Updated Jan. 2025
In 2025, retail conferences provide a critical platform for acquiring new knowledge and networking with industry leaders. These events offer a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge advancements and gain practical insights that can be directly applied to your business operations. Attending these conferences not only keeps you abreast of technological developments but also helps address significant challenges such as improving team collaboration, ensuring data accuracy, and enhancing process transparency.
We did the dirty work for you based on our experience and recommendations from other industry professionals. Below are the top conferences to attend in 2025!
CES® 2025 promises to be a landmark event for anyone in the retail industry, drawing a global audience of retailers and tech innovators. The conference is known for being a premier venue where significant product announcements are made, giving attendees an early look at cutting-edge technologies set to influence the future of retail. With a history of attracting over 120,000 participants, CES® offers unparalleled networking opportunities, allowing professionals to connect with peers, potential partners, and industry leaders.
More info on the event here: https://www.ces.tech/
Known as Retail's Big Show, the 2025 edition of NRF is a 3 day event hosted in NYC. This conference draws normally draws in 5,000+ brands and 40,000+ attendees from all corners of the world. The 2025 roster of speakers is set to feature top executives from renowned companies such as Walmart, Sephora, Crocs, Michaels, Adidas, Target, Ikea, and GameStop.
If you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck networking wise, this is the one conference to attend.
More details: https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/
Explore the future of retail entertainment at the 10th annual Entertainment Experience Evolution conference, which returns to the JW Marriott LA Live on February 25-26, 2025.
This conference brings together executives from retail entertainment and restaurant concepts with retail developers, owners, and economic development executives, as well as lenders, architects and designers for a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges of retail entertainment.
A great conference to attend for those in or looking into the 'eater-tainment' industry. More details here: https://web.cvent.com/event/65475ff7-01fb-484c-883f-989d6c0811d5/summary
SPECS 2025 will bring together the nation's top retailers and suppliers across the store development industry. Be ready to learn, share ideas, develop business partnerships and find innovative solutions to help you successfully operate and maintain stores in an ever-changing world.
The SiteRise team has attended a number of SPEC events and have also been impressed by the quality of the event and the number of networking opportunities.
More details: https://www.specsshow.com/2025
The ShopTalk conference series has exploded over recent years growing from one smaller event to now 5 events across the globe. The Spring version is still the largest with over 1,000 retailers and 10,000+ retail industry attendees.
ShopTalk Spring generally focuses more on the marketing/data side of retail with experts on the e-commerce side headlining the agenda.
One of the key highlights of Shoptalk 2025 is its focus on leveraging accurate data to optimize retail operations. The event features numerous discussions and workshops aimed at demonstrating how precise information can be used to guide strategic initiatives. By understanding the role of data in shaping business strategies, participants can gain a clearer vision of how to streamline processes and improve overall performance.
Shoptalk 2025 also provides ample networking opportunities, allowing attendees to connect with peers and industry leaders who share similar goals and challenges. These interactions can lead to valuable collaborations and the exchange of innovative ideas that push the retail sector forward. Whether you are looking to refine your data management practices or seeking new insights into overcoming organizational barriers, Shoptalk 2025 offers the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of the retail landscape.
More details: https://shoptalk.com/us/
Launched in 2014, RetailSpaces began as an annual event with the goal of connecting and informing store development, design, and construction professionals. Today, RetailSpaces has evolved into a community that unites the industry through in-person gatherings, digital roundtables, webcasts and custom content. A platform for the sharpest minds shaping the future of physical retail.
Most events are on the smaller side (300-400 attendees) and normally invite only.
More details: https://www.retailspaces.co/spring/
The ICSC Las Vegas Conference 2025 is a key event for professionals focused on the evolving dynamics between retail and real estate. This conference stands out as the largest gathering dedicated to the intersection of these fields, offering invaluable insights into how physical retail spaces are adapting to changing consumer behaviors. Attendees will have the chance to explore a variety of topics, from optimizing store layouts for better customer engagement to integrating technology that enhances the shopping experience.
One of the unique aspects of the ICSC Las Vegas Conference is its emphasis on the strategic use of retail spaces. The event will feature expert-led sessions that delve into innovative design concepts and practical applications that can be implemented in real-world settings. These discussions aim to provide actionable strategies for retailers looking to maximize the efficiency and appeal of their physical locations.
This is the largest ICSC event of the year with over 30,000 retail professionals attending in 2024.
More details: https://www.icsc.com/attend-and-learn/events/details/las-vegas-2025
The SiteRise team will be attending this event 😎
For over 10 years, Future Stores has been a leader in the retail store space and this year, they are bringing the excitement to a brand-new location! Future Stores has always prided itself on not being a massive trade show; instead focusing on giving you actionable strategies and valuable insights for using store technology effectively, educating your front-line associates and creating the next generation store experience. That combined with world class networking opportunities to build meaningful relationships within the retail community is a recipe for success.
Future Stores is produced and managed by WBR, the same team behind a number of retail and marketing focused conferences like eTail, Future Digital and ProcureCon.
More Details: https://futurestores.wbresearch.com/
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