NEW YORK, NY-The world's leading retail designers and visual merchandisers will gather here next week to preview the newest store design trends, tour the city's new retail concepts and honor promising design students.

A.R.E.'s Retail Design Collective takes place Dec. 8-10 at 7 W New York, 7 W. 34th St., and major showrooms throughout the city. With 36 showrooms and conference sponsors, this year's event is the largest yet.

Special events during Retail Design Collective will include the PAVE Gala, a fund-raiser benefiting retail design students, scheduled for December 8 at The Pierre. Also, The Retail Design Institute will sponsor a pre-show tour of Limelight Marketplace, followed by a reception at 7 W New York.

Conference sessions focusing on visual merchandising and store design trends will feature leading retailers including Harry Cunningham of Saks Fifth Avenue, Brad Lenz of Liz Claiborne, Diana Bernal of Van Cleef & Arpels Inc., Paul Olszewski of Macy's, Tom Davidson of The Food Emporium, and Lauren Shaw of Louis Vuitton North America.

The conferences are presented by show media partners DDI, VMSD and Specialty Insider.

Participating Showrooms and Conference Sponsors (as of 11/23/10):
ADCO
Adel Rootstein Mannequins *
Alpha Display Co Inc
Alu
Architectural Systems Inc *
B&N Industries *
Bernstein Display/MC
Centiva
Christine Taylor Collection
Circle Visual Inc
CNL Mannequins
Cubic
DK Display *
Elevations Inc *
EuroShop 2011
From The Source
Gargoyles Ltd
Goldsmith *
Holiday Foliage Inc
Holiday Image/Holiday Pro
HUDSON & BROAD
JPMA
Leo Prager Inc
Lifestyle/Trimco Inc *
Manex/France Display
Material ConneXion
Megavision
MG Concepts
Mondo Mannequins/Sellutions by Econoco
Oz Mannequins
Patina-V
Perspectives In Print
RHO
The Royal Promotion Group
Siegel & Stockman/Superior Model Form *
Silvestri California
Universal Display & Design *

Gold sponsors, indicated by a star, support both Retail Design Collective and the PAVE Gala.

SOURCE: Retail Design Collective