Read on to find out more about what Julie Wilkinson enjoyed most, who was her favorite speaker, and her dream job.

University of North Texas students at Shop.org’s reception and dinner at Cowboys Stadium
(Julie is on the back row, second from the left)

Name: Julie Joiner Wilkinson
College/University: University of North Texas
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Graduation Year: 2011
Degree: Masters of Merchandising

Why did you attend the Shop.org Annual Summit in Dallas? What were you hoping to get out of your involvement?

I was eager to learn more about the future of retailing in the digital domain. I wanted to be involved in the Summit to receive retailing knowledge from forward thinking professionals in the industry.

What was your favorite session? Why?

My favorite session was “10 Innovations in Site Experiences, Social Commerce & Marketing That Can Change Your Business – Or Take You By Surprise” with speakers Doug Mac and Kelly Mooney. The session was fun and interactive and the speakers provided insight into how retailers can capitalize on social media.

Did you have a favorite speaker?

I really enjoyed hearing from Scott Savitz of Shoebuy.com. His discussion of the corporate culture at his company was inspiring.

What was the most exciting thing you saw or learned?

Overall, it was interesting to emerge myself into the culture of digital retailers. Previously, my experience had only been in bricks and mortar retailing so it was exciting to learn more about the digital medium.

What did you learn about the industry that you didn’t know before?

The importance of SEO was not something I had considered previously and I was unaware of the varying tactics one can use to improve the visibility of their website.

What other fun things did you do while in Dallas?

I explored the impressive Gaylord Texan Hotel! The sheer size and volume of restaurants and entertainment venues in the hotel is extraordinary.

What’s your dream retail job?

I want to eventually earn my PhD in Merchandising and teach at the collegiate level. Attending industry events, such as the Shop.org Summit, will inform my teaching and make me better able to teach future industry professionals.

Read the profiles of other of University of North Texas students: Kirsten Key, Ran Huang, Julie Wilkinson.

We contacted several of the students and asked them to share more about their conference experience, what they learned, and — my favorite question of all — what’s their dream retail job. Here’s a profile of one student, Kirsten Key, and several more to come!

University of North Texas students at Shop.org’s Boot Camp
(from left to right: Nick Wood, Sarah Jones, Kirsten Key, Kimberly Staples)

Name: Kirsten Key
College/University: University of North Texas
Hometown: Greenville, Texas
Graduation Year: August 2011
Degree: Double Major, Merchandising and Digital Retailing

Why did you attend the Shop.org Annual Summit in Dallas?

I am very interested in the digital side of the fashion industry. It was a great honor for Shop.org to allow us as students to come and help out. It was a great learning opportunity.

What were you hoping to get out of your involvement?

Learn more about the industry and what is really going on everyday with in it, and to network with hopefully future employers.

What was your favorite session? Why?

I really enjoyed the breakout sessions about customer/consumer experiences. I had no idea that all these companies had these programs on their websites to enhance the customer experiences; it was very new to me. I was shocked to see some of the advances in technologies that retailers are now using.

Did you have a favorite speaker?

I really enjoyed Glen Senk from URBN — he was very inspiring.

What was the most exciting thing you saw or learned?

All the new technologies I saw that retailers are using online to enhance their customer experience, such as virtual fitting rooms from your webcam.

What did you learn about the industry that you didn’t know before?

Honestly, I did not realize how much time, research, and effort it takes to create a great customer friendly webpage.

What other fun things did you do while in Dallas?

We walked around the Gaylord Hotel; it is an amazing place. We also went to some great restaurants around Grapevine.

What’s your dream retail job?

I really love everything about this industry. However, Texas is my home, so I hope to one day work at a corporate company located here such as Fossil, Michaels or JCPenney.

Read the profiles of other of University of North Texas students: Kirsten Key, Ran Huang, Julie Wilkinson.

Name: Molly McKenna

College/University: University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Graduation Year: 2011

Degree: Bachelors of Business Administration

Why did you attend NRF’s BIG Show?

I learned about NRF’s BIG Show through competing in the NRF Intercollegiate Retail Challenge.  As a student interested in pursuing a career in retail, I knew attending the conference would be a great opportunity to learn about career paths in the industry and to talk with current retail professionals.

What was your favorite Super Session and why?

My travel schedule prevented me from attending a Super Session, but I greatly enjoyed “The Power of Retail Design” breakout session.  The panelists’ creativity in overcoming diverse challenges in store design and visual merchandising was inspiring.

What was the most exciting thing you saw or learned?

I enjoyed the Intercollegiate Retail Challenge team presentation during the “Where In the World Is Tomorrow’s Retail Talent” session?  It was interesting to see another team’s take on the challenges presented in the prompt.

What other fun things did you do while in New York City?

Although my trip was short, I had the opportunity to visit family living in the area.

What’s your dream retail job?

I hope to someday work as a buyer for a major department store.

Check out other student profiles from Dartmouth, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Arizona.

Name: Stephanie Olinski

College/University: University of Arizona

Graduation Year: 2012

Degree: B.S. in Retail and Consumer Sciences, General Business Minor

Why did you attend NRF’s BIG Show?

