World Retail Congress Aims to Answer Looming Industry Questions

Every year since 2007, the biggest brands, executives and personalities of the retail industry have met at the World Retail Congress. The 2019 edition of the conference just concluded in Amsterdam, and was by no means a standard retail event.

Lionesque Group Founder Melissa Gonzalez was among the session leaders this year, moderating a discussion titled ‘Think Different: Creating Spaces that Resonate with Customers’. She was joined by Neelandra Singh, Senior Vice President of DTC and Franchises at Adidas, and George Gottl, Co-Founder of FutureBrand UXUS.

The panel explored experiential retail and how brands can create scalable footprints.

Gonzalez passed along these images of her time at the event, which was held in Amsterdam this year.

Other speakers included National Retail Federation CEO and President Matthew Shay, Harrods CEO Michael Ward, Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen and Walmart International President and CEO Judith McKenna.

For more retail perspective from Melissa Gonzalez, click here!

For more coverage of Retail World Conference, and the latest in retail news, head to our industry page!

 

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

safer HVAC chemicals
Stronger Training Pipelines and Smarter Social Media Can Help Solve HVAC’s Talent Shortage
June 9, 2026

The skilled trades are at a crossroads. By some industry estimates, for every five experienced technicians retiring, only two new ones are entering the field—highlighting a growing HVAC talent gap. At the same time, buildings are becoming more complex, more connected, and more dependent on high-performance mechanical systems. The stakes are real: without a…

Read More
design
Where Design Meets Durability: Why Commercial Surfaces Must Support Safety, Cleanability, and Long-Term Value
June 8, 2026

When a commercial space fails, it often fails quietly: a lobby floor that becomes slippery when wet, a hotel bathroom that is difficult to clean, a healthcare surface that cannot withstand constant disinfection, or an office finish that looks great until afternoon glare makes the room uncomfortable. These are not purely aesthetic problems; they are…

Read More
creative career
Crafted Journey How To: Building a Creative Career Across Scripts, Stages, and Sound
June 8, 2026

Creative careers rarely move in a straight line, especially for writers working across stage, screen, audio, books, and independent film. Sustaining that kind of life often means finding opportunities wherever they appear, building a strong network, staying open to different formats, and saying yes to collaborations that can lead somewhere unexpected. The stakes are…

Read More
EMR
EMR Strategy, Consulting, and Career Pivots with MedSys Co-Founder Mark Embry
June 8, 2026

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have moved from a back-office upgrade to a frontline determinant of care quality, clinician burnout, and hospital economics. With U.S. hospitals often spending tens to hundreds of millions—sometimes exceeding $100 million—on EMR implementations, the stakes have never been higher for getting both the technology and the human adoption right. As…

Read More