International Retail Store Design Competition

Every year the Retail Design Industry (RDI) hosts an International Retail Design Competition in which stores and design teams from all around the world submit entries. This year, Joe Baer from ZenGenius, was chosen to be one of the Judges to select winners in several categories. The judging was held at the Macys World Headquarters in Cincinnati. Winners will be announced in January, 2009. Winners will be published in VM+SD (Visual Merchandising and Store Design) Magazine.
http://www.visualstore.com/index.php/channel/11/id/12438

Iron Merchant III

Zen Genius participates again @ IRDC 2007 in Atlanta! For two years now Joe Baer and the team have lead the IRON MERCHANT CHALLENGE at the International Retail Design Conference. The Iron Merchant Challenge is an interactive visual merchandising session that inspires and challenges leaders in the retail industry to use their creativity in a hands on visual merchandising exercise. The Iron Merchant Challenge is a wonderful ice breaker and out of the box conference session that goes beyond the power point class room into a fun and energizing experience. Each session begins with an inspirational presentation and then participants are divided into teams and led by a leader in the industry. Teams compete and attendees vote for the winner. Every year the competition gets more exciting! Who will be the next Iron Merchant?
www.IRDConline.com
http://www.irdconline.com/speakers

Iron Merchant 2006: Bevan Bloemendaal, Timberland
Iron Merchant 2007: David Kepron, spg3 (pictured)
Iron Merchant 2008: Karen Massey, Macys

SHORT NORTH HIGH BALL HALLOWEEN SLASHER!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM SHORT NORTH'S HIGHBALL HALLOWEEN 2008
It's believed shortly after the costume contest winners were announced an outraged, losing, poorly dressed Drag Queen took off her broken and very sharp stiletto and began slashing innocent people that were simply watching the contest.

Ouch! Joe L had just finished jamming with the Smashing Pumpkins
and made his way all the way to High Ball in the Short North when the horror began.
In lieu of this most unfortunate and inconceivable incident Joe L was awarded the ZenGenius Halloween Contest. Congratulations Joe! Everyone should know that Joe L miraculously recovered overnight. Must be that freaky self healing power like that girl, Claire, and now that villain, Syler, from Hero's have. Whew!
Other ZG contest contenders included the infamous !SockMonkey! who was disqualified for obscene bribes; the lovely and inspiring Priscilla and the KING, two very, very scary characters with unusually odd skin conditions and protruding horns; one pecking and peculiarly popular Chicken girl, the provacative and beautiful Fantasy Bhuto spirit, a Yipey! and Energetic! troupe of fiesty, yet handsome, well dressed Mariachi Band, WHAT THE HELL? KELLY and even an Elvis Bear made a brief, albeit "hot" appearance.
Happy Halloween everyone! Thanks to all of you that celebrated!