I attended the NRF Big Show to expand my knowledge of the industry I am passionate about. I thought it would be a fantastic chance to network and meet some of the most powerful people in retail. Plus, it was in New York. How could I not go?

What was your favorite Super Session and why?

My favorite Super Session was the New Luxury Paradigm with Tory Burch. It was great to hear the affects of social media today as a blogger and Twitter-er myself.

What was the most exciting thing you saw or learned?

The most exciting thing was the whole BIG show itself. I especially like the Design studio since my career interests are in visual merchandising and fashion marketing.

What other fun things did you do while in New York City?

I met up with a friend that had recently moved there and explored the magnificent 5^th Ave. I literally could have spent hours in all those stores just staring at everything. I also went shopping at Uniqlo after hearing so much about it.

What’s your dream retail job?

My dream retail job would be being CEO of a fashion and design magazine while living in New York.

Check out other student profiles from Dartmouth, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Michigan.

Students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at their exhibit booth
in the Expo Hall at NRF’s BIG Show in New York City, January 2010.

Name: Treena Nicole Fischer

University: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Graduation Year: 2010

Degree: BA in Art History, Business minor

Why did you attend NRF’s BIG Show?

After deciding to enter the retail industry as a graduating senior, I realized that my academic opportunities are limited in terms of the number and variety of courses I can take concerning the field. Having the chance to listen and learn from industry executives at the NRF’s BIG Show was an amazing opportunity that allowed me to gain real world experience in a very open, welcoming setting. I also participated in the American Express Aspire2Retail Student Challenge, and although my team did not win the competition, I attended to cheer on my fellow Univeristy of Wisconsin teammate.

What was your favorite Super Session and why?

My favorite Super Session was Sustainability in Retail – Increasing Profitability and Impacting the World. The speakers focused on leading strategies that retailers can take in order to profit by holistically managing the environmental and economic aspects of their business. Peter Graf of SAP focused on energy management and compliance and on really understanding a business’s environmental and social impact. The overall shift in recent years toward more sustainable industry behavior has led to reductions in carbon output, material waste and electrical usage. Matt Kistler, senior VP of sustainability for Wal-Mart Stores, highlighted the idea of the entire company being involved in making the necessary changes, including top buy-in from executives, because sustainability is bigger than making a bunch of money. It triggers more intelligent consumption and preserves resources for future business. What else is good? Often planning operations in more sustainable methods also leads to cost reductions, more efficient management of resources, and creates an integrated momentum throughout the entire market channel (from manufacturer to final consumer) of a single market force that is driving down waste and pollution while empowering an exciting “cultural change.”

What was the most exciting thing you saw or learned?

I was really excited to visit the Design Studio. I’m majoring in Art History because I don’t have the hands of an artist, just her eyes. I was bewildered and entranced by some of the visual merchandising presentations, and meeting with different retail design companies was like taking a walk through Alice in Wonderland. It was exotic, expressive, and truly inspiring. While the world of retail is one of sales and costs, like any business, it is also a visual playground which, from stores to catalogs or ad-campaigns, makes the experience of being a consumer so much more beautiful.

What other fun things did you do while in New York City?

Since I traveled to New York with the Kohl’s Center for Retailing Excellence at University of Wisconsin-Madison, my group got to visit the Kohl’s Design Studio, Macy’s, and Li & Fung. I also got to meet renowned designer Vera Wang and sit front-row for a mini fashion show at her studio. I will never forget the experience! I love you, Vera!

What’s your dream retail job?

I love so many aspects of the retail industry that it’s hard to narrow down a dream job. I’d have to say that I’d love to be a liason between design and merchandising for a luxury brand. I love looking for trends and putting together creative ideas for new fashions, but I also like the analytical side of the business, the organization, planning and after-sale evaluation. I just want to help make retail more aesthetically pleasing, environmentally and socially responsible, and get to work with fashion and communications on a daily basis.

Check out other student profiles from Dartmouth, the University of Arizona and the University of Michigan.

Name: Marvena Edmond

University: Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

Graduation Year: 2010

Degree: MBA

Why did you attend NRF’s BIG Show?

While my professional background has been primarily in the financial services industry, I have developed a keen interest for the retail industry along the way. When I heard about the NRF BIG Show, I immediately thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about the professional services that are important to the retail industry.

What was your favorite Super Session and why?

The new luxury paradigm – I’m particularly interested in the luxury goods market. The speakers detailed the trends they foresee in the space while presenting their thoughts on successful strategies to be a leader.

What was the most exciting thing you saw or learned?

EuroShop Retail Design Awards at the Design Studio. The architectural designs of the winners were absolutely mind blowing, WOW describes it all!

What other fun things did you do while in New York City?

I love New York, I took the time to have dinner with friends that I hadn’t seen in awhile.

What’s your dream retail job?

In the long term, I would love to be considered for a CFO role at a leading specialty retail company.

Check out other student profiles from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Arizona and the University of Michigan.