architect, artist, author, educator, international speaker, podcaster
David Kepron is formerly a VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International as well as founder of Retail (r)Evolution, LLC and NXTLVL Experience Design, LLC.
While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which includes: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels.
In his new venture, NXTLVL Experience Design, Kepron brings thirty years of retail and hospitality design expertise to the making of meaningful customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. His multidisciplinary approach to design focuses on understanding consumer behavior and the creation of relevant brand engagement moments at the intersection of architecture, sociology, 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.
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, and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore. In 2022 he will join the faculty of Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) Masters of Professional Studies in Retail Design, teaching Cognitive Science for Retail Designers.
David currently brings his creativity and insight on brand experiences to an international audience as a member of VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, as a Board Member of the Interactive Customer Experience Association (ICXA), Sign Research Foundation’s (SRF) Program Committee and the George Mason University Center For Retail Transformation.
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. David Also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com.
In addition, he is also the host of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast which brings listeners daring and different dialogues about “DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” His guests include thought leaders who are driven by a passion to create the ‘New Possible’ and promote new paradigms of experiences into the mainstream.
... throughout my career I have believed that showing up and placing yourself
in the path of serendipity would lead to unexpected opportunity. And, if by a twist of good fortune, serendipity smiled upon you, your job was to say 'yes'...