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Ben Raemer

Experiential Creative Director

Retail, Activations & Branded Environments

benraemer@gmail.com212-537-6031linkedin.com/in/benraemer
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Professional Summary

Senior creative operator leading experiential, retail, and branded-environment programs from first pitch through fabrication, install, and rollout. Embedded with agency and brand teams to define direction, align stakeholders, run cross-functional execution, and hold creative intent intact across luxury, beauty, lifestyle, CPG, technology, and retail.

What I Bring to a Team

  • 0115+ years leading retail and experiential design
  • 02A hands-on designer, not just a director who delegates
  • 03A strategic thinker who can run a pitch from blank page to close
  • 04A strong presenter, comfortable with executives, clients, and vendors
  • 05An AI-native workflow that speeds up the work without lowering the bar
  • 06Real production and fabrication knowledge, from tech packs to install
  • 07Deep retail and experiential range across luxury, beauty, tech, and CPG
  • 08Works well with engineers, marketers, producers, and fabricators

Core Strengths

  • Experiential Concept Development
  • Spatial Storytelling & Flow
  • Pitch & Client Leadership
  • Branded Environments & Retail
  • Modular & Scalable Systems
  • Cross-functional Team Direction
  • Production & Fabrication Alignment
  • Design-to-Build Translation

Selected Clients

  • Nike
  • Samsung
  • Microsoft Xbox
  • Kering
  • Morgenthal Frederics
  • BAT Canada
  • McLaren
  • Gucci
  • Saint Laurent
  • Cartier
  • Louis Vuitton
  • Luxottica
  • L'Oréal
  • MAC Cosmetics
  • Maybelline
  • Heineken
  • Unilever
  • Target
  • Walmart
  • Victoria's Secret
  • Alessi

Professional Experience

Founder & Creative + Strategy Director

Jul 2018–Present

Raemer Studio

Embedded senior creative leadership for agency and brand teams on experiential retail, activations, pop-ups, installations, branded environments, display systems, and integrated physical/digital programs. Brought in to protect the idea, define direction, and carry the concept through to install.

  • Partner with agencies as embedded senior creative direction on pitch narrative, concept territories, and client alignment.
  • Translate strategy into buildable systems across 3D design, client teams, vendors, and fabrication partners from concept through install.
  • Lead spatial strategy and concept development for high-visibility pop-ups, activations, and retail rollouts where execution risk is real.

Interim Vice President, Creative & Marketing

Jan 2023–Jun 2023

Silvestri California

Stepped in as interim creative and marketing leadership during an organizational transition. Held continuity for active client programs, directed creative output, and kept visual merchandising and client-facing work moving without a loss of standard.

  • Held 50+ luxury retail and visual merchandising programs on track through a leadership transition.
  • Aligned design, account, and operations functions so in-flight client work continued to ship on time.

Retail Store Design Lead

Oct 2013–Apr 2018

Barrows North America

Led cross-functional teams of designers, strategists, producers, and detailers on end-to-end retail and experiential programs for global brand partners, owning the path from concept through technical package, fabrication coordination, and install.

  • Directed $500K+ vendor contracts and produced build-ready technical packages, toolkits, and install guides.
  • Led creative and spatial direction for the Samsung Galaxy S9 Interactive Pop-Up.
  • Held a 95% repeat-client rate by aligning creative ambition with what could actually be built and operated.

Earlier Experience

Shapeways · Length Width Height · POP Displays

Education

Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design

Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Product Design

Florida Institute of Technology

Bachelor of Science, Aviation Sciences

Certifications

  • FAA Commercial Multi-Engine Fixed-Wing Pilot License
  • OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Outreach Training
  • Stop The Bleed Certified, American College of Surgeons

Tools

Fluent in 3D concepting, spatial planning, and presentation tooling. Direct CAD, Rhino, SketchUp, Vectorworks, and Adobe Creative Suite output across teams. Build client-ready pitch narratives in Keynote, Figma, and Pitch.