Seminar on Storefront Design Provides Food for Thought

The unexpected happens a lot to me. On Tuesday, I attended a business event that I was not sure would be right for me -- but it turned out to be an excellent meeting in terms of both learning something new and developing new business contacts.

The event was part of the new Sunrise Seminar Series of breakfast meetings presented by the Yonkers (NY) Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District (Yonkers Downtown BID). The topic was "Curb Appeal," and the broad subject was how to add excitement to store window displays to bring more traffic into the store.

Now, this is not my area of expertise, nor my usual area of interest. But at the suggestion of one of my business associates, I attended and was very pleasantly surprised.

Two experts in the field of storefront design provided guidelines for good design that can help to draw customers into a store, and illustrated these guidelines by showing pictures of both well-designed and poorly-designed storefronts.

The speakers were Maureen Farrell, project manager and treasurer of the New York City Chapter of the Retail Design Institute; and Nicole Innis, of Yonkers-based Innis Designs, which specializes in designing eco-friendly interiors and spaces for retailers, other businesses and residences.

Both presentations were much more interesting than I had expected. Ms. Innis provided 10 tips for better storefront design, while the focal point of Ms. Farrell's presentation were pictures of dozens of storefronts that illustrated both the do's and don't's of designing appealing window displays.

The presentations made me think about things that I normally do not -- e.g., how the design of a business location impacts our desire to enter the premises and make a purchase.

An added plus for me was the opportunity to network with Westchester-based businesspeople, in a congenial atmosphere.

Finally, the venue for the seminar -- the Larkin Library in downtown Yonkers -- is an excellent location. The library offers a scenic view of the Hudson River, adding to the enjoyment of the meeting.

The bottom line for me: Take a chance on a meeting or event -- even if it doesn't seem right up your alley. You may be pleasantly surprised.