president of Global Channel events at Gartner explained to PC Retail.

"It’s actually really exciting. We just sent out retailer invites two weeks ago and we’re absolutely underwater trying to keep up with the interest. Once we’ve sent out the invites, we qualify everybody to make sure that not only is it the right organisation but it’s the right individual

"And then we formally extend the invitation and bring them on board. It’s a bit overwhelming, which is exactly what we like. It’s exciting."

Gartner has honed key aspects of the show’s structure to better serve attendees and exhibits alike, including a refining of the self scheduling system to include a ‘hot list’ which categorises firms by their product portfolio, and the category presentations – in which ten or 15 vendors will give two minute pitches to retailers.

However, Prentice says the show’s key strength is its pan-European influence. "The opportunity of pan-European focus can be more appealing to vendors who have that broader interest in Europe," continued Prentice.

"Because we go out and cherry pick from the region, we’ve picked the finest from each country and the highest growth opportunities. We’ll have the established Western European markets, as well as the opportunities in Eastern Europe really throughout the whole region.

"So what we’re able to deliver is a net of much larger opportunity for a particular manufacturer."