Did you miss one of the great talks with special guests and lecturers at Maison et Objet Paris? Or maybe you weren’t able to make it to the event? The organisers of the fair prepared the audio content from the conferences you can access free of charge. Most of them is in French but we managed to find interesting subject for you available in English! We share them with you together with highlights from each day.
You can find complete audio playlist from the talks on M&O official Soundcloud channel.
Day 1
In Hall 7, the Conference Space hosted six strategic gatherings. After a presentation of the Observatoire de MAISON&OBJET’s exciting theme, Wild, the REV agency shared its vision of strategies for the new retail landscape. Carlin Creative Trend Bureau proposed a read of upcoming color cycles. In the early afternoon, Guerlain introduced the audience to the secrets behind the layout of its shops, a mix of historic tradition and modernity. Celebrity Retail’s tactics were also deciphered with Chantal Thomass. And Eugéni Quitllet, M&O Paris 2016 designer of the year closed out the eventful day by unveiling his inspirations and his vision of design.
Over in L’Espace Retail. guests discussed customer experience, the best sales techniques in physical shops and the best practices in merchandising were. Two talks helped better understand the interest of pop-up stores and the truck trend. And addressed a deceptively mundane question: what floor should you choose for your retail space?
See also: Garbarino exhibits Maison et Objet 2016
Day 2
Hall 7 welcomed two special guests: Andre Fu, MAISON&OBJET ASIA Designer of the Year and Rafael de Cardenas, MAISON&OBJET AMERICAS Designer of the Year. Two sensibilities, two visions of design to discover through exciting interviews.
As part of the Wild theme, the conferences also touched a topic of a future: eco-design. A topic dear to MAISON&OBJET, which launched its “green itinerary” in 2011. Looking ahead, there was also a presentation of new technologies that can transform retail practices by analyzing consumer behavior. Finally, there was a look at the problems specific to online marketing for luxury brands.
L’Espace Retail, Hall 6, offered a particularly enticing range of subjects. From small-budget communication to tips for gaining visibility on Google, from the best use of color to heightened reality for retail spaces, there was a panoply of high-performance tools. And the ace in the hole was a chance to discover how marketing methods can help you stand out from the crowd, as well as the latest digital trends to be aware of.
Day 3
In the Conference Space, Hall 7 digital issues were discussed. The theme of the Observatoire de MAISON&OBJET, Wild, was tackled in an original way through the role of the wild in the digital age. Digital things were also at the heart of the matter with “from web to store to web” or how pure players are reversing trends and moving into real spaces.
Reversing trends also means what some design magazines have brilliantly done by choosing to explore the world beyond their conventional medium. An exciting approach explored by journalists themselves. Also discussed was the locally made, a world tour of local design. The day ended with a talk-exhibition by the duo Neri&Hu, a look back at their last 10 years of work.
In L’Espace Retail, Hall 6 the discussion focused on things digital: after a close-up on social networks and the development assistance they represent for a retail space and a review of key digital trends, you could discover how to create a website for your store without being an expert and were offered a range of simple, practical tips to increase your visibility on Google.
But digital is not everything; the talks also gave you the keys to the neo-nothingness trend, or how to transform the lack of a layout budget into an asset, or how to stand out from the crowd by offering customization, to refresh your customers’ shopping experience.
Day 4
The Conferences Space immersed us in the handmade, from the alphabet of crafts to a discovery of the secrets of Scandinavian design, explored by their brilliant representatives, the Rising Talents. And to talk about the handmade, who could be more exciting than a sculptor? Attendees had a chance to meet the talented Mona Oren.
Another strong theme: plants. Central to the work of Mona Oren, they are also at the heart of current urban issues. Key players discussed the advent of the age of green architecture. Other trends explored and explained yesterday were the key colors, materials and finishes of tomorrow, and the literary hotel trend.
L’Espace Retail combined an approach that shed light on the major trends of tomorrow with practical advice. On the program was how to increase visibility and sales through social networks, acknowledge the power of color and its impact on sales, digitize decoration shop, as well as how to run business to expertly grow it.
As for trends, there was an analysis of Celebrity Retail and Artyshops, and an important question for any store: faced with the food store trend toward the no-pack, how can you position yourself in lifestyle sales?
Day 5
The conferences Space was hosting a major talk from the forecasting agency that needs no introduction, NellyRodi. Vincent Grégoire, its lifestyle director, explained and explored for you Generation Y and its new relationship to living spaces, to give you the keys with which to appeal to this new target.
If you speak French we recommend to check out Maison&Objet official Soundcloud profile where you can find many hours of interesting audio materials from the conferences.
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See also: Discover Glas Italia at Maison et Objet
