NXTLVL Experience Design

ABOUT ANATOLIY KOROLENKO
Anatoliy’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatoliykorolenko/
BIO:
Anatoliy Korolenko is a retail real estate and development executive with more than a decade of experience leading growth, portfolio strategy, construction, and facilities for some of the world’s most recognized consumer brands.
Currently leading Real Estate and Development for Nespresso USA, Anatoliy is responsible for shaping the brand’s U.S. retail footprint—from market strategy and site selection through lease negotiations, design, construction, and ongoing portfolio optimization.
His work combines consumer and market analytics with real estate economics to identify growth opportunities and translate brand strategy into high-performing physical retail environments.
Prior to Nespresso, Anatoliy held a senior development and facilities leadership role with EssilorLuxottica, supporting a large multi-brand retail portfolio that included Lens Crafters, Sunglass Hut, and Ray-Ban.
Throughout his career, he has focused on the intersection of real estate, customer experience, and business performance—building strategies that treat physical retail not simply as a distribution channel, but as an important driver of customer acquisition, brand engagement, and long-term growth.
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SHOW INTRO:
Welcome to Episode 92 of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast and my conversation with Anatoliy Korolenko – who leads the Real Estate and Development for Nespresso USA.
In every episode we follow our catch phrase about having “Dynamic Dialogues About DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.”
And as we continue on this journey, we’ll continue to invite guests on our journey that are thought provoking futuris ts, AI technology mavens, retailers, international hotel design executives as well as designers and architects of brand experience places.
We’ll talk with authors and people focused on wellness and sustainable design practices as well as neuroscientists who will continue to help us look at the built environment and the connections between our mind-body and the built world around us.
If you like what you hear on the NXTLVL Experience Design show, make sure to subscribe, like, comment and share with colleagues, friends and family.
The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is always grateful for the support of VMSD magazine.
VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. I think the IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing us to keep on talking about what makes retailing relevant.
You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.
Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience.
SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org
Today, EPISODE 92… I talk with Anatoliy Korolenko who leads Real Estate and Development for Nespresso USA … This conversation is effectively based on a tour that we took of the Nespresso flagship store on 5th Ave. at the corner of 16th St. in New York. We cover a lot of ground about how a store is laid out how elements of storytelling merchandising experience and design and construction all come together to make memorable moments of relevant engagement.
We’ll get into all of that in a minute but first a few thoughts…
I've been working in the world of retail design for more than 30 years and there are subjects that have been foundational to my early learning from my first employer Joe Weishar at New Vision Studios, which I've talked about before in previous episodes.
Not often do you find most of them beautifully executed in one store. But that was exactly my impression when getting a tour of the Nespresso store on 5th Ave. Corner of 16th St. in New York.
Nespresso was founded in 1986 as a Nestlé subsidiary after employee Eric Favre invented a single-serve pressurized coffee system inspired by a popular Roman espresso bar.
Favre visited Rome's Sant'Eustachio café and observed how intermittent water pumping created superior aeration and crema, leading him to design a capsule-based extraction prototype.
1986 Launch: Nespresso S.A. was officially founded, rolling out its first machine (the C-100) and four coffee blends targeting offices in Switzerland, Japan, and Italy with limited initial success…
A Couple decades later Nespresso was a global coffee powerhouse and the company opened its first standalone boutique in Paris in 2000 and later enlisted actor George Clooney as the face of the brand in 2006 to drive global luxury appeal.
Now it's great to have someone who is a famous face to help promote a brand but no matter what happens in terms of marketing and advertising if the store doesn't deliver on expectations you're still likely gonna be in trouble in growing your retail footprint.
Nespresso sells a considerable amount of their product online but in order to drive brand love a deeper more physical experience is needed and that means store Has to deliver something special if people are making the effort to get off their couch and get on those sales floor.
Well-considered physical touchpoints become critical in terms of how the customer journey unfolds and the experience that customers engage in and later talk about after visiting the physical location.
People who work there need to be experts since customers are better informed now than they have ever been after deep searches on line .
So when customers come in the associate needs to know more and be a welcoming host who acts as a bit of a stage manger who facilitates how the theatre of the store will unfold.
Purpose of retail has moved beyond the simple acquisition of goods or services. Retail stores have acted as a place to exchange stories to learn about the news of the day and connect to brands whose ideological orientations you align with.
We've clearly moved from a place where retail was transactional into an experience based economy and now as Joe Pine would put it, we have moved into a place call the Transformation Economy.
Here, customers expect so much more than just the product or service they're paying for.
Experiences need to leave customers with a sense of a transformation. Deeper, more lasting experiences customers engage in while in stores and the memories they leave with are not just a fun story to share, though that is often done too, but a way of seeing themselves perhaps in the world and in relation to that experience that deeply matter.
And while it is true that an increasing volume of business is done online, getting a cardboard box delivered to your front door the next day just can't compare to the aroma of delicious coffee in an environment that delights your other senses as well.
