The future of the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region’s retail landscape will be focus of a leading educational and networking conference for the retail industry in Dubai next week.

The ReCon 2014 Middle East & North Africa will run from October 12 to 14 at the Ritz Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre.

It will gather shopping centre owners and industry professionals, retailers and service providers in a series of workshops, sessions and panel discussions, said a statement.

The forum, conceived jointly by Middle East Council for Shopping Centres (MECSC) and International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), has been customised optimally to suit industry needs when industry stalwarts converge to discuss business trends and best practices, it said.

The pre-conference workshops scheduled for October 12, has been designed to offer participants the opportunity to learn new skills and enhance knowledge to grow businesses.

As many as six half-day workshops covering a gamut of topics from retail to strategic brand enhancement have been lined up for industry members and conference delegates.

David Macadam, chief executive officer of MECSC, said: “We are absolutely thrilled about the sessions that we will be staging at this year’s ReCon. From strategy and brand management to personal style, our attendees will definitely find plenty of opportunities to enrich their knowledge through input from some of the key players in the business.”

The conference will features an interactive session on redefining retail and the rise of consumerism, tips and practical tools to maximise personal styling aligned with company brand values and skills to build rapport with customers, and a delving into psychology, technology, and morphology in food service.

Also in focus will be strategic thinking and brand management, insights on visual merchandising, networking ideas and creative strategies to derive more out of businesses and a report on ‘Shopping Centre Development Fundamentals’ in the Mena region. - TradeArabia News Service