SPEAKERS
Bernard Baumohl, The Economic Outlook Group
Bernard began his career as an analyst with the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank specializing in international affairs and national security. He was also an award-winning economics reporter who covered the White House, Federal Reserve and Wall Street for TIME magazine. In addition to his current post as chief global economist, Bernard is on the faculty of the New York Institute of Finance, where he conducts seminars on how forward-looking economic indicators can help business leaders better foresee turning points in the economy, and a member of the monthly Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel. His projections on the economy and geopolitical trends are frequently cited in the New York Times, Washington Post, Business Week, Financial Times, and on National Public Radio.
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Bob is a champion of brick-and-mortar retailers across industries, providing and developing innovative ideas and tactics to help them succeed in the era of fierce online competition. Bob is an internationally recognized business strategist, customer service expert, sales coach, marketing mentor, author of three books, and motivational business speaker dedicated to his goal of helping brick-and-mortar retailers.
Danny Kim, PhD, Director of People & Culture, Raindrop Marketing Agency
Danny is a skilled facilitator who creates psychologically safe environments for individual thinking and group collaboration. Using the power of inquiry, he asks insightful questions at pivotal moments to help leaders gain clarity and take courageous action. As a coach, he supports leaders when the stakes are high and decisions are complex. As a storyteller and keynote speaker, Danny inspires movement and momentum. He began his career in organizational development in the non-profit sector providing leadership in the areas of recruitment, retention, and employee development for organization effectiveness. He holds a doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
Mark Lien LC, CLEP, CLMC, HBDP, LEED BD&C, Industry Relationship Manager, Illuminating Engineering Society
Mark has designed lighting systems for a wide range of applications and provides lighting education throughout the world. He has served on committees and boards for such groups as the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), National Electrical Manufacturers Association and the National Lighting Bureau. As a columnist for Lighting Design and Application Magazine, Mark writes about the forces of change in the lighting industry.
Terry McGowan, FIES, LC, Director of Engineering & Technology, ALA
Terry has more than 45 years of experience working in the technical aspects of the lighting industry. He serves as a key contact and point of knowledge for the industry and the media on various technical and regulatory matters impacting lighting.
Peter Romaniello, FIES, LC, Conceptual Lighting, LLC
Peter founded his award-winning lighting design company, Conceptual Lighting, in 1998. He has designed lighting systems for more than 2,000 residences, along with many restaurants, retail spaces, health care facilities, and houses of worship. He has served as a regional vice president and member of the Board of Directors for the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). Peter has taught many seminars over the years for organizations including ALA, AIA, ASID, NKBA, and IES, and has been an adjunct professor at University of New Haven and Fairfield University.
Crystal Vilkaitis, Owner, Crystal Media
Most retailers are pros at running a business, but they struggle with social media. Most social media experts can quiz you on Facebook, but they are lost when it comes to retail. Crystal offers the best of both worlds. She is the go-to source for social media marketing in the retail industry, having spoken to thousands of retailers on making the most of their social presence, email marketing, and mobile marketing tactics. Crystal has been in the social media industry for a decade and has taken her educational seminars across the globe.