HOLLYWOOD, Fla. --The Planning and Visual Education Partnership (PAVE) continues to shape tomorrow's retail designers and visual merchandisers with the launch of its 17th annual Student Design Competition. Open to college-level students in retail planning, merchandising, and branding programs, the competition is incorporated into the curriculum of many schools due to the hands-on experience it affords students.
With a global reach (last year's competition drew 440 entries from four continents), the competition focuses on store design and visual merchandising challenges for high-profile retail brands. Sponsoring this year's competition is beauty trailblazer Sephora, known for presenting a range of brands in a consistent and compelling way in its 400-plus stores worldwide.
"All of us on the PAVE Board are proud to have Sephora as the sponsor for this year's Student Design Competition. Key retailer support such as Sephora is providing is so important to help educate the upcoming young talent with real-world design challenges. This also creates an awareness with students of opportunities and the potential of an exciting career in our industry," says Denny Gerdeman, PAVE president and co-founder and CEO of Chute Gerdeman.
In addition to the chance to foster talent, Sephora views the competition as an introduction to fresh viewpoints. "Sephora is pleased to sponsor the 2011 PAVE Student Design Competition. The ongoing vitality of the retail industry begins at the educational level, and we are excited to offer an opportunity for students to grow in their design skills while solving real-life challenges. This is a great spotlight and opportunity for emerging talent, and we are excited to see how new thinking might influence our retail experience," says Paul Loux, vice president of design for Sephora.
Entries are due Nov. 11, 2011. Judging will take place in November at Sephora's offices in San Francisco. Awards for this competition include grants to students and schools. Information on the competition, design challenges, how to enter, and entry forms are available here .