Retail Asia 2018 RA September.October 2018 (Online) | Page 57

PREVIEW
18-19 October 2018
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Singapore
www.arlc2018.sg
Professor Kapil Tuli, director of RCoE said:
“[This is] our first leadership conference to
empower retailers to tackle key industry
challenges for their businesses.
Two of the Asia Retail Leaders Conference
(ARLC)’s scholars and authors from
Singapore Management University (left)
Professor Nirmalya Kumar and Professor
Gerald George.
The dynamism of the competitive
environment, especially with the presence
of large and up-and-coming e-commerce
players, have seen online retailers setting
up stores to build local presence.
Preparing retail
leaders on how to
navigate through
turbulent times
TODAY, consumers are looking for
retail experiences that engage them
in meaningful ways. In order to
remain relevant and meet these new
consumer demands, the retail industry
is undergoing significant disruption and
trying to play in multiple formats.
The dynamism of the competitive
environment, especially with the
presence of large and up-and-coming
e-commerce players, have seen online
retailers setting up stores to build local
presence. Apart from these external
challenges, the retail industry must
also focus on the renewal of leadership,
recruitment strategies, staff engagement
and employee performance for the future
of retail.
To address these challenges, the
Singapore Management University
(SMU) Retail Centre of Excellence
(RCoE) will be hosting its inaugural
Asia Retail Leaders Conference (ARLC)
to discuss key challenges and strategies
to navigate the competitive Asian retail
landscape.
ARLC will serve as a platform that
engages retail leaders, industry experts,
knowledge partners and senior managers
from around the region. More than 200
participants are expected and a diverse
group of business leaders and renowned
professors will be presenting their
experience, insights and perspectives
on the theme of Leadership in Retail:
Navigating Turbulent Waters.
The theme is set against the
backdrop of an increasingly digitised
and interconnected world. ARLC 2018
will cover various sub-themes to discuss
the critical issues impacting the retail
space today. This includes Adapting
and Thriving with Omni-Channel
Customers, Retail Innovation and IP,
Design Thinking in Retailing, Retailing
in India and China, Managing Retail
Brands, Entrepreneurship in Retailing,
and Attracting and Retaining Retail
Talent. The opening address will be
delivered by Professor Lily Kong, provost
and president-designate of SMU.
A panel of speakers from different
spheres of the retail industry will be
presenting at the conference, which
features a combination of in-depth
discussions and talks by academics
and in-depth workshops with leading
practitioners.
Featured talks at the event include
scholars and authors from Wharton
(Professor David Bell), Stanford
University (Professor Harikesh Nair),
University of North Carolina (Professor
JB Steenkamp) and SMU (Professor
Gerald George and Professor Nirmalya
Kumar).
Professor Kapil Tuli, director of
RCoE, said: “We are pleased to organise
our first leadership conference to
empower retailers to tackle key industry
challenges for their businesses. This
year, we are joined by more than 20
speakers from across the globe who will
be presenting their insights of relevance
to business and industry. With the recent
launch of the SMU RCoE, we hope that
this platform will benefit our participants
with the sharing from the best minds
of the retail industry and academia. We
believe that this exchange of ideas will
further prepare retail leaders to navigate
their organisations in this challenging yet
exciting time.”
The conference is part of SMU
RCoE’s on going effort to provide a
platform for retail leaders and knowledge
partners to network, share and engage in
dialogue on growth opportunities and
challenges presented by the fast-changing
consumer landscape in today’s digital
age.
SMU RCoE is a retail insight-
sharing hub in Singapore focusing on
generating and disseminating actionable
knowledge for retailers in Singapore,
Asia and beyond. ra
Retail Asia September/October 2018
55