Amy offers two presentations:

"Behind the Scenes at Marshall Field’s Holiday Traditions"

Perhaps you grew up enjoying lunch in the Walnut Room after viewing the world-famous holiday windows along State Street. Maybe it was a special trip into Chicago to visit Santa in Cozy Cloud Cottage. Or the transcendent experience of the legendary State Street store decked out in exquisite holiday regalia.

Amy passionately shares the rich history, behind the scenes sneak peaks, and unique experiences of these holiday traditions sharing the stories of the artists, vendors, and craftsmen who brought the famed animated windows, Main Aisle decor, and the Great Tree to life, year after year, for Marshall Field’s and Macy’s.

Amy’s 45-minute presentation includes rare photos, one-of-a-kind ornament samples, ephemera, and tales from the trenches—and after 25 years of managing the display department, there are stories to share!

"Designing With Flowers"

“Rose is a rose is a rose…”

With apologies to Gertrude Stein--not always! Certainly not when one is working with flowers and floral motifs in the design industry. For 25 years, Amy Meadows designed and executed Marshall Field’s/Macy’s iconic window displays, holiday installations and Spring Flower Shows. With slides and stories, Amy will take you behind the scenes of her department’s use of flora, both as propping and as inspiration.

Join us as she dishes the dirt (and the mulch and the floral foam!)

BOOK AMY MEADOWS

for public and private lecture presentations
amy@windowsmatter.com

Amy Meadows is a nationally recognized designer, educator and speaker in the field of Visual Merchandising and Retail Design. For 35 years, Amy led the Window Display, Holiday and Marketing Events departments for Marshall Field’s / Macy’s. She has made frequent local and national media appearances on HGTV, PBS, NPR and CNN and has been featured in the Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times and Newsweek. the principal of Windows Matter, a retail design consulting firm, Amy focuses on the needs independent businesses, and revitalization efforts in historic downtowns.

“My goal is to bring the magic of Chicago’s State Street to America’s Main Streets”. In addition, Amy has served on the faculty of Columbia College Chicago, creating the Visual Merchandising coursework within the Fashion Studies Department.

Amy’s engaging, no-nonsense approach for solving branding and marketing challenges by means of innovative presentation and experiential strategies makes her a sought-after consultant and speaker for arts organizations, educational seminars and historic business districts..