BURBANK, Calif. — Adam & Eve general manager Bob Christian will moderate a no-nonsense discussion among retail industry leaders that will present the latest and greatest operating strategies with proven results during the “Retail Success” panel on day one of XBIZ Retail 2012.
Set for Jan. 9 at 10 a.m., inside the Burbank Marriott Hotel, the “Retail Success” panel will cover the retail industry’s latest operating strategies and best practices and will feature Good Vibrations’ Joel Kaminsky, The Pleasure Chest’s Sarah Tomchesson, Peekay’s Phyllis Heppenstall, Lion’s Den’s Shelly Shandau and XR LLC’s Ari Suss.
"This session will be lively, interesting and meaningful,” Christian said. “We will share case studies, examples, specifics and actual examples of issues and their solutions, not just general principles and encouragement. The goal is to have everyone thinking about how they can modify the panelists' advice to improve their own business."
The panelists of “Retail Success” represent a number of legendary retail brands —this year Peekay celebrated its 30th anniversary, Good Vibes enjoyed its 34th year in business, while Lion’s Den and The Pleasure Chest reached landmark 40th anniversaries.
While offering the “nuts and bolts” for brick and mortar retail success, participating panelists, who specialize in various fields, will offer innovative perspectives. Among them, Suss, who oversees operations and marketing for SexToyDistributing.com, will speak from his technology background that has served SexToyDistributing’s recently upgraded online operations.
Kaminsky brings to the table experience from generations past, having entered adult retail via the family business in the ‘60s. Heppenstall, who founded Peekay in 1980 with her daughter Kris Butt, is among the pioneering women in adult retail to build an empire of more than 30 outlets.
Sarah Tomchesson will offer insight as the sex toy expert and educator for The Pleasure Chest, a pioneering retailer that has emphasized education throughout its 40-year history.
Sandau, who is on the XBIZ Retail Founding Retail Chain Advisory Board, is considered the company’s integral jack of all trades, who currently runs the DVD warehouse, sales, marketing and oversees the purchasing team of the heavyweight retail chain.
The panel’s moderator, Adam & Eve’s Bob Christian rounds out the lineup of industry bellwethers with more than 15 years working on the industry giant’s various offshoots, including his current role as general manager for Adam & Eve Pictures. He is also a member of Adam & Eve’s senior management and marketing team.
XBIZ Retail 2012 will coincide with the annual XBIZ Awards show, presented by MyFreeCams.com, and the 2012 XBIZ LA digital media conference. The 2012 XBIZ Awards marks the 10th anniversary of adult entertainment's biggest industry awards show of the year.
For a limited time, XBIZ is offering free XBIZ Retail registration to all qualified retail operators and buyers.
For the official list of XBIZ Retail 2012 exhibitors and attendees, visit the Participants page, which is updated weekly, on XBIZRetailExpo.com.
