Meet at the Corporate Office (Atrium)

8:00 - 8:30 AM |Coffee & Mingle at The Abbey

8:30 - 9:00 AM | Kickoff - Introductions

  (Rachael DeMarse)

9:00 - 10:45 AM | Momentum Keynote: Why doesn’t college retail look like retail?

Darren and Nancy Campbell

The landscape of retail is changing! Clarity of strategy and consistency of execution matter more than ever. This keynote will explore the current state of the industry and the framework guiding our next phase of growth. From the momentum of the Flywheel to the principles behind the 4 C’s, 5 P’s, and our five products, we’ll examine how these elements work together to strengthen our business model. You will gain insight into the power of storytelling through our websites, the role of three distinct store theme models, and an overview of the ten key categories shaping our assortment and customer experience. Together, these pillars define how we will compete, serve our partners, and grow in the years ahead!

15 min break

11:00 AM - 12:00PM | Retail org structure and introductions

Rachael DeMarse

Retail is evolving quickly—and so are we. As we position our organization for sustained growth over the next four years, we are reshaping our retail structure to better support our teams, customers, and future ambitions. In this session, Rachael will share the vision behind the reorganization, how we are aligning talent and resources, and what it means for the future of our retail team.

12:00 - 1:00 PM | Lunch

1:00 - 2:30 PM | Beyond the Counter: Supporting Your Campus Community

Rachael DeMarse

As a campus store manager, you are a vital stakeholder in the student journey and a key partner to your institution. This session explores how to move beyond daily operations to become a "solutions-focused" contributor on the front lines of campus life. Join us to discuss how the Slingshot Experience helps you balance the needs of students and your school by serving as a seamless addition to the broader campus ecosystem.

We will explore how you can support existing institutional success—from enhancing Admissions visit days and Athletics pop-up shops to streamlining the Academic Experience through faculty adoptions and on time fulfillment. You will learn to cultivate connections with essential Business Office employees while refining your team’s role in daily services. By defining our focus and creating opportunities for connection, you ensure the store remains a helpful, integrated hub on campus.

15 min break

2:45 - 3:45 PM | Breakout Session 1 

• How to submit your printed po's - Rachel Thomason
• Google Suite - Derek Myers
• Labor Load Planning - Stephen Richardson
• Digital access codes! - bradley, kayla, and dusty
• Coaching under performing team members - Steve
• Best receiving practices- Emma
• Backroom organization planning - philip
• 10 Categories Layout

  15 minute break

4:00 - 5:00 PM | Breakout Session 2

• How to submit your printed po's - Rachel Thomason
• Google Suite - Derek Myers
• Labor Load Planning - Stephen Richardson
• Digital access codes! - bradley, kayla, and dusty
• Coaching under performing team members - Steve
• Best receiving practices- Emma
• Backroom organization planning - philip
• 10 Categories Layout

5:00 PM | Drive to Dinner at Market Street Grill - Wabash (5:30 PM)

Meet at the Corporate Office (Atrium)

8:00 - 8:30 AM Coffee & Mingle at The Abbey

8:30-8:45AM Meet Steve

Blurb for Steve

8:45 - 10:30 AM General Merchandise Roadmap: From Concept to Sales Floor

Trennen Kidder as emcee (supported by Darren, Nancy, and Rachael)

Ever wonder what it takes to bring a product from an idea to the sales floor? This session will walk through the full general merchandise roadmap—from catalog planning and design to product selection, procurement, production, receiving, promotion, and merchandising. We’ll also highlight how systems like NetSuite support inventory management and reorders. Along the way, you’ll meet the teams working behind the scenes and gain a deeper understanding of the process that brings our merchandise to life.

15 min break

10:45-11:45 | How Brand Standards become Branded Merchandise

Nathan Mazellan and Caitlin Preusz

Brand standards play a critical role in shaping the merchandise we bring to market. In this session, Nathan Mazellan and Caitlin Preusz will walk through how brand guidelines translate into branded products and retail assortments. We’ll discuss the perspective—or lens—we want teams to apply when evaluating merchandise decisions, including the balance between promoting the brand and simply informing. Attendees will also learn the appropriate steps for escalating brand-related issues when questions or conflicts arise, ensuring consistency and clarity across our retail environment.

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Corporate Lunch 

1:30 - 3:15 PM | Merchandising with Purpose: Understanding Our 10 Categories

(Nancy Campbell)

Great merchandising starts with understanding the customer. In this session, we’ll explore the ten core merchandise categories that shape our in-store assortment and the customer groups they are designed to serve—including prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty and staff, friends of the university, and fans of the university. We’ll discuss the fundamentals of merchandising, how to align product selection with specific customer audiences, and how a good–better–best pricing strategy helps meet a range of needs and price points. Through video examples from IWU, we’ll also see how these ten categories come to life on the sales floor and how they can be effectively presented within this framework.

15 Minute Break

3:30-4:30 PM | Breakout Session 3

• How to submit your printed po's - Rachel Thomason
• Google Suite - Derek Myers
• Labor Load Planning - Stephen Richardson
• Digital access codes! - bradley, kayla, and dusty
• Coaching under performing team members - Steve
• Best receiving practices- Emma
• Backroom organization planning - philip
• 10 Categories Layout

5  PM Dinner and Awards

Celebration is at the heart of our company culture and we want to take the time to sit around a table, eat a fun dinner and honor the tireless work that each one of our colleagues invest in serving their campuses day in and day out.  

Get excited for our 3rd Annual Manager Awards presentation!

Meet at the Corporate Office (Atrium)

8:00 - 8:30 AM | Coffee & Mingle at The Abbey

8:30 - 9:30 AM | Breakout Session 4

• How to submit your printed po's - Rachel Thomason
• Google Suite - Derek Myers
• Labor Load Planning - Stephen Richardson
• Digital access codes! - bradley, kayla, and dusty
• Coaching under performing team members - Steve
• Best receiving practices- Emma
• Backroom organization planning - philip
• 10 Categories Layout

9:30 - 11:00 AM | Campaigns/Promotions/Ecomm

Nathan Mazellan and Nancy Campbell

Seasonal moments create powerful opportunities to connect with customers and clients while also driving results. This session will explore how we coordinate campaigns and promotions across ecommerce and in-store experiences around key moments like Back to School, Homecoming, Tis the Season, Spring Break, Graduation, and Summer registration weekends. We’ll also introduce a new initiative designed to grow our email community through a friendly competition across stores. Finally, we’ll take a closer look at the valuable data we’re able to share with campus partners—including admissions, alumni, and advancement—to strengthen relationships and support institutional goals.

11:00 - 12:00 PM | Wrap Up

Steve & Rachael

We’ll reflect on our time together and set our intentions for the next year, looking ahead to more growth, deepening relationships, and a growing excitement for all that is to come!

12:00 PM | Lunch (Grab and Go)

Depart for the airport or home!