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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Greater Bloomington Chamber to Host Retail Summit in February 2019 Bloomington, IN – December 14, 2018 – The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce will host its first Retail Summit on Monday, February 4, 2019. The all-day summit, to be held at the Monroe Convention Center in downtown Bloomington, IN, will offer retailers from across Indiana the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers and experts on topics ranging from customer experiences to store design to social media marketing and building brand loyalty. “Brick-and-mortar businesses are no longer competing with just other local shops, but also online retail,” said Erin Predmore, president and CEO of The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. “Today consumers use their phones to price-check items and search for coupons and discounts, in addition to making shopping decisions based on customer reviews. We want to help retailers across Indiana learn about best practices and offer tools for success for everyone who attends.” The Retail Summit will feature Raymond Burke, Chairperson of the Marketing Department for the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Burke will share about consumer behavior and cutting-edge technology for retailers. Burke has been with the Kelley School of Business since 1996, and has experience in marketing research, retailing, shopper behavior and data mining. The Department of Marketing faculty and graduate students have access to Indiana University’s Costumer Interface Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility for investigating how consumers interact with the physical stores of today and the virtual stores of tomorrow. Also scheduled to speak is Gary Brackett, former Indianapolis Colts player and Super Bowl champion. Brackett is the owner of Stacked Pickle, a family-friendly restaurant chain with locations throughout Indiana. Brackett will share about how Stacked Pickle became Indianapolis’ #1 neighborhood and sports bar, as well as Indianapolis’ third-best burger on Indy A-List 2017. Breakout sessions will target marketing, operations and business development. Topics will range from in-store events to managing online reviews and finding and retaining talent to maximizing capital. Registration is open for the Retail Summit, with an early-bird discount available until December 31, 2018. The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is offering discounted registration to any business who belongs to a chamber of commerce in their community. Registration includes the full-day of programming, as well as lunch and a cocktail reception. Out-of-town guests may access discounted rooms at Graduate Bloomington. Registration and additional details may be found at ChamberBloomington.org/retail-summit. About the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce: The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization serving as our community’s leading advocate for business. We offer unique leadership opportunities, meaningful volunteer activities, and exclusive business-building programs focused on critical economic, civic, and social priorities. Chamber members support each other and community initiatives, sharing information and resources to help create economic opportunity and community well-being. At the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, we believe that better business leads to a better community. Contact: Jim Inman, Jr. Director of Marketing and Communications 812.336.6381 jinman@chamberbloomington.org # # #