ACROSS is proud to announce the “Future of Place Innovation Day”, organizedin cooperation with the London-based design and strategy consultancy Portland Design through its ACROSS ACADEMY.
This new offering for retail leadership teams and organizations provides a unique opportunity to hear and learn first-hand from Portland’s world-leading experts and to explore how shopping destinations can remain relevant in a changing environment.
The day, which is tailored to the specific business needs of individual companies and offers a chance to step back, zoom out and think big, can be booked via ACROSS.
Part One: The Speech
The Future of Place Innovation Day begins with a thrilling, provocative and inspiring keynote speech from Portland’s Managing Director Ibrahim Ibrahim.
Ibrahim studied industrial design at the London Royal College of Art and engineering at Imperial College London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the ACROSS Advisory Board.
In his speech, the highly respected strategist, futurist and designer explores the future of places, culture and people in “A View from the Future”:
Key Points from the Speech:
- Which key trends will drive future audience expectations?
- How can human-centric placemaking be developed?
- How can customers be turned into fans?
Part Two: The Insight
In the second part of the day, Paddy Gamble, Head of Data & Analytics at Portland, takes over. He presents the evidence-driven strategic decision-making process developed by Portland – a process that combines the data, evidence and foresight to create place-based strategies.
Paddy, who has delivered data-driven strategies for some of the leading real estate developers across the UK, Europe and beyond, demonstrates how to use analytics and AI to transform data into clear, commercially actionable insights – and to develop guidelines for investment, portfolio, destination and placemaking strategies.
He illustrates how AI-powered data tools can be used to uncover audience behaviors, preferences, sentiment and values. Social media and online engagement are mapped in specific areas to determine public opinion – revealing where people shop, eat and drink, which brands and influencers they follow, and, most critically, what they think both positively and negatively.
Participants will:
- Explore future revenue and added value options.
- Understand the evidence-driven strategic decision-making process
- Learn to blend data, evidence and foresight to shape place-based strategies
Part Three: The Innovation Workshop
This is followed by a bespoke Innovation Workshop facilitated by Elisa Cecilli, Head of Strategic Foresight at Portland.
The workshop aims to anticipate shifts in audience expectations and uncover emerging needs. Possible future scenarios, propositions and “Future Value” experience drivers are mapped out.
For the placemaking industry, the session explores what types of brands, offers, services and amenities might become future occupiers and how they can shape tomorrow’s destinations.
Participants will:
- Assess future occupier and activation typologies
- Anticipate shifts in audience expectations and uncover future needs
- Envision future propositions and ‘Future Value’ experience drivers
Part Four: The Innovation Report
As a conclusion of the Innovation Day an Innovation Report will be issued, summarizing the key trends and insights from the sessions, including opportunity mapping and the global best-practice benchmarks that resonate with cultures and communities.
Participants will gain:
- Inspiration through key trends and insights
- Identification of Future Value opportunities
- Benchmarks that resonate with cultures and communities
- Strategic outputs from workshop
About Portland Design
Founded in 1987, Portland Design specializes in brand experience, retail and placemaking, operating at the intersection of strategy, design and brand experience.
The consultancy’s Managing Director, Ibrahim Ibrahim, is also the author of the book Future-Ready Retail, in which he explains how changing consumer needs, the impact of digital technology, and issues surrounding health, wellness and social distancing have transformed retail. The book offers compelling solutions to help reimagine the high street and out-of-town shopping destinations.
Conventional high streets, shopping arcades, and retail malls throughout the world are struggling to attract the crowds needed to sustain them as successful commercial spaces. Affected by online shopping, changing consumer attitudes and expectations, and the legacy of social distancing, there is now an urgent need to address the decline in physical retail.
Recent projects by Portland Design include:
- Johnny Walker House at Schipol Airport (NL)
- Redesign of Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield (UK)
- Duty-free tender at Luton Airport (UK)
- Rembrandt Park in Amsterdam (NL)
- Milan Olympic Village (IT)
- Branding, strategy and planning for The Elephant & Castle, London (UK)
Information and Booking
For further information please contact
ACROSS Magazine
Reinhard Winiwarter
r.winiwarter@across-magazine.com
