Life-changing Projects to Launch at ICRS

Online, May 9, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Two national ministry projects and understanding the future customer will have major emphasis during the International Christian Retail Show June 23-26 at the America's Center Convention Complex June 23-26 in St. Louis, MO.

"The church and Christianity are undergoing significant cultural shifts, and Christian stores are part of it," said CBA President Curtis Riskey. "They offer unique ways to serve the church and support evangelism, ministry, and personal growth. We are honored to have major ministry initiatives launch at the International Christian Retail Show in such a cooperative way."

He said business and retailing also are changing rapidly. "We are striving to make ICRS a place for retail buyers to see new products, new trends, and learn about new customers," he said. "The store of the future is tied directly to the customer of the future, and doing retail in this emerging environment will require new skills, new insights, and new ways to do business."

Pastor and author Max Lucado is launching an initiative to reach 5 million hurting hearts in cooperation with the Salvation Army. The program launches Sept. 11 during a Salvation Army commemoration of the 2001 terrorists attacks on New York City.

Christian recording artists Steven Curtis Chapman and Laura Story will lead worship during the open-to-the-public service.

During ICRS, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc. will present My Hope America with Billy Graham, a nationwide effort to reach people across the United States with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Following a simple biblical model, My Hope America with Billy Graham will launch this fall combining the impact of video programs with the power of personal relationships.

Life-giving projects launch at ICRS

With a focus on business, several presentations, workshops, and a special exhibit will highlight how retail is changing in a digital world driven by technology. Colin Shaw, CEO of Beyond Philosophy and author of The DNA of Customer Experience: How Emotions Drive Value, opens the general session.

Shaw's research reveals how consumers' emotional states and experiences must be addressed in any business relationship. For specialty and Christian stores, experiences and emotional connections are competitive advantages against online retailers and mega-discounters.

An informational panel discussion will feature Bill White of Not of This World and C28, Danni Schneidt-Hill of Promises and of Shoppes That Poppe, and Cindy Lambert of Somersault, a leading marketing firm.

The lifestyle-merchandising theme kicks off at the general session and travels through the exhibit-floor entry with the Lifestyle Stories exhibit, and includes a special workshop.

"As stores become more experiential, store environments will increasingly reflect customers through narrative 'storytelling' in merchandising, marketing, and what happens in stores," Riskey said.

Schneidt-Hill will present a workshop on the leading-edge concept. The Lifestyle Stories exhibit will demonstrate designing to attract Millennial Moms, Boomer Women, and Men through cross-merchandising, exhibit design, and artistic appeal. A free implementation guide will help retailers bring lifestyle merchandising to their stores. The exhibit will include consumer research provided by DaySpring to connect customers and their needs to display design.

The International Business Vision General Session will feature a presentation by Andrea DaSilva, senior policy analyst, media and entertainment, for the U. S. Dept. of Commerce. She will highlight trends in international trade that will be of interest to gift, music, book, and film and media producers and distributors.

Author William Paul Young will meet with retailers during the CBA Member Luncheon to strengthen and encourage unity. Young grew up among the Dani, a stone-age tribal people in New Guinea served by his missionary parents. He was the first white child who spoke their language. He knows about enduring as his life has been both "incredible and unbearable, a desperate grasping after grace and wholeness," he says. Author and radio personality Chris Fabry will interview Young at the luncheon.

Best-selling author Karen Kingsbury will be part of a special trends workshop on Christian fiction, which will include research from industry sales data and other sources.

Cover my Expenses

About 20 ICRS exhibitors have signed on to cover buyer expenses to ICRS by offsetting travel costs
through credits and free products. The inaugural program is designed to ensure retailers are able to see the latest products, connect with retailers and industry leaders, learn new trends for business success, and to enjoy a time with friends.

Early registration discounts end May 10. For details and more information, see www.Christianretailshow.com. E-mail [email protected]