Michael Hale to deliver hands-on merchandising session at Coastal Connections Conference

Popular retail design expert will demonstrate proven visual merchandising strategies that help retailers boost sales, improve product presentation and maximize selling space.

Michael Hale, CEO, Retail REHAB

Aaron Lockwood

One of the Coastal Connections Conference's most popular speakers is back for 2026 with a new session designed to help retailers transform their sales floors into more effective selling environments.

Michael Hale, CEO of Retail REHAB, will present "Making Waves on Your Sales Floor" during the Coastal Connections Conference, taking place Sept. 18-20, 2026, at Margaritaville Resort Orlando.

Unlike a traditional slide presentation, Hale plans to make the session highly interactive with live demonstrations that show retailers how strategic merchandising techniques can elevate the customer experience and drive measurable sales results.

The "Making Waves on Your Sales Floor", taking place from 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, will focus on practical visual merchandising strategies retailers can immediately apply in their stores. Hale will discuss why visual merchandising deserves attention even for busy retailers, sharing techniques for elevating the customer experience, making products easier to shop and discover, highlighting promotions and high-profit items, and increasing the perceived value of merchandise. Attendees will also learn best practices for product placement, fixture layout, display symmetry and the effective use of props and graphics to create engaging displays that encourage purchases and increase sales.

"Visual merchandising is one of the most powerful tools retailers have to influence shopping behavior and improve store performance," Hale says. "The Coastal Connections Conference is a unique opportunity to attend a focused event for your specialized retail business model. It's a networking and collaborating event where experts share ideas for coastal, travel and entertainment retailers — specialized topic event that you won't find anywhere else."

Hale is a retail design executive specializing in experiential store design, strategic space planning and visual merchandising across travel, hospitality and specialty retail environments. As CEO of Retail REHAB, he helps brands create high-performing retail spaces by combining sales analytics, operational flow and fixture design to enhance both the customer experience and business results. His experience spans cruise, airport, resort and specialty retail operations.

Produced by Seaside Retailer magazine, the Coastal Connections Conference brings together coastal retailers from across the country for three days of education, networking and business-building opportunities tailored specifically to the unique challenges and opportunities of operating a coastal retail business.

Retailers interested in attending can learn more and register at www.coastalconnectionsconference.com. Early-bird registration rates are currently available for a limited time.