Dean Salakas to Speak at Retail Show Australia 2026 | Retail doctor Group

Dean Salakas to Speak at Retail Show Australia 2026 on From Clown to Retail Consultant: The Journey and Lessons for Retail

Retail Show Australia 2026 is pleased to welcome Dean Salakas, Partner at Retail doctor Group, as a featured speaker at this year’s event.

Dean brings practical, experience-led insight to the retail industry, with a professional background shaped by entrepreneurship, business growth and retail consulting. His journey offers a distinctive perspective on what it takes to build, grow and evolve a retail business in a changing market.

From Clown to Retail Consultant: The Journey and Lessons for Retail

At Retail Show Australia 2026, Dean will present:

From Clown to Retail Consultant: The Journey and Lessons for Retail

In this session, Dean will share his unconventional journey from working as a clown to building Australia’s largest party store, achieving a successful exit, and moving into retail consulting. Drawing on that experience, he will reflect on the lessons learned along the way and what they can mean for retailers navigating growth, change and long-term business development.

Attendees will gain insights into:

• The lessons that come from an unconventional retail journey 
• Real-world perspectives on building and growing a retail business 
• What retailers can learn from entrepreneurship, transition and reinvention 
• How lived business experience can shape stronger retail thinking and decision-making 
• Practical reflections relevant to retailers operating in an evolving market 

A Real-World Perspective on Retail Growth

Dean’s session brings together entrepreneurial experience and retail consulting insight in a way that is both practical and relatable. His story reflects the resilience, adaptability and commercial understanding required to build a successful business and continue evolving within the retail sector.

By sharing his journey and the lessons behind it, Dean will offer attendees an engaging perspective on retail growth, business transformation and the value of learning through experience.

Join Dean Salakas at Retail Show Australia 2026

Retail Show Australia 2026 brings together leading retailers, innovators and industry experts to explore the future of retail across innovation, technology and customer experience. The reference speaker page places the event at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on 22–24 September 2026, and closes with a registration call to action. 

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

22–24 September 2026