Sure, if you're interested in a commodity purchase, use an online resource and welcome the cardboard box. On the other hand if you're seeking something more, going to the store cannot be replaced.
Of course, once you arrive at the store one of the key components will be interaction with other humans. An AI bot interaction through an online purchase that offers up more opportunities for other things to buy because other people also bought them too,
is very different than being greeted with a smile by an expert who knows the world of their brand at both the customer and product level.
If I've showed up at the store I'm looking for something more and I will suggest that it's the human interaction you get face-to-face with an sales associate that is one of the key drivers to great brand experiences in retail places.
I've often thought of retail stores and hotels like theater performances.
A stage with performers but with no audience is called a rehearsal
and a theater with no performers is call an intermission.
When performers and patrons come together in a place, magic happens. The energy changes and the exchange is much deeper.
Actors live on audience feedback and audience members expect performers to bring them into an imagined world were time shifts and for that 2 hour block they are someplace else.
The sales associate and customer interaction works much the same way the store then simply as a stage set for the stars of the show customers sales associates and let us not forget products. Everything you do inside the store is geared towards telling the story supporting the actors and audience members and bringing them along on the story that unfolds in chapters or acts.
So it's not surprising when you walk into a store like the Nespresso flagship on 5th Ave. at the corner of 16th St. in New York, that the story of Nespresso so comprehensively and confidently comes alive.
From interaction stations that are very analog where you can experience the aroma of various coffees from around the world and if you like, free of charge, create your own coffee drink pour it into real glassware that when held in your hand creates a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Sure the Nespresso store cells great coffee in a number of variations but the flagship store does much more than that.
It welcomes you into a world of surprise and delight where customers interact with both analog and digital touchpoints; where they learn about the making of coffee and Nespresso’s extraordinary sustainability program and how their capsules are recycled.
And then it takes you off of the main selling floor and allows you to descend the digitally enrobed case staircase walking “into the poor” to a members lounge that is not only for members… it is for everyone.
This place is designed to be reminiscent of what your own home may be complete with vinyl record player, a coffee bar where you can pour yourself another - free of charge - drink and spend time simply relaxing or chatting with the throngs of people that seem to always being showing up daily after 5:00 PM.
A lot of retailers and hotel brands push designed experiences through a cost benefit analysis.
Naturally minding their dollars and trying to understand where intention is being placed to drive impact - which usually translates to thinking about construction cost, altering employment practices and policies, considering the long-term needs of digital content management and a host of other things.
The problem is that that ROI spreadsheet often doesn't have other columns on it for the intangibles like Return on Innovation, Return on Creativity, Return on Novelty, Return on Experience and Return on Emotion,
all of which have become increasingly important in an experience and transformation based economy.
How do you put a number on the intangibles of surprise and delight and the body memory of an experience so well choreographed did it lose you thinking about it and sharing it with friends and family days later.
And this is where this episode's guest Anatoly Korolenko comes into our story.
Anatoliy currently leads Real Estate and Development for Nespresso USA, He is responsible for shaping the brand’s U.S. retail footprint from market strategy and site selection through lease negotiations, design, construction, and ongoing portfolio optimization.
His work combines consumer and market analytics with real estate economics to identify growth opportunities and translate brand strategy into high-performing physical retail environments.
Throughout his career, he has focused on the intersection of real estate, customer experience, and business performance—building strategies that treat physical retail not simply as a distribution channel, but as an important driver of customer acquisition, brand engagement, and long-term growth.
I caught up with Anatoly on a trip to New York where we found the space at the old Pentagram office off of Madison Park that was under renovation by the Porcelanosa company who was turning it into a beautiful new showroom.
So, during our conversation we lived through some sounds of circular saws, scaffolding being dismantled and some jackhammers breaking up a floor.
And what with it being New York there was the occasional ambulance siren that starts off in the distance and then tends to come up and park right below your window.
All good. We made it through. And we just chalked it up to being part of the authentic and unvarnished experience...
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ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:
LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b
Websites:
https://www.davidkepron.com (personal website)
vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645 (Blog)
Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.com
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/
NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/
Bio:
David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe.
David is the Retail Studio Principle at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Little) and a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels.
In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies.
As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace.
David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation’s Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.
He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.
In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound.
The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.
Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

