Main RMI Number
408-554-4960
SCU - St. Joseph's Hall
Room # 108
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Retail Management Institute Newsletter - Winter '08
Eat, Sleep and Dream Big
by Caroline Freytag ’09
Visiting Chantel Waterbury ’97 Vice President Kenneth Cole Jewelry at Miriam Haskell in New York.
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“Eat, sleep and dream big,” the tagline for the 2008 National Retail Federation Convention and Expo, Retail’s Big Show, certainly rang true throughout our three quick days in New York City this January. This annual convention, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, was an eye-opening experience and a perfect glimpse into the dynamic world of retail.
The majority of our time in New York was spent at the convention, listening to different presidents, vice presidents, and CEOs speak, reflecting on 2007 and learning what is in store for this year. The first major theme of this year’s Real Big Show is sustainability—going green. I feel that it is so necessary for any company to be “green” and socially aware, doing their part to preserve the world in which we live. Secondly, keeping up with technology is incredibly necessary for any company to survive. The balance of power is changing from the company to the customer, as customers can now carry the power of the Internet in their back pocket.
Although most of our time was spent at the convention, we were able to meet with Santa Clara alums now pursuing careers in New York. One of the highlights was meeting Chantel Waterbury, vice president of jewelry at Kenneth Cole. She gave us a tour of the Miriam Haskell offices (which houses jewelry for everyone from J. Lo to Betsy Johnson to O by Oscar De La Renta) and told us how RMI has influenced her incredibly impressive career path. Additionally, we were able to tour the Coach offices, including a visit to the leather library and the incredible archives, housing some of the original Coach products. We also visited the Macy’s Merchandising Group and had a chance to meet with employees of Macy’s West. Finally, we had a wonderful lunch with other RMI alumni, which will hopefully be a tradition to continue for future New York trips.
Outside of retail, we were able to get a small taste of the New York City culture. We saw “Legally Blonde” on Broadway, enjoyed the famous sandwiches and cheesecake at the Carnegie Deli, and attended the IBM reception hosted for its customers and employees. Furthermore, it is impossible to go to New York and not spend time perusing the shops, especially the brand new shoe department of Saks Fifth Avenue.
Needless to say, it was an amazing trip. I learned a lot about the exciting and ever-changing world of retail, and am incredibly excited for the opportunities ahead of me. I am so grateful for this experience-it was a trip I will never forget.
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Retail Management Institute - Santa Clara University
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