National Retail Federation, Ascential Plc Form Global Partnership
“By bringing together the brainpower and credibility of NRF and the World Retail Congress, we ensure that the global retail community will have continued access to first-rate events and thought leadership about the transformation and future of retail,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “With the WRC’s international acumen and NRF’s century-old U.S. leadership platform, we will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the modern-day retailer around the world.”
Between NRF’s Retail’s Big Show and Shop.org and Ascential’s annual World Retail Congress, the two organizations host the premiere retail forums each year. The announcement was made on stage today by Shay and WRC Chairman Ian McGarrigle at Ascential’s Retail Congress Asia-Pacific conference in Hong Kong.
"This is a very special partnership which recognizes the great relationship the World Retail Congress has built up with the National Retail Federation,” McGarrigle said. “As the world's biggest retail trade association, they will be an invaluable help in continuing to ensure that the Congress reflects the key issues and topics that are at the forefront of all retail leaders' minds.”
The partnership is supported at the highest levels of both organizations.
“As the industry continues to change, there is so much to learn from our colleagues and innovators around the globe,” said Macy’s Executive Chairman Terry Lundgren, who is chairman of the NRF Board of Directors. “It makes perfect sense for two organizations seeking to serve the same industry and facing the same challenges to collaborate and not work independent of one another. This is the right opportunity at the right time.”
“We're delighted to announce a global partnership between Ascential PLC and the National Retail Federation,” Ascential CEO Duncan Painter said. “The collaboration of our organizations has the express purpose of furthering global connections and knowledge sharing that support this dynamic industry as leaders continue to navigate the extraordinary changes and opportunities posed by the digital revolution.”
About Ascential
Ascential is a global business-to-business media company that informs and connects the business world in 150 countries through market-leading exhibitions and 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, World Retail Congress, the global trend forecasting service WGSN, environmental risk data business Groundsure, e-commerce analytics provider One Click Retail and MediaLink, the strategic advisory and business services firm. 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
About NRF
NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.