ABOUT HEIDIMARIE KRIZ

Heidemarie’s profile: linkedin.com/in/heidemarie-kriz-0772177

Websites: positiveaffairs.com (Company)

krizh.com (Company)

pointofsale.doctor (Company)

Phone: +43 676 3026618 (Work)

Address:

Kohlmarkt 8-10
1010 Vienna I Austria

Email: office@krizh.com

AKTUELLER RETAIL NEWSFLASH PODCAST >>> https://fanlink.tv/rnfp13022026

Latest Press releases KRIZH in Forbes Magazine Slovakia : 

https://www.forbes.sk/super-retail-club-prichadza-na-slovensko-prvykrat-nan-zavita-expertka-heidemarie-kriz/

BIO:

Heidemarie Kriz is among the pioneers who recognized the multi-sensory dimension of retail long before it became a trend. With almost 30 years of international experience, she merges with architecture, design, and commerce to create environments that are both emotionally engaging and commercially effective. She has directed more than 200 retail projects across Europe and the MENA region for global brands such as Nike, Apple, and Levi’s.

Her Vienna-based studio KRIZH® stands for brand-focused spatial design and holistic retail strategy — from concept development and customer journey mapping to sensory engagement and visual merchandising. Acting as a one-stop shop for retail innovation, her work transforms spaces into immersive brand experiences that engage all five senses and build lasting customer relationships.

Before founding her studio, Heidemarie held senior roles at international retail brands, where she developed store concepts rolled out across Europe. (more than 200) Her portfolio extends beyond retail to hospitality and office design — experience that enables her to identify synergies and develop solutions that transcend industry boundaries.

In 2020, she founded Point of Sale Doctor®, a hybrid consulting platform optimizing retail spaces both in-store and online. With her rapid analysis method, she provides precise, actionable input-from layout to product presentation- achieving measurable sales growth for her clients.

Recognized as a Top Retail Expert 2025 & 2026 by RETHINK Retail in New York City, Heidi is a published author (Stores + Shops, Across Magazine, Deutscher Laden-bauverband, Instore Slovakia, retailmagazin.sk..), speaker at conferences, universities and brands, and since 2021 co-host of the Retail News Flash Podcast. Since 2012, she has curated immersive retail trend tours in cities such as Vienna, Venice, Nice, and New York.

Holding a Master of Science in Architecture from Graz University of Technology (she is also Civil engineer in architecture) and additional certifications in Marketing & Sales as well as International Project Management, she continues to shape the future of retail as a holistic sensory experience — seamlessly connecting the analog and digital worlds.

Her unique approach with Point of Sale Doctor® combines speed, intuition, and deep expertise. Within minutes, she can evaluate a shop concept and identify potential improvement. Known for her “truffle pig nose,” she instinctively discovers exceptional stores wherever she goes. By linking retail with hospitality, museums, and hotels, she creates environments that speak to all senses and leaves a lasting impress

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ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:

LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b

Websites: 

https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)

vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)

Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.com

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/

NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/

Bio:

David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. 

David is the Retail Studio Principle at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Little) and a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. 

In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. 

As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. 

David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation’s Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.

He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  

In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound.
The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.
Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

About Christian Giordano:

Christian's LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/cdgiordano

Website

manciniduffy.com (Company)

theantiarchitect.com (Personal)

Christian's Bio:

Christian Giordano is President and Co-Owner of Mancini, a110-year-old national design firm, and the host of The Anti-Architect Podcast. 

A trailblazer in the architecture and design space, Christian is redefining the industry by integrating cutting-edge technology and entrepreneurial thinking into a traditionally slow-to-evolve field. 

Christian’s journey includes studying under the iconic Frank Gehry at UCLA, an experience that profoundly influenced his groundbreaking approach to design and leadership. 

As a visionary in the field, Christian treats his century-old firm like a startup, drawing inspiration from the forward-thinking companies Mancini works with, such as Google, Peloton, Disney, and Netflix. His work explores how emerging technologies - AI, automation, and immersive digital tools - are transforming the built world. 

