Heartland - February Member Appreciation Happy Hour Recap

The Heartland Chapter board makes its way through the crowd at Westport Social to secure our group a stellar spot to spread out and connect during our Member Appreciation Happy Hour on February 19th, 2026.

On a lively Thursday evening at Westport Social in St. Louis, the Heartland Chapter gathered for our first in-person event of the year: our February General Membership Happy Hour, sponsored by our good friends at VizEx.

Westport Social itself was buzzing... lively music punctuated with conversation and cheers and laughter from games in motion. Our corner was quieter and more intimate... which turned out to be a gift. Four of us around a small table with drinks, postcards spread out, and the 2026 calendar open for honest discussion. The scale was small. The conversation was not.

We were joined by former member and past Treasurer Theresa Froidl, who offered thoughtful perspective on how chapters like ours can better meet people where they are right now. One idea that resonated was reconsidering the timing of our events. Post-pandemic, work rhythms have shifted... evenings are guarded, while morning coffees or lunch-hour programs might create a different kind of accessibility.

We also talked candidly about communication. Inboxes are crowded, so if we are asking people to show up and participate, the invitations need to be clear and direct. As a result, starting in March, you’ll notice a shift in how we share updates: shorter emails with sharper calls to action, paired with more in-depth blog posts (like this one) for those who have the time and want to dig deeper.

While we would have loved to have seen a few more faces and celebrated a few more of our amazing members, there is something clarifying about sitting across from a few peers and having the time and the space to actually listen deeply. No performance, no crowd dynamics... just honest reflection about where retail design is heading and how our local chapter can stay relevant.

In the spirit of transparency, we also discovered that an unexpected but welcome vacation will require us to reschedule our upcoming Rawlings Experience Project Walk from our original date in March to the third Thursday in April. We’re working through scheduling adjustments now and will share a more full update soon.

Have more thoughts, suggestions, or

ideas you'd like to share? Drop a comment below, fill out our brief survey, or contact the board at heartland@retaildesigninstitute.org... we'd love to connect!

Thanks again to our event sponsor: