Retail Therapy Sydney 2021

Retail Therapy 

Presented by Reed Gift Fairs and Life Instyle

Retail Therapy is set to enhance your sourcing with content to keep you informed on the latest trends and retail education for the savvy business owner. Presented by leading experts in their field, Retail Therapy will equip you with the know how to evolve your strategy and take your customer experience to the next level – from how to recover post-covid, the need to know sales strategies and how to take your business online – you are invited to join and be inspired to make your next move in retail and beyond.

This seminar series is free to attend with your event registration. You must be registered to attend Life Instyle or the Reed Gift Fairs to gain entry. You can register via the websites www.lifeinstyle.com.au or www.reedgiftfairs.com.au 

SATURDAY 17th April

Government grants, funding and opportunities – what’s available for small businesses

The Hon Bruce Billson, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO
Saturday 11:45am - 12:45pm

Join Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Mr Bruce Billson as he shares his insights on the most up to date information for businesses to navigate their recovery from COVID-19, support on resetting your business strategy for success and to understand the opportunities through Government grants, funding and education to unlock your full business potential and adapt to the future of retail.

How to protect your brand on online marketplaces like Amazon from copycats, identify theft and fraud

Kirsty Whitaker, CEO - Miss Mafia Empire
Saturday 1:30pm - 2:30pm

In 2015, Kirsty was part of a fairly well known case where someone took her registered TRADEMARK and started a business name and a similar domain. Now, Kirsty wants to share her learnings on the importance of your private information and what there is out there for small business if it was to happen to you. Join this session as Kirsty passes on her leanings on how to future proof your online presence worldwide and protect your personal information.
Kirsty Whitaker, CEO, Miss Mafia Empire (Australia) and Miss Mafia LLC (USA)

Why did it take a pandemic to accelerate innovation in ecommerce?
James Domensino, CDO - Speedmaster
Saturday 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Creativity and innovation offers every organisation a competitive advantage. The challenge is finding meaningful ways to tap into the wells of ideas and launch to market. The global pandemic immediately shuddered the online world but just as fast as it caused confusion and concern there was opportunity for innovation and creativity. There are even community examples of hospitality venues using social to build traffic to a drive thru service and butchers going online and never turning back. This presentation will share real example of brands that innovated, how they did it and what it takes to keep doing this, without a pandemic for motivation.

SUNDAY 18th April

Turning crisis into opportunity: How to adapt your business to a post-COVID consumer.
Josh Armstrong, Founder & Director - We The Wild
Sunday 10:30am – 11:30 am

COVID-19 has made an indelible mark on Australian consumers. Join serial-entrepreneur and Founder of We the Wild Plant Care, Josh Armstrong as he provides insights, tips, and tricks to help your business thrive in a post-COVID retail environment. Discover:

• How to diversify your retail and sales strategy.


• The art of digital transformation.


• How to bring sustainability to the heart of your business.

Business Strategy and Sales Tools
Melissa Robbins – The Lotco
Sunday 1:30pm – 3:30pm

In this Business Strategy session Mel will take you through strategies to boost your Retail sales, provide tools to manage your business, and how to get your customers to spend more $$. All without increasing your workload!!

MONDAY 19th April

Business Strategy and Sales Tools
Melissa Robbins – The Lotco
Monday 10:30am – 11:30am

In this Business Strategy session Mel will take you through strategies to boost your Retail sales, provide tools to manage your business, and how to get your customers to spend more $$. All without increasing your workload!!

A Simple (and Proven) Framework to Increase Campaign Results by 76%
Felisha Mina, MI Academy
Monday 1:30pm – 2:30pm

Feeling a bit "bleh" about you next major campaign? If you're rinsing and repeating what you've done in the past, chances are - you'll end up with the same results. 

Break the cycle by taking stock and levelling up! We'll take a bird's eye view of your marketing channels and share a tried-n-tested methodology to grow traffic, boost sales and increase repeat customers.

Have a pen handy and something to write on. This 1-hour session includes theory, practical exercises, and lessons from Winnie the Pooh that will forever transform your growth strategies.

You'll learn:

• Cost-effective strategies to drive new customers to your website


• Nurturing tips to make your subscribers feel warm and fuzzy


• How to create an illusion of urgency and increase on-site conversions


• The most profitable post-purchase emails to keep customers coming back

Retail Trends
Lyndal Wallis, Founder - Fossick Trends
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Trend forecasts identify changing consumer priorities and how they may influence product choices in the coming seasons. In this session, Lyndal will highlight key consumer shifts and their effect on product and retail categories. This talk will include insights from the Fossick Trends global community of forecasting specialists, including how to use trend directions in colour, material, pattern and shape to create inspiring and engaging merchandising.