Beyond pioneering innovation in design, Christian is dedicated to mentoring the next generation, inspiring them to push the boundaries of what’s possible in architecture and technology.

SHOW INTRO:

"...Today, EPISODE 90… I talk with Christian Giordano President and Co-Owner of Mancini who is also the host of The Anti-Architect Podcast – an intriguing name for a pod especially one hosted by an architect and leader of an architecture firm. 

The interesting thing about the podcast title, is that I think it aptly describes Christian’s personal take on the practice of architecture and leading a group of creative souls into a new future paradigm one and where technology and social media is reshaping engagement in a corporate workplace and the output of their creative endeavors in the built environment.

We’ll get into all of that in a minute but first a few thoughts…"

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ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:

LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b

Websites: 

https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)

vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)

Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.com

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/

NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/

Bio:

David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. 

David is the Retail Studio Principle at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Little) and a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. 

In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. 

As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. 

David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation’s Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.

He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  

In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. 

I caught up with Bryan at the SHOP Marketplace event in Charlotte and chatted about his focus on shaping what comes next in digital signage and experiential design.

 

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. 

The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.

Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound.
The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.
Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

About Thomas:

Thomas’ LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/thomas-dijkman

Website: qanda.nl (Company), https://www.ebeltoftgroup.com 

Phone: +31652656347 (Work)

Email: tdijkman@qanda.nl

Thomas' Bio:

Thomas Dijkman is a Senior Retail Consultant at Q&A Retail, a Netherlands-based retail consultancy. He is Co-chair of the “Young Ebeltoft” initiative, a global collective of next-generation retail thinkers within the Ebeltoft Group. 

Thomas specializes in translating insights, market expertise, and creativity into practical solutions that help leading retailers adapt and thrive in a fast-changing retail environment. He has worked with retailers such as SPAR, Action, Nexeye, and A.S. Watson, advising on strategy, positioning, consumer engagement, and store and format optimization. 

With a no-nonsense, data-driven approach, he supports retailers in strengthening their concepts and improving performance across channels. Through his focus on generational insights, Thomas helps retailers better understand what young consumers want and how to turn those insights into action.

SHOW INTRO:

Today, EPISODE 89… I talk with Thomas Dijkman a Gen Z researcher, which is to say that he is part of Gen Z at 28 years old, who was a speaker at Euroshop 2026. Thomas and the company he work with called Q&A Retail, had just published research on Gen Alpha, which was chock full of insights on this emerging generation of global consumers.

We’ll get into all of that in a minute but first a few thoughts…

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ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:

LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b

Websites: 

https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)

vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)

Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.com

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/

NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/

Bio:

David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. 

David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. 

In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. 

As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. 

David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation’s Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.

He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  

In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. 

I caught up with Bryan at the SHOP Marketplace event in Charlotte and chatted about his focus on shaping what comes next in digital signage and experiential design.

 

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound.
The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.
Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

About Simon Ong:

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-ong-89095b12/

Website: https://kingsmen-int.com

email: simonong@kingsmen-int.com

Bio:

Kingsmen Creatives / Singapore / Deputy Chairman / Co-founder

Simon Ong oversees the strategic planning and development, as well as the creative and brand standards, of Kingsmen, a leading communication design and production group with 18 offices spanning the Asia Pacific region and North America. One of the Group’s two founders, he has significantly contributed to its growth.

 Simon is actively serving in the creative industry and is currently an honorary advisor to the Society of Interior Designers Singapore and a member of Singapore Interior Design Accreditation Council. He served as the Chairman of the design sector of Singapore Workforce Development Agency, and a board member of SHOP!, a leading Association of Retail Environments in USA. In 2019, he was inducted into the SHOP! Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant contributions to the industry. Most recently, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Interior Designers Singapore for his substantial contributions to the design industry.

 An ardent advocate of education, Simon currently serves as a board director of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He served as a member of the Advisory Board to the School of Design & Environment at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Temasek Polytechnic School of Design, and a member of the Design Education Review Committee, Singapore (DERC). He was the former Chairman of the School Advisory Board of Cedar Girls’ Secondary School, and Vice-Chairman of the Potong-Pasir CC Management Committee.

 Simon graduated with a Master’s Degree in Design from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Australia.

SHOW INTRO:

Welcome to Episode 88! of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast and my conversation with Simon Ong the Deputy Chairman & Co-founder of Kingsmen Creatives in Singapore..

