The Retail Lab @ Glee would be nothing without the team of dedicated professionals working together to create content, design and build the display areas, and source the inspirational and exciting trend information that will make the Retail Lab a must-see part of Glee 2017. Here we find out more about the team and what they are each bringing to the table.
In association with….
The HTA
The HTA represents businesses of all sizes and types in horticulture. They are all about supporting its members. They also support learning through conferences, training and market information. The HTA create extra spend in gardening through the UK’s biggest garden promotional campaign – National Garden Gift Vouchers and Cards. They’re a trusted help too, with assurance and support for when times are tough. All this helps the association promote to government what the garden retail industry adds to the UK’s health, tourism, culture and economy. Everything they do goes towards supporting its members’ interests, and growing the legacy of gardens, gardening and the industry for the generations to come.
HTA Director of Operations, Martin Simmons, said: “The Retail Lab is one possible vision of the future that we’d like to share with our members. With different lifestyles, different ways to buy products and ever-developing technology, consumers of the future may be looking for different things from their garden centre. The Retail Lab is full of ideas to inspire and inform and that garden centres can implement to help them stay relevant in the future.”
Romeo Sommers – byRomeo
Romeo is an extremely creative character with a refreshing view of (green) trends, his background is in horticulture, flower arranging, marketing and management. He has worked as a florist, a nurseryman, in garden centres, at a wholesaler’s, as an importer, buyer and collector, a product developer and a presenter on national TV. 
As a trend watcher and green stylist, he is well aware of the various trends that envelop us. By combining his background and these trends he creates not only splendid, but also commercially interesting applications for, for instance, the green and interior trade. Romeo is able to inspire his public and customers to look beyond the existing product/ market combinations.
Romeo Sommers wants to express his mission. He wants to inspire his business partners and consumers, and urge them to develop new ways to use ‘green’. To entice by giving trend lectures, TV appearances and by making inspirational film clips. Arriving at high-profile, commercial concepts together with the green sector is a challenge that he also willingly accepts. Here, authenticity and passion form the basis. Beautiful designs that are unmistakably Romeo’s. byRomeo.
Lisa White – Head of WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors/Beauty/The Vision
A multi-cultural, multi-national, Lisa White is an American who lives in Paris and works in London. She began her career at the trend forecasting office of Li Edelkoort, where she launched and edited the iconic professional magazines View on Colour, INview and Bloom. Proficient in the languages of colour, design, materials and style, Lisa was early to recognize the growing importance of industrial design to the creative and business worlds.
As Head and Creative Director of WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors WGSN group, Lisa and her team run the only B-to-B trend forecasting website focused on interiors and product design. WGSN L&I announces and analyzes key trends in lifestyle and interiors in over 23 specific product categories, including food & drink and wellness. She is also director of The Vision on WGSN, which analyses consumer and creative trends two years in advance of market, and beyond.
A communicator and a catalyst, throughout her career Lisa has consulted with a wide variety of clients in the areas of trend forecasting, art direction, content creation, product development and brand identity. These include Nissan, L’Oréal, Givaudan, the Flower Council of Holland, Danone, Le Bon Marché, LG and Rolex. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Lisa has been called “The diplomat of design”.
Paula Parker – PP8
PP8 is a marketing consultancy set up by Paula Parker, former Marketing Director at Scotts Miracle-Gro. At PP8 they work closely with clients to create winning marketing strategies. PP8 plan, create and implement integrated marketing activities suited to any budget. They also provide customer focused and commercially sound marketing solutions to help achieve marketing objectives and drive business growth.
Paula Parker, director and owner of PP8 has over 25 years’ experience in marketing, 10 of which were in the horticulture sector. She has proven extensive expertise working both for B2B and B2C organisations in brand and product development, innovation and integrated marketing campaigns including in-store retail point of sale.
A keen hobbyist gardener, Paula is passionate about working with garden centres, garden product suppliers and manufacturers to inspire and enthuse future generations of gardeners.
Project Director for the Retail Lab @ Glee, Paula said: ‘I am very excited to be working on this project. Today’s 45+ age group have a very different approach to shopping than our parents did at this age. With the incredible access to technology, our busy lifestyles and younger mindset we demand a different shopping experience. As destination centres, garden centres are so well placed to differentiate themselves from other retail channels. By offering a more experiential visit and taking us away from the stresses of daily life they can put shoppers in a more positive state of mind to spend. The Retail Lab @ glee will showcase simple and flexible ways of promoting gardening products to suit any marketing budget.’
Paul Plydell – Pleydell Smithyman
Pleydell Smithyman is a design and business consultancy providing strategic, creative and detailed commercial solutions to garden centres, leisure and land based development projects.
Paul Pleydell is a director of Pleydell Smithyman Limited.
With over 30 years of experience in the garden centre sector, Paul specialises in design and business consultancy heading a team delivering creative, retail, environmental and business solutions. Working with market leading clients, he is constantly looking ahead to find new ways to shape the garden centre of tomorrow.
Moore Consulting
Building brands and delivering marketing projects in both the on-line and live environments is Moore Consulting’s life.
Specialising in the garden and leisure industry sector, as well as others, they help manufactures, organisations and retailers define and build their brand personality, launch new projects and support sales teams.
Delivering both strategic direction and ‘go-to-market’ creative and message platforms in equal parts, Moore Consulting’s ultimate aim is to help clients attract, engage and connect to their customers.
By integrating into the client’s organisation, the company provide additional specialist support to help deliver new and exciting projects which, when fully operational, are transferred into the ownership of the client’s in-house team to ensure sustainable added value.
Robin Moore, Moore Consulting’s brand guardian commented: “Being invited onto the management team to develop the brand of the Retail Lab @ Glee and deliver the infrastructure and vision to make it a reality, demonstrates our capability and depth of experience that we bring to the garden industry. It’s an exciting project which will change the way people think about the future.”
Creative Spaces Design Studio
Creative Spaces is a creative team specialising in the design of custom exhibition stands, showrooms and retail displays.
Focused on achieving client’s objectives, CSDS provide branded sales areas that attract and engage customers. Working with specialist manufactures CSDS deliver projects efficiently and cost effectively adding value to the client’s in-house marketing team.
Oli Elmann the design director commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen to deliver the Retail Lab @ Glee project, the front piece of the exhibition that demonstrates the future tends of the garden and leisure industry”
For more information, interviews or images please contact:
Kimberley Hornby, Glee PR Team, Hornby Whitefoot PR
Tel: 01604 373700 / 07851610573 Email: kimberley@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
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About Ascential plc
Ascential plc is a global business-to-business information company that informs and connects the business world in 150 countries through market-leading Exhibitions & Festivals and Information Services.
Ascential powers the prestigious Cannes Lions festival for the branded communications industry, the world’s premier payments and financial services congress Money20/20, Spring Fair/Autumn Fair, the global fashion trend forecasting service WGSN, environmental risk data business Groundsure, e-commerce analytics provider One Click Retail and advisory and business services firm, MediaLink.
Ascential’s premium products enable focus, growth and value. The company provides customers with world class content and connections empowering their businesses to be the best informed and best connected. www.ascential.com