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As we come to a different phase of our professional life you get to thinking back over the years that you invested in growing something

that it was hard but it was also fun

it was challenging and it was sometimes desperate

sometimes you felt elation sometimes you worried about how we're going to pay the next bill

there's a cycle of experience in 50 years of growing a company like that is worth reflecting on and saying ‘you know we have had big wins and we’ve made mistakes

we've learned a lot about ourselves and how to grow a business - how to remain relevant.

I think the relevancy issue means having a sense of empathy tapping into the zeitgeist around you and saying i need to relate to that because if i don't I’ll become irrelevant and i can't i can't communicate

The challenge is put to new leaders and old to listen, be introspective, be flexible to adjust to the sometimes overwhelming sea of change between now and next. 

You hopefully get better at saying both been there done that and been there not doing that anymore period.

When early in my retail design career I had, I guess I would call her a mentor, Jackie Glanz the president of a store fixture manufacturing company called MG Concepts and I recall her drilling into me some core lessons about business and marketing, namely 

respond to the e-mail or phone call - immediately don't wait because everybody's time is valuable not just yours and it's a sign of respect of the other individual to get back to them right away

never burn a bridge especially in the context of a retail community that once you reach a certain level everybody knows everybody else and word travels fast.

Maintain your industry friendships even when they are halfway around the world. Because you just never know when you're going to come into a situation where reaching out will make the difference between growth and stagnation, or success and failure or a door opening up or door being closed.

It could be with some of those relationships that you never actually do business with them with the mutual support and the benefit of connection extends beyond a project or profit in the physical sense but sometimes is more valuable in a sense of community already perhaps spiritual way the people along your path make a difference.

I have often shared with people that I certainly like working on projects but in the end it's relationships that I value most.

I'm sure all of us have worked on what we would presume to be great projects but the relationship chemistry just didn't work and it made what was presumed to be wonderful more woeful. 

And the reverse… where projects were of average scope or prestige and ended up being prized because of the people

there was a sense of community, a shared responsibility, a willingness to extend beyond what was asked for and to bring something new to the world even though it wouldn't end up winning a prize in design competition or being on the cover of a trade publication.

You stayed doing one thing long enough and you actively engage in the community of your profession working with other leaders to define ideas or policies or grow an emerging cohort of young designers and architects into roles you also begin to have in a certain sense your own brand which is very much about what you believe in not necessarily what the things you bring into the world look like and certainly not a logo.

Beyond the image is the intention, the ideological orientations that drive what you do every day that ultimately give meaning to the things that you focus your time on and that you hope other people align with. 

Having a point of view that drives your decision-making matters. 

And for the individual, as well as large international mega brands, it is important that what you do and what you say are aligned. When these two things are at odds, it's not hard to see the disconnect, and trust and credibility are critical foundational elements to long term relationships Whether those relationships are personal between you and your work colleagues or between you and your clients.

In a crowded marketplace where many professional firms offer the same services and you might say are equally as good at providing them what is the differentiating factor between a client choosing you over the next guy?

Sometimes, it's simply a feeling a feeling about how the relationship might progress through the phases of a project is the best way to know if the project will be successful...

And this is where we bring in my guest on this episode Simon Ong…

Simon Ong is the Deputy Chairman & Co-founder of Kingsmen Creatives in Singapore

He oversees the strategic planning and development, as well as the creative and brand standards, of Kingsmen, a leading communication design and production group with 18 offices spanning the Asia Pacific region and North America. 

 After 50 years in the experience design industry, Simon is still actively engaging and is currently an honorary advisor to the Society of Interior Designers Singapore and a member of Singapore Interior Design Accreditation Council. 

He served as the Chairman of the design sector of Singapore Workforce Development Agency, and a board member of SHOP!, a leading Association of Retail Environments in USA.  In 2019, he was inducted into the SHOP! Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant contributions to the industry. 

Most recently, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Interior Designers Singapore for his substantial contributions to the design industry.

An ardent advocate of education, Simon currently serves on multiple academic helping to shape the curriculum of young designers entering into the Experience design industry.

I got together with Simon at Euroshop in Dusselddorf, Germany and sat down for a conversation about his career path, growing a business, design thinking and more.

I am grateful to having Simon both share his experience and to have known him for half of his 50 years in the business.

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound.
